Gale Anne Hurd (born October 25, 1955) is an American film and television producer, the founder of Valhalla Entertainment (formerly Pacific Western Productions), and a former recording secretary for the Producers Guild of America. Her notable works include The Terminator (1984), Aliens (1986), The Abyss (1989), Armageddon (1998), Mankiller (2017) and The Walking Dead (2010–2022).
Early life
Gale Anne Hurd was born on October 25, 1955, in Los Angeles, California. She is the daughter of Lolita (née Jordan) and Frank E. Hurd, an investor. She grew up in Los Angeles and Palm Springs, California and graduated from Palm Springs High School in 1973. Hurd attended Stanford University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and communications with a minor in political science in 1977.
Career
Hurd began her career in the entertainment industry as an executive assistant to Roger Corman at New World Pictures. She quickly rose through the ranks, becoming involved in various aspects of production, and became the head of marketing. After co-producing her first film for Corman, Smokey Bites the Dust (1981), she launched her own production company in 1982.
Hurd's breakthrough came when she produced and co-wrote the 1984 science fiction film The Terminator, directed by James Cameron. The film was a commercial success and established Hurd as a prominent producer in Hollywood. The Terminator is Hurd's only real writing credit; she subsequently worked only as a producer or executive producer. She continued her collaboration with Cameron on Aliens (1986) and The Abyss (1989), both of which were successes at the box office.
Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Hurd produced several successful films including Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), The Ghost and the Darkness (1996) and Armageddon (1998). Terminator 2 and Armageddon both claimed the top spots at the worldwide box office in their respective release years. Her additional major studio credits in the '90s and '00s include Tremors (1990), The Waterdance (1992), Hulk (2003), The Punisher, Æon Flux (2005), and The Incredible Hulk (2008).
In 2010, Hurd became an executive producer for the AMC television series The Walking Dead. The show, based on the comic book series of the same name, became a cultural phenomenon and one of the highest-rated series in cable television history. Hurd’s work on The Walking Dead earned her critical acclaim and numerous awards. Hurd also executive produced Walking Dead spin-offs Fear The Walking Dead (2015–23), Daryl Dixon (2023–present), The Ones Who Live (2024), and Dead City (2023–present).
Hurd has also produced several documentaries, including three PBS documentaries focused on Native Americans in partnership with Cherokee director Valerie Red-Horse Mohl: True Whispers: The Story of the Navajo Code Talkers, Choctaw Code Talkers, and Mankiller, celebrating the life of the late Wilma Mankiller, the first woman elected Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation.
Hurd's most recent documentary is The YouTube Effect, directed by Alex Winter. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and was released in the US theatrically by Alamo Drafthouse Films.
Personal life
In 1985, following their collaboration on The Terminator, Hurd married James Cameron. They divorced in 1989. Hurd then married Brian De Palma; the marriage later ended in divorce. They have one daughter.
