# Brian Robbins

Brian Robbins (born Brian Levine, November 22, 1963) is an American film producer, director, and actor serving as co-CEO of Paramount Global since 2024, president of Nickelodeon since 2018, and president and CEO of Paramount Pictures since 2021.

## Early life

Robbins was born on November 22, 1963 in New York City and raised in the Marine Park, Brooklyn neighborhood. Robbins was born to a Jewish family. His father is the actor Floyd Levine. When he was 16, he moved with his family to Los Angeles. He graduated from Grant High School in 1982.
Following his father into acting, Robbins made his television debut on an episode of Trapper John, M.D. He guest starred on a number of television series and had a recurring role on General Hospital. As an actor, he is perhaps best known for his role as Eric Mardian on the ABC sitcom Head of the Class. He also hosted the children's version of the TV game show Pictionary in 1989. In the 1990s, Robbins started producing the show All That and its spin-offs on Nickelodeon. He has produced several sports films including Coach Carter and Hardball (2001). He produced Smallville and also One Tree Hill. He has often collaborated with producer Michael Tollin.

## Career

Robbins is the founder of AwesomenessTV, a YouTube channel aimed at teenagers. The channel spun off into a TV series, on which Robbins served as executive producer. DreamWorks Animation acquired the company in 2013. On February 22, 2017, following NBCUniversal/Comcast's acquisition of DreamWorks Animation, Robbins stepped down as AwesomenessTV's CEO, ending his five-year run with the company.
Robbins first joined Paramount in 2017 as the first president of Paramount Players, after which he became president of Nickelodeon in 2018, and then president of Kids & Family Entertainment, for ViacomCBS (now Paramount). On October 1, 2018, he left his position as the president of Paramount Players after Viacom chose him to be the president of Nickelodeon, ending his 16-month run at the studio. Despite leaving the studio, he remained involved with Paramount Players division Nickelodeon Movies.
Robbins became head of Paramount Pictures in September 2021. During his tenure, Robbins has overseen releases that have garnered more than $5 billion in global box office.
As President and CEO of Paramount Pictures, Brian Robbins has focused on securing production deals with prominent filmmakers and revitalizing franchises such as Transformers, Sonic the Hedgehog, Mission: Impossible, A Quiet Place, Scream, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and PAW Patrol. These partnerships have contributed to Paramount Pictures' $5 billion-plus global box office revenue, with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and PAW Patrol alone generating $2.5 billion in consumer products revenue in 2023.
Robbins has been recognized for his strategic approach to theatrical release windows relative to streaming. He shifted the release strategy of Smile and Mean Girls from streaming to theatrical, with Smile becoming the top-grossing original horror film of 2022, earning $217 million worldwide and becoming the studio's third most profitable film in a decade. Mean Girls grossed $107 million globally and led the domestic box office for three consecutive weeks. Robbins has also strengthened Paramount Animation and Paramount's consumer products division through the success of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and PAW Patrol. Robbins has emphasized allowing intellectual property-driven properties to drive other lines of business, particularly consumer products.
On April 29, 2024, Robbins, along with George Cheeks and Chris McCarthy, became co-CEOs after Bob Bakish stepped down from his role.
Robbins is a board member of the Motion Picture Association; a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; sits on the board of trustees for the AFI and is the recipient of a Directors Guild Award, a Peabody Award, and the Pioneer Prize from the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

## Personal life

He married publicist Laura Cathcart and they had two sons together before divorcing in 2013. He married stylist Tracy James in 2014. They have a daughter, and live with his sons in the Hancock Park neighborhood of Los Angeles.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Notes |
| 1995 | The Show | Yes | Yes | Documentary film |
| 1997 | Good Burger | Yes | Yes | Also executive soundtrack producer |
| 1999 | Varsity Blues | Yes | Yes | Also executive soundtrack producer |
| 2000 | Ready to Rumble | Yes | No | Also executive soundtrack producer |
| 2001 | Hardball | Yes | Yes | Also executive soundtrack producer |
| 2004 | The Perfect Score | Yes | Yes | Also executive soundtrack producer |
| 2006 | The Shaggy Dog | Yes | No | |
| 2007 | Norbit | Yes | Executive | Nominated- Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director |
| 2008 | Meet Dave | Yes | No | |
| 2012 | A Thousand Words | Yes | Yes | Filmed in 2008 |
Producer only
* Summer Catch (2001)
* Big Fat Liar (2002) (Also story writer)
* Radio (2003)
* Coach Carter (2005)
* Wild Hogs (2007)
* The To Do List (2013)
* Before I Fall (2017)
* Bigger Fatter Liar (2017) (executive producer)
* The Loud House Movie (2021) (executive producer)
Acting roles
| Year | Title | Role |
| 1988 | Cellar Dweller | Phillip Lemley |
| 1989 | C.H.U.D. II: Bud the C.H.U.D. | Steve Williams |

