Sandra Stern’s Brutally Candid and Surprisingly Optimistic Exit Interview
📖 Full Retelling
Signing off after more than 40 years in the business, Lionsgate TV's vice chairman offers war stories, sage advice and a reason to be hopeful amid the industry struggles.
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Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment Sandra Stern’s office doesn’t look like it’s occupied by someone who’s a few weeks out from retirement. There are scripts piling on her desk and a series of framed photos and awards that she’s collected during her 40-plus year run in the entertainment business, more than half of them at Lionsgate , where she’ll finish as vice chairman of the television group. As Stern notes, she’ll stay on as a consultant for another year, though March 31 is her last day in a leadership role and her extensive travel plans commence immediately. “You know, I was terrified,” she says of closing this chapter. “There was an opportunity to take a buyout about a year and a half, two years ago, and a number of people who were close to retirement age took advantage of the opportunity, but I wasn’t ready.” That changed this past summer, when she told her boss, Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer, that she’d be signing off at the end of her contract. It was the right time, she reasoned, and she could feel good about what she was leaving behind. The studio is responsible for current breakouts like Seth Rogen’s Emmy winner The Studio as well as The Hunting Wives, Ghosts and The Rookie , which follow past hits like Mad Men, Weeds and Orange Is the New Black. As her last day looms, the studio’s highest-ranking female sat for a wide-ranging exit interview with The Hollywood Reporter . Since this decision was made, I suspect you’ve been in reflection mode. Which memories have come flooding back? I’ll tell you, I remember going to a pre-Emmy party for Orange Is the New Black at Ted Sarandos’ house, and it was just us and the cast, and everybody, including Ted, was dancing. Ted’s a great dancer, by the way. I’ve seen him in action. He loves to party, and at the time, I thought, how ...
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