PRODUCER · BORN 1950

Jeffrey Katzenberg

Born: 21 December 1950, New York City, New York, USA
Known for: The Lion King (1994), How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

23 archived facts 4 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026

Jeffrey Katzenberg (born 21 December 1950) is a producer best known for The Lion King and How to Train Your Dragon.

Jeffrey Katzenberg over the years

23 Interesting Facts About Jeffrey Katzenberg

Interesting Facts (7)

#001
Had animosity towards The Walt Disney Company CEO Michael Eisner and personally based the villainous character Lord Farquaad of "Shrek" on Eisner himself.
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#002
After his resignation from The Walt Disney Company in 1994, he partnered up with Steven Spielberg and David Geffen (SKG) to create their own studio: DreamWorks/DreamWorks Animation/DreamWorks Pictures.
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#003
Had animosity towards The Walt Disney Company CEO Michael Eisner and personally based the villainous character Lord Farquaad of "Shrek" on Eisner himself.
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#004
Back in 1978, he was working for Paramount Pictures and was given the daunting task of bringing the Star Trek franchise back after a decade long "sleep". Eventually, the movie was complete and is now Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979).
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#005
Ordered several scenes of The Black Cauldron (1985) to be cut due to their violent and scary nature.
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#006
A prominent Democrat, he endorsed Democratic candidate Barack Obama during his 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns.
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#007
Ranked #12 on Premiere's 2006 "Power 50" list along with DreamWorks/DreamWorks Animation/DreamWorks Pictures co-founder David Geffen. They had ranked #12 in 2005 as well.
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Production Story (2)

#008
Back in 1978, he was working for Paramount Pictures and was given the daunting task of bringing the Star Trek franchise back after a decade long "sleep". Eventually, the movie was complete and is now Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979).
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#009
Ordered several scenes of The Black Cauldron (1985) to be cut due to their violent and scary nature.
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Career & Awards (6)

#010
Was partner in DreamWorks/DreamWorks Animation/DreamWorks Pictures from 1998 to 2016.
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#011
After his resignation from The Walt Disney Company in 1994, he partnered up with Steven Spielberg and David Geffen (SKG) to create their own studio: DreamWorks/DreamWorks Animation/DreamWorks Pictures.
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#012
Left Pixar Animation Studios and The Walt Disney Company after being denied a promotion.
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#013
Left Pixar Animation Studios and The Walt Disney Company after being denied a promotion.
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#014
Was partner in DreamWorks/DreamWorks Animation/DreamWorks Pictures from 1998 to 2016.
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#015
As a young teen he worked as a youth coordinator for New York mayoral candidate John Lindsay.
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Life & Family (8)

#016
As a young teen he worked as a youth coordinator for New York mayoral candidate John Lindsay.
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#017
A prominent Democrat, he endorsed Democratic candidate Barack Obama during his 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns.
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#018
In 2006, he and his wife Marilyn donated $1.25 million to Boston University to renovate facilities.
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#019
Endorsed Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton during her 2016 presidential campaign.
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#020
Endorsed Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton during her 2016 presidential campaign.
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#021
In 2006, he and his wife Marilyn donated $1.25 million to Boston University to renovate facilities.
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#022
Dropped out of New York University after his first semester.
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#023
Father of David Katzenberg.
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Mousehunt — Jeffrey Katzenberg comes up in the facts on that page
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron — Jeffrey Katzenberg comes up in the facts on that page
The Great Mouse Detective — Jeffrey Katzenberg comes up in the facts on that page

Sources & editorial notes

Reference databases

Wikipedia English Wikipedia article
IMDb IMDb name page (biography and trivia)

Information from external sources is independently selected, consolidated and edited by Arka Evren. Sources are listed for verification and further reading. Encyclopedia text is used under its licence (CC BY-SA). How we work