### Television

| Year | Title | Director | Executive Producer | Writer | Notes |
| 1988 | Head of the Class | No | No | Yes | Episode "Will the Real Arvid Engen Please Stand Up?" |
| 1994 | All That | No | Yes | Yes | Also creator |
| 1996 | Kenan & Kel | Yes | Yes | No | 5 episodes |
| 1998-2001 | Cousin Skeeter | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also creator; Wrote "A Family Thing", directed "Skeeter's Toy Story" |
| 1999 | Popular | Yes | No | No | Episode "The Phantom Menace" |
| 2001 | The Nightmare Room | Yes | Yes | No | Episode "Four Eyes" |
| 2002 | Birds of Prey | Yes | Yes | No | Episode "Pilot" |
| 2005 | All That 10th Anniversary Reunion Special | No | No | Yes | TV special |
| 2010 | Blue Mountain State | Yes | Yes | No | 2 episodes |
| 2011 | Supah Ninjas | Yes | Yes | No | 2 episodes |
Executive producer only
* The Amanda Show (2000–2001)
* Smallville (2001–2011)
* The Nick Cannon Show (2002)
* What I Like About You (2002–2006)
* One Tree Hill (2003–2012)
* Crumbs (2006)
* Sonny with a Chance (2009–2011)
* Fred: The Movie (2010)
* So Random! (2011–2012)
* AwesomenessTV (2013–2015)
Thanks credits
* Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (2019)
* The Loud House (2019–present)
* SpongeBob SquarePants (2019–present)
* Middle School Moguls (2019)
* Blaze and the Monster Machines (2019–present)
* Are You Afraid of the Dark? (2019)
* The Casagrandes (2019–2022)
* Blue's Clues & You! (2019–2024)
* It's Pony (2020–2022)
* Glitch Techs (2020)
* Santiago of the Seas (2020–2023)
* Baby Shark's Big Show! (2020–present)
* Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years (2021–present)
* Rugrats (2021–present)
* The Patrick Star Show (2021–present)
* Middlemost Post (2021–2022)
Acting roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1982 | Harper Valley PTA | Charlie's Nephew | Episode "The Return of Charlie's Chow Palace" |
| 1982 | Archie Bunker's Place | Danny Ferguson | Episode "Double Date" |
| 1982 | The Facts of Life | Ben | Episode "For the Asking" |
| 1982 | Taxi | Young Man | Episode "Alex the Gofer" |
| 1983 | Teachers Only | Vinnie Minetti | Episodes "Praise the Lord and Pasta Ammunition" & "Rex, the Wonder Husband" |
| 1983 | Three's Company | Mark Furley | Episode "Janet's Little Helper" |
| 1983 | Knight Rider | Randy Merritt | Episode "Soul Survivor" |
| 1984 | Diff'rent Strokes | Skyhigh | Episode "Undercover Lover" |
| 1984 | Newhart | Rob | Episode "The Fan" |
| 1985 | Charles in Charge | Todd Baldwin | Episode "Mr. President" |
| 1985 | Growing Pains | Mitch | Episode "Dirt Bike" |
| 1986 | The Gladiator | Jeff Benton | TV movie |
| 1986 | Mr. Belvedere | Eric | Episode "The Dropout" |
| 1986–1991 | Head of the Class | Eric Mardian | 114 episodes |
| 1987 | Kids Incorporated | Brian | Episode "Win a Date with Renee" |
| 1990 | Camp Cucamonga | Roger Berg | TV movie |
| 1992 | Full House | David Janolari | Episodes "Captain Video: Part 1" and "Captain Video: Part 2" |
| 1997 | Kenan & Kel | Risotto | Episode "Safe and Sorry" |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Result | Category | Title |
| 1993 | Heartland Film Festival | Won | Crystal Heart Award | Hardwood Dreams (shared with Mike Tollin) |
| 1995 | Emmy Award | Nominated | Outstanding Informational Special | Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream (shared with Debra Martin Chase, Fredric Golding, Dorian Harewood, David Houle, Tom McMahon, Pat Mitchell, Jack Myers, Vivian Schiller, Mike Tollin, Denzel Washington) |
| 1996 | CableACE Award | Won | Children's Special - 7 and Older | Sports Theater with Shaquille O'Neal (shared with Leonard Armato, Bruce Binkow, Robert Mickelson, Shaquille O'Neal, Mike Tollin, For the special "4 Points") |
| 1997 | Directors Guild of America Award | Nominated | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children's Programs | Sports Theater with Shaquille O'Neal (for the special "4 Points") |
| 1998 | Directors Guild of America Award | Won | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children's Programs | Sports Theater with Shaquille O'Neal (shared with W. Alexander Ellis, Cynthia Riddle, Brad Uecker: for episode "First Time") |
| 2005 | Black Movie Awards | Nominated | Outstanding Motion Picture | Coach Carter (shared with David Gale, Mike Tollin) |
| 2016 | Emmy Award | Nominated | Outstanding Children's Series | Project Mc²: Season 1 |