Episode Details

What happens when you choose the "safe" path and it nearly kills your soul? Debra Martin Chase went from Harvard Law School to becoming the first Black woman producer with a major studio deal. In this episode of The Messy Parts, she shares her journey from corporate lawyer to Hollywood trailblazer, including the near-death experience that made her quit law, the weekend of initiative that launched her film career, and why Vernon Jordan told her she was "too old to start over." It's a masterclass in reinvention, taking risks, and betting on yourself.

Guest: Debra Martin Chase - Producer, Entertainment Executive, Broadway Producer 

Follow Debra on: 

• Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/bdhyj35x 
• LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/36zh39tz
• IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0153846/ 

Notable Productions: The Princess Diaries, Cinderella, Cheetah Girls, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, The Equalizer, A Strange Loop (Broadway), The Outsiders (Broadway), Purpose (Broadway)

Topics Covered 

• Harvard Law School
• USC Film School
• Vernon Jordan
• Nina Shaw 
• Frank Price (Columbia Pictures)
• Doug McHenry (producer)
• Nina Jacobson (Disney executive)
• Pearlena Igbokwe (Universal Television)
• Denzel Washington
• Whitney Houston
• Marc Platt (Broadway producer)
• David Stone (Broadway producer)
• Michael Dukakis campaign
• Princess Diaries
• Cinderella (Rodgers & Hammerstein)
• Cheetah Girls
• Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
• The Equalizer

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