Nancy Spielberg Explained

Nancy Spielberg (born June 7, 1956) is an American film producer who has produced multiple documentaries on Jewish and Israeli history. She is the third youngest sister of director and producer Steven Spielberg.[1]

Early life and education

She was born on June 7, 1956, the youngest of four children. Her family moved to Phoenix, Arizona in February 1957, when she was 7 months old, when her father, Arnold Spielberg, was hired by General Electric. Her family attended synagogue only a couple times each year, but often had Shabbat meals.[2] Their neighbors and children at school sometimes made antisemitic remarks towards her and her family.[3]

The family went on to relocate to California, and Nancy's parents divorced in 1966.[4] Following the divorce, Spielberg returned to Arizona with her mother.[5] She began attending an Orthodox Jewish school in the fifth grade, alongside her older sister Anne. The household also began keeping kosher.

She initially attended UCLA, and later studied writing at Sarah Lawrence College and The New School in New York.

Career

She started working on her brother Steven Spielberg's early films.[6]

Spielberg produced the 2014 documentary Above and Beyond, which told the story of the origins of the Israeli Air Force.

In 2016, Spielberg was a co-executive producer for the documentary On the Map, directed by Dani Menkin, which followed the Israeli national basketball team as they won the 1977 European Cup.[7] She worked again with Menkin while producing the 2019 documentary Picture of His Life, about Israeli nature photographer Amos Nachoum,[8] and the 2020 documentary Aulcie, about the titular basketball player Aulcie Perry.[9]

In 2021, Spielberg became a part of Jewish Story Partners, an initiative launched by her brother and his wife.[10]

In 2022, Spielberg served as a consultant for The Fabelmans, a film by Steven Spielberg loosely based on his and his sisters' childhoods.

Filmography

!Year!Film!Role!Notes!Ref
2003Chernobyl HeartConsultant
2011Elusive Justice: The Search for Nazi War CriminalsExecutive producer
2014Above and BeyondProducer[11]
2016On the MapCo-executive producer
2017Who Will Write Our HistoryProducer[12]
2019Picture of His LifeExecutive producer
2020AulcieExecutive producer
2022The FabelmansConsultant[13]
2023Closed CircuitProducer[14]
VishniacExecutive producer[15]

Personal life

In 1983, Spielberg married Shimon Katz. The couple had two daughters: Jessica Katz, who performed on The Voice Israel in 2014,[16] and Melissa Katz.

As of 2015, Spielberg and her husband lived in Riverdale, New York. Spielberg considers herself a Modern Orthodox Jew.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Tugend . Tom . 2012-06-13 . A close encounter with Steven Spielberg's dad . 2024-03-18 . Jewish Journal . en-US.
  2. Web site: Schleier . Curt . 2015-01-28 . Why Nancy Spielberg Made a Movie About the Israeli Air Force . 2024-01-28 . The Forward . en.
  3. Web site: 2015-01-28 . Producer Nancy Spielberg reflects on finding, forming Jewish identity . 2024-01-28 . Jewish Journal . en-US.
  4. Web site: Goldenberg . Anna . 2015-04-23 . Close Encounters of the Steven Spielberg Kind in Arizona . 2024-01-28 . The Forward . en.
  5. Web site: Who is Nancy Spielberg? ‘The Fabelmans’ director Steven’s sister details 'difficult' moments with family . 2024-01-28 . MEAWW . en.
  6. Web site: Nancy Spielberg . 2024-01-28 . Jewish Story Partners . en-US.
  7. Web site: Scheck . Frank . 2016-11-29 . ‘On the Map’: Film Review . 2024-01-29 . The Hollywood Reporter . en-US.
  8. Web site: Scheck . Frank . 2020-06-17 . ‘Picture of His Life’: Film Review . 2024-01-29 . The Hollywood Reporter . en-US.
  9. Web site: 2021-11-12 . The story of Black American basketball player and Jewish convert Aulcie . 2024-01-29 . The Jerusalem Post . en-US.
  10. Web site: Tugend . Tom . 2021-04-16 . Spielberg Launches Drive to Film Jewish Stories . 2024-01-28 . Jewish Journal . en-US.
  11. News: U.S. Pilots Who Fought for Israel Star in Movie by Spielberg's Sister . 2024-01-28 . Haaretz . en.
  12. News: Leichman . Abigail Klein . 2022-01-26 . ‘Who Will Write Our History’ . 2024-01-28 . Jewish Standard.
  13. Web site: Spielberg . Nancy . 2022-11-19 . Nancy Spielberg: This is how it feels watching your life on screen . 2024-01-28 . The Jerusalem Post . en-US.
  14. News: Martin . Bradley . 2023-05-08 . Nancy Spielberg: ‘We have to get people back into the theater’ . 2024-01-28 . Jewish News Services.
  15. Web site: 2023-05-13 . 'Vishniac': The great story of a great photographer told in documentary . 2024-01-28 . The Jerusalem Post . en-US.
  16. Web site: Caspi . David . 2014-06-03 . Steven Spielberg’s Niece Competes on 'The Voice' Israel (Exclusive Video) . 2024-01-28 . The Hollywood Reporter . en-US.