Filmography
Films She was producer for all films unless otherwise noted. YearFilmCreditNotes1981Smokey Bites the DustCo-producer1983Twilight Zone: The Moviewith John Landis & Steven Spielberg1984The Terminator1986Aliens1988Bad DreamsAlien Nation1989The Abyss1990DowntownExecutive producerTremorsExecutive producer1991Terminator 2: Judgment DayExecutive producer1992The WaterdanceRaising Cain1993Man's Best Friend with Steven Spielberg1994No EscapeSafe Passage1995Bedtime StoryShort filmApollo 13Uncredited1996The Ghost and the Darkness1997The RelicDante's PeakSwitchback1998ArmageddonDead Man on Campus1999VirusDick2002ClockstoppersTrue Whispers2003HulkTerminator 3: Rise of the MachinesExecutive producer2004The Punisher2005Æon Flux2007Welcome to the JungleDirect-to-video film2008The Incredible HulkPunisher: War Zone2010Choctaw Code Talkers2013Very Good GirlsExecutive producer2017MankillerExecutive producer2018Hell Fest2022The YouTube Effect
Writer YearFilmNotes1984The TerminatorCo-writing with James Cameron
Production manager or production assistant YearFilmCreditNotes1979 Rock 'n' Roll High SchoolProduction assistantUncredited1980Humanoids from the DeepProduction assistantBattle Beyond the StarsAssistant production managerAlligatorProduction assistantUncredited
Location management YearFilmCredit1979 Island of the FishmenLocation manager: Maui, additional sequences, US version
Music department YearFilmCreditNotes2004The PunisherExecutive soundtrack producerUncredited
Executive counsultant YearFilm1996Tremors 2: Aftershocks
Television She was executive producer for all films unless otherwise noted. Year(s)TitleCreditNotes1991Cast a Deadly SpellProducerTelevision movie1994Witch HuntProducerTelevision movieThe Making of Escape from AbsolomTelevision documentary special1995SugartimeTelevision movie2002–2003Adventure Inc.10 episodes2004The CovenTelevision movie2005BreadwinnersTelevision movie2009The Pirate Code: Real PiratesTelevision movie2010The Wronged ManTelevision movie2010–2022The Walking Dead177 episodes2011Last Man StandingTelevision movie2013HorizonTelevision movie2015–2022Talking DeadConsulting producer45 episodes2015–2023Fear the Walking Dead113 episodes2016Hunters13 episodes2016–2018Falling Water20 episodes2017–2018Lore10 episodes2020–2021The Walking Dead: World Beyond20 episodes2021The Walking Dead: OriginsConsulting producerDocumentary, 4 episodes2022Tales of the Walking Dead6 episodesThe Walking Dead: The Making of the Final SeasonConsulting producerTelevision documentary special2023The Walking Dead: Dead City6 episodes2023–presentThe Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon12 episodes2024The Walking Dead: The ReturrnTelevision documentary special The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live6 episodes
Production coordinator YearTitleNotes1980The Georgia PeachesTelevision movie
Camera and electrical department YearTitleCreditNotes1994The Making of Escape from AbsolomAdditional videographyTelevision documentary special
Consultant YearsTitleNotes1989–1990Alien Nation21 episodes
Select awards and honors
Hurd has received numerous awards and accolades throughout her career, including:
Year Organization Award1984 Saturn Awards Best Writing, The Terminator1992 Film Independent Spirit Awards Best First Feature, The Waterdance1993 Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films President's Award1993 Saturn Awards Best Producer1994 Florida Film Festival Enzian Award for Creative Achievement1998 Women In Film Crystal Award2003 National Board of Review Producer’s Award2003 Taurus World Stunt Awards Action Movie Producer Award2004 Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films President's Award2007 New York Women in Film & Television Muse Award2007 Charles Fitzsimons Award Service to the Producers Guild2012 Hollywood Walk of Fame Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame2012 Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE) Filmmakers Award Lifetime Achievement2013 Deauville American Film Festival Cartier Award2013 Athena Film Festival Laura Ziskin Lifetime Achievement Award2015 Producers Guild David O. Selznick Award in Motion Pictures2015 Los Angeles Film Festival Jaeger-LeCoultre Glory to the Filmmaker Award2015 Society of Camera Operators Distinguished Service Award2015 Producers Guild Visionary Award2016 Society of Camera Operators Lifetime Achievement Award2017 Maoriland Film Festival Best Documentary Feature, Mankiller2017 Bozeman International Film Festival Jury Award, Mankiller2017 Comic-Con International Inkpot Award2017 Fangoria Lifetime Achievement Award2017 Tulsa American Film Festival Best Documentary Feature Film, Mankiller2017 Palm Springs International Film Festival Audience Award, Best of Fest Selection, Mankiller2017 Rome International Film Festival Best Documentary Feature, Mankiller2018 Screamfest Career Achievement Award2021 Locarno Film Festival Raimondo Rezzonico Award - Best Independent Producer2023 Visual Effects Society Lifetime Achievement Award2025 58th Sitges Film Festival WomanInFan Grand Honorary Award
References
External links
Official Twitter page Official company website