Lives of Consequence
Stuart T. Kleinman '77
Lawyer and Filmmaker
Devoting to a deep-seated passion for film, Stuart T. Kleinman '77 spent more than two decades as a leader in the entertainment industry working on hit movies such as "Home for the Holidays" and "Nell." A lawyer and filmmaker, Kleinman was known for joining with Academy Award winning actress Jodie Foster to form Egg Pictures, a production company funded by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment. Aside from being a producer and industry executive, Kleinman also spent time as a writer, director and mentor of new filmmakers, including Mathieu Kassovitz.
Early in his career, Kleinman was an entertainment and corporate lawyer in New York, representing numerous motion picture production companies and individuals, including well-known actors, writers, and directors. Included among those he worked with were directors Spike Lee and Jim Jarmusch, and actors Al Pacino and Tom Berenger. In 1990, Kleinman joined International Creative Management, an international talent and literary agency, becoming vice president of its Los Angeles headquarters. In his role as an executive, Kleinman worked closely with major filmmakers of the time and developed innovative financing deals.
In the early 1990s, Kleinman's Egg Pictures venture with Foster produced a number of films, including "Home for the Holidays" (1995), which featuring Robert Downey Jr., Holly Hunter, and Anne Bancroft. "Nell," which starred Foster, also was a favorite at the box office. Following his time with Egg Pictures, Kleinman joined Frankfurt, Kurnit, Klein and Selz, PC, a New York-based law firm, making partner and working with the firm until 2003.
Kleinman began his career in the entertainment industry following his graduation from Hobart, where he majored in English literature and was the chair of the Colleges' film society. Following graduation, he attended graduate school at New York University, studying film and television, and went on to work in California as a writer and art director on various productions. He returned to school in the early 1980s, graduating from Yale Law School in 1986.
A loyal alumnus, he returned to Geneva to offer a talk about pursuing life's passions at the Smith Opera House in 1995. Kleinman also served as an HWS Career Services volunteer.
Kleinman died on April 22, 2013.