History of Amy Pascal in Timeline

Amy Pascal is an American film producer and former business executive, most notably serving as Chairperson of Sony Pictures Entertainment's Motion Pictures Group from 2006 to 2015. During her tenure, she oversaw numerous film and television productions. Her career was significantly impacted by the 2014 Sony Pictures hack, which exposed controversial emails, including racially insensitive jokes about then-President Barack Obama. Pascal departed from Sony following the leak, later acknowledging that she was terminated from her position.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

March 25, 1958: Amy Pascal Born

On March 25, 1958, Amy Pascal, an American film producer and business executive, was born.

Others born on this day/year

1986: Vice President of Production at 20th Century Fox

In 1986, Amy Pascal became the Vice President of Production at 20th Century Fox.

1987: Vice President of Production at 20th Century Fox

In 1987, Amy Pascal continued her role as Vice President of Production at 20th Century Fox.

1988: Joined Columbia Pictures

In 1988, Amy Pascal joined Columbia Pictures and was responsible for film development, including Groundhog Day, Little Women, Awakenings, and A League of Their Own.

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1994: Left Columbia Pictures

In 1994, Amy Pascal left Columbia Pictures to serve as the President of Production for Turner Pictures.

1996: Rejoined Columbia Pictures

In 1996, Amy Pascal rejoined Columbia Pictures as the studio's president following the merger of Turner Pictures with Warner Bros.

1999: Chair of Columbia Pictures

In 1999, Amy Pascal became the Chair of Columbia Pictures.

2001: Women in Film's Crystal Award

In 2001, Amy Pascal was honored with the Women in Film's Crystal Award, which recognizes those whose work has expanded the role of women in the entertainment industry.

September 2006: Co-Chairperson of Sony Pictures Entertainment

In September 2006, Amy Pascal was named Co-Chairperson of Sony Pictures Entertainment.

2006: Chairperson of Motion Pictures Group

In 2006, Amy Pascal served as the Chairperson of the Motion Pictures Group of Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) and Co-Chairperson of SPE, including Sony Pictures Television.

2008: Humanitarian Award from the Simon Wiesenthal Center

In 2008, Amy Pascal received the Humanitarian Award from the Simon Wiesenthal Center at the National Tribute Dinner.

2013: Elected to Board of Governors

In 2013, Amy Pascal was elected to the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

2013: Forbes Ranking

In 2013, Amy Pascal was ranked 36th in Forbes' ranking of the World's 100 Most Powerful Women.

December 9, 2014: Sony Hack

On December 9, 2014, a group called "Guardians of Peace" hacked into Sony's computer system, leading to the theft of internal company documents and exposing an email exchange between Amy Pascal and producer Scott Rudin that contained jokes about President Barack Obama's presumed movie preferences.

December 2014: Petition for Pascal's Firing

In December 2014, Color of Change launched a petition calling upon Sony to fire Amy Pascal due to her racially insensitive comments revealed in the Sony hack.

2014: Forbes Ranking

As of 2014, Amy Pascal was ranked as the 28th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes.

2014: Criticism for Financial Controls

In 2014, Amy Pascal faced criticism from investor Daniel S. Loeb for "poor financial controls" and high expenses. She was the only woman at Sony earning over $1 million per annum, with US$3 million a year.

2014: Sony Pictures Hack

In 2014, during Amy Pascal's time as co-chairperson, Sony Pictures experienced a significant hack, leading to the exposure of numerous emails, including some containing racist jokes aimed at then-President Barack Obama.

January 7, 2015: Writers Guild of America Awards

On January 7, 2015, Lisa Kudrow mentioned the Sony hack again at the Writers Guild of America Awards, arguing that it was disturbing because Scott Rudin and Amy Pascal thought that was witty banter.

February 5, 2015: Stepping Down Announcement

On February 5, 2015, Amy Pascal announced she would step down from her position at Sony in May 2015.

February 11, 2015: Pascal states that she was fired

On February 11, 2015, Amy Pascal stated during a Women in the World discussion that she had been "fired" by Sony.

February 2015: Chairman of SPE's Motion Picture Group

In February 2015, Amy Pascal was the Chairman of SPE's Motion Picture Group until February 2015.

May 2015: Stepped down from Sony

In May 2015, Amy Pascal stepped down from her position at Sony.

2015: Departure from Sony

In 2015, Amy Pascal left Sony Pictures Entertainment, later admitting that she was fired from the company.

September 2016: Publication of "Crash Override: How to Save the Internet from Itself"

In September 2016, Pascal Pictures won the bid for Zoë Quinn's memoir, "Crash Override: How to Save the Internet from Itself", about "Gamergate", which was sold to Touchstone/Simon & Schuster for publication.

2016: Pascal Pictures Debut

In 2016, Amy Pascal's production company, Pascal Pictures, debuted with the reboot of Ghostbusters.

2017: Production of Spider-Man: Homecoming, Molly's Game and The Post

In 2017, Amy Pascal produced Spider-Man: Homecoming, Molly's Game, and The Post.

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May 2019: Moved to Universal Pictures

In May 2019, Amy Pascal and her production company, Pascal Pictures, left Sony and moved to Universal Pictures for a first-look deal.

March 2025: Oversight of Bond Film Franchise

In March 2025, Amazon MGM Studios announced that Amy Pascal and David Heyman would oversee the Bond film franchise moving forward, producing future installments through their respective production companies.