Biography
Larry A. Thompson, acclaimed Hollywood film producer, talent manager, lawyer, book packager, author, Broadway Producer, and motivational speaker, is founder and President of the Larry A. Thompson Organization, a next-generation, Los Angeles based Talent Management, Motion Picture, Television, and New Media Production Studio.
Thompson has managed the careers of over 200 Stars and produced 20 Movies for Television, 5 Motion Pictures, 2 Television Series, 12 Television Specials, and various Series Pilots. His movies made for television include: the high-profile Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton biopic, Liz & Dick, starring Lindsay Lohan and Grant Bowler; the highly acclaimed Lifetime Movie, Amish Grace; the ABC World Premiere And The Beat Goes On: The Sonny and Cher Story; CBS's Lucy and Desi: Before The Laughter; and CBS's The Woman He Loved (The historical Royal romance of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor).
Thompson was voted "Showman Of The Year" in 1998 by the U.S. Television Fan Association. He has received the Industry's prestigious Vision Award and his productions have won 2 Accolade Awards, 2 Imagen Awards, The Epiphany Prize, The Wilbur Award, The Christopher Award, and have received Nominations for 10 Emmys, 6 Imagen Awards, 2 Prism Awards, the Humanitas Prize, and a Golden Globe. He serves on the Advisory Boards of The Delta Blues Museum, Paulist Productions, and Good News Communications. He is a Founding Member Enthusiast of the Museum of The Bible in Washington, D.C. and a Charter Member of the United States Capitol Historical Society. He is perennially listed in Who's Who In America and Who's Who In The World, and on August 1, 2018, Thompson was awarded the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award by Marquis Who's Who.
The National Conference of Personal Managers inducted Thompson into the Personal Managers Hall of Fame on May 12, 2016. Thompson was also honored on September 19, 2013, by the Talent Managers Association with the prestigious Seymour Heller Award for Lifetime Achievement in Talent Management. These two entertainment industry awards are the highest honors a personal manager can receive for representing talent.
Thompson was Knighted in Rome, Italy on May 20, 2017. Grand Prior, Prince Lorenzo de' Medici, sponsored Thompson, an American of Italian Heritage, into the prestigious Ordine di San Martino del Monte delle Beatitudini (the Order of Saint Martin of Mount of the Beatitudes) as a Patron of the Arts and Protector of the Most Needy and presided at the Investiture Mass of Knighthood at the Chiesa di San Silvestro al Quirinale (Church of San Silvestro at Quirinal Hill).
Thompson ran for United States Congress as an Independent in California's 37th District in March 2020. Visit: www.LarryThompsonForCongress.com.
Thompson and his team of managers have guided the careers of over 200 artists including, among others, William Shatner, Drew Barrymore, Mariska Hargitay, Jason Bateman, David Hasselhoff, Scott Hamilton, Cindy Crawford, Joan Rivers, Shannen Doherty, Linda Evans, Cicely Tyson, Barry White, Tatum O'Neal, Donna Mills, Linda Blair, Bruce Boxleitner, Justine Bateman, Alan Thicke, Donna Dixon, William Devane, Richard Pryor, Tori Spelling, Robert Blake, Scott Baio, David Hunt, Melissa Rivers, Merle Haggard, Iman, Steve Guttenberg, Sally Kellerman, Delta Burke, and Sonny & Cher. Thompson currently manages, among others, the careers of William Shatner, whom he has represented for the past 41 years, Donna Mills, Taylor Ann Thompson, Prince Lorenzo de' Medici, and the Estate of Cicely Tyson.
As a motivational lecturer and author, Thompson's bestselling self-help book, "Shine: A Powerful 4-Step Plan For Becoming A Star In Anything You Do" (McGraw Hill - March 1, 2006/Paperback - November 8, 2004/Hardcover) serves as the catalyst for Project Rise and Shine, (www.ProjectRiseandShine.com), an organization he founded whereby successful stars, who serve as role models to so many fans, can use their power of celebrity to uplift and motivate others to become stars in their own lives. This living community provides daily personal guidance and original inspiring programming through a dynamic online networking environment, a series of motivational workshops, and personal affirmative stories directly from celebrities themselves. Thompson is presently preparing his next book, "Life's Red Carpet."
Thompson, a former co-owner of New World Pictures, is not only a premier Motion Picture and Television producer but also one of the industry's most knowledgeable and experienced financiers and packagers of film and television projects. Thompson's diversified background has made him and the Larry A. Thompson Organization one of the most hallmark names in the show business community.
He started his career in show business as in-house counsel for Capitol Records. He negotiated the famed Beatles breakup and by the 1970s he was a founding partner in the entertainment law firm of Thompson, Shankman, Bond and Moss. For five years he packaged movie and television projects and represented the careers of many prominent actors and performers. He also orchestrated the $300-million-dollar merger between Harrahs and Holiday Inn. When the law partnership was amicably dissolved, Thompson created the Larry A. Thompson Organization, a company devoted to film production and personal management of talent.
Thompson, with two other lawyers, Harry Sloan and Larry Kuppin, subsequently purchased New World Pictures from Roger Corman for $16.5 million dollars and immediately took the company public. He sold his New World equity position in 1983 and refocused his attention to independent film production and talent management.
In 2001, Thompson Executive Produced two 1-hour UPN Network Specials titled "Iron Chef USA: Showdown In Las Vegas" and "Iron Chef USA: Holiday Showdown" based on the very popular Japanese show "Iron Chef."
