Brian Grazer: Tom Hanks, Ron Howard & 40 years of making Hollywood's biggest films | Full Interview

Academy Award-winning producer Brian Grazer (A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13, Splash) sits down for a wide-ranging conversation covering his remarkable Hollywood career and personal life. From running into Tom Hanks on a surfboard to sneaking his way past Warren Beatty's security at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, Brian shares the curiosity-driven approach that built one of the most successful producing careers in film history. He opens up about growing up with dyslexia, his son Riley's journey with Asperger's, the making of A Beautiful Mind, what it's like working with Tom Cruise and Jim Carrey, his 40-year partnership with Ron Howard, friendship with Bob Iger, and his vision for democratizing Hollywood through Imagine Impact. 0:00 - Introduction & the Tom Hanks Surfing Incident 3:25 - Starting Out at Warner Brothers & Meeting Warren Beatty 10:21 - Early Hustle & Saving Money 11:18 - Selling Splash & Learning to Handle Rejection 13:38 - The Photo Prank Tradition 16:49 - Curiosity Conversations 18:08 - Isaac Asimov Disaster 20:38 - Elon Musk & SpaceX Launch 23:35 - Sharing Ice Cream with Princess Diana 26:27 - Jay-Z & the American Gangster Album 28:41 - Jeff Bezos & Steve Jobs 30:01 - College Years, the Porsche & Fitting In 32:39 - Growing Up: Parents & Grandmother's Belief 44:29 - Son Riley & Overcoming Challenges 49:54 - A Beautiful Mind: Inspiration & Winning the Oscar 53:46 - The Braveheart Oscar Mix-Up 56:26 - Working with Actors: Tom Cruise & Jim Carrey 1:01:21 - Going Incognito on Set 1:02:59 - Social Anxiety & Comfort in Discomfort 1:06:06 - Superstition & Karma 1:07:13 - Fear, Motivation & Complacency 1:08:55 - Friendship with Bob Iger 1:10:27 - 40 Years with Ron Howard 1:17:14 - Marriage & Family 1:20:51 - Sports Movies: Rush, Cinderella Man & Friday Night Lights 1:27:21 - The Changing Hollywood Business Model 1:33:38 - Imagine Impact: Democratizing Hollywood Become a member to watch full episodes and get exclusive access to content: https://bit.ly/3q4TjAb Subscribe to watch the latest interviews: http://bit.ly/1R1Fd6w Episode debuted nationwide in 2026.