Hunt Lowry

The film business has a way of drawing in even the most unsuspecting individuals. Such was the case with Hunt Lowry, who innocently came to L.A. to visit his brother and ended up not only staying, but becoming a high-profile movie producer. The Oklahoma native fell in love with the movie business on that first visit, and it was an affair that lasted for many years. Lowry's first job was as a humble production assistant on Ron Howard's directorial debut, the larcenous road trip comedy "Grand Theft Auto" (1977). He didn't stay at that low level for long; three years later, he associate produced the classic 1980 disaster movie spoof "Airplane!," which boosted him into the producer ranks. Lowry's first effort as a full producer was with the sprawling rock-and-roll farce "Get Crazy" (1983), after which he helped bring to life a steady stream of film projects. These include such notable titles as Michael Mann's 1992 big-budget adaptation of James Fenimore Cooper's Native American novel "The Last of the Mohicans" and the beloved cult movie "Donnie Darko" (2001), starring Jake Gyllenhaal as a teenager struggling with adolescence, evil rabbits, and impending catastrophe. Throughout his career, Lowry avoided specializing in any particular genre of film, preferring to develop many different types of properties.