His highly acclaimed 2003 Lifetime television movie "A Date With Darkness: The Trial And Capture Of Andrew Luster" was the third highest cable movie of the year and received rave reviews.
His movie "Little Girl Lost: The Delimar Vera Story," which aired on Lifetime Movie Network on August 17, 2008, was the highest-rated, two-hour movie in Lifetime Movie Network's 10-year history. In 2009, the movie garnered six Imagen Awards Nominations, and it won two of the awards: one for Best Primetime Television Program and the other for Best Actor/Television - Hector Bustamante.
Thompson Co-Executive Produced, with Joel Gallen of Tenth Planet Productions, the "Comedy Central Roast of Joan Rivers." The critically acclaimed special aired on August 9, 2009, on Comedy Central.
Thompson, who has produced multiple bio-pics on iconic figures including Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Lucy & Desi, Sonny & Cher, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, produced a 2-hour special production for the Bio Channel on Scott Hamilton titled "Scott Hamilton: Return To The Ice." He produced the inspirational program in association with 44 Blue Productions. It premiered to glowing reviews on March 8, 2010.
Thompson's critically-acclaimed movie "Amish Grace," based on the true story of the 2006 Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, schoolhouse shooting, had its world premiere on Lifetime Movie Network on Palm Sunday, March 28, 2010. More than 4 million viewers tuned in to "Amish Grace" starring Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Tammy Blanchard, and Matt Letscher. The movie broke all Network records, becoming the highest-rated and most-watched original movie in the history of Lifetime Movie Network.
He Executive Produced the "Comedy Central Roast of David Hasselhoff," which aired on Comedy Central on August 15, 2010. It was the highest-rated show for the night in ALL of TV among males 18-34.
Thompson Executive Produced a one-woman comedy special with Joan Rivers titled "Don't Start With Me." It aired on Showtime on November 15, 2012.
He produced with Michael Wilson the reality series "Celebrity Videos."
Thompson, in 2012, produced the high-profile Lifetime Television movie event, "Liz & Dick," starring Lindsay Lohan and Grant Bowler. The movie is about the epic love story between Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. It was shot in Los Angeles. The movie was written by Peabody and Humanitas Award Winner, Christopher Monger, ("Temple Grandin"), and was directed by Lloyd Kramer ("The Five People You Meet In Heaven"). It was broadcast on Lifetime Television on November 25, 2012. It drew an audience of 3.5 million people and was nominated for two Emmys in hairstyling and makeup.
He was an Executive Producer on the "22nd Annual Movieguide Awards," which aired on ReelzChannel on March 1, 2014. It starred, among many others, "Duck Dynasty's" Korie and Willie Robertson, "The Bible's" Roma Downey and Mark Burnett, "American Idol's" Jordin Sparks, James Denton, AJ Michalka, Corbin Bernsen, with performances by Billy Ray Cyrus, Jacob Latimore, Richie Sambora, and evangelist Joni Eareckson Tada who sang the Oscar-nominated (yet rescinded) song "Alone Yet Not Alone."
Thompson was an Executive Producer on the "23rd Annual Movieguide Awards," which aired on ReelzChannel on February 21, 2015. Hosted by Bill Engvall, the special starred Diogo Morgado, Korie Robertson, Corbin Bernsen, Jacob Latimore, Cory Oliver, Billy Boyd, Pat Boone, with all-star performances by Stevie Wonder, Ledisi, Take 6, Lecrae, and many others.
He was an Executive Producer on the "24th Annual Movieguide Awards," which aired on ReelzChannel on February 22, 2016. Hosted by Joe Mantegna and Sadie Robertson, the special starred David Oyelowo, Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin, Abigail Breslin, Jane Seymour, Ricky Schroder, Tamar Braxton, Kevin Sorbo, John Schneider, Karen Abercrombie, Ken Wales, Ernie Hudson, Gatlin Green, Sloane Morgan Siegel, Alyvia Alyn Lind, and many others, with all-star performances by Trace Adkins and Andra Day.
As a book packager, Thompson has developed and packaged with Joan Rivers a series of murder mystery novels titled "The Red Carpet Murder Mysteries." The first book in the series, "Murder At The Academy Awards®," written by Joan Rivers with Jerrilyn Farmer, was published in hardcover by Pocket Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, on January 27, 2009. "The Red Carpet Murder Mysteries" is also being developed as a franchise of television movies.
Thompson also developed the book "Men Are Stupid And They Like Big Boobs: A Woman's Guide to Beauty Through Plastic Surgery," written by Joan Rivers with Valerie Frankel. It was published in hardcover by Pocket Books on December 30, 2008.
On Broadway, Thompson produced William Shatner's one-man show, "Shatner's World...We Just Live in It," at The Music Box, a Shubert Organization Theatre, February 16, 2012 - March 4, 2012. The show toured 15 cities in the United States and finished on April 19, 2012. The U.S. 2012-2013 tour started November 8, 2012 and ran through January 26, 2013. The show continues to tour in 2016. Thompson filmed a version of the show as a television special in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada on December 8, 2012 titled "Shatner's World." A further version of that show with additional, special content was exhibited by Fathom Entertainment in 635 theaters nationally on April 24, 2014.
Thompson, his wife, Kelly, their daughter, Taylor, and son, Trevor, live in Beverly Hills, California.
