Howard Winchel "Hawk" Koch Jr. (born December 14, 1945) is an American film producer and former president of both the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Producers Guild of America. He currently serves on the board of directors for AMC Entertainment, the Motion Picture and Television Fund, and the National Film Preservation Foundation. Koch is a former road manager for the musical groups The Supremes and The Dave Clark Five. He is the author of the book Magic Time: My Life in Hollywood published in 2019.

Early life

Koch was born to a secular Jewish family in Los Angeles. He was raised in the film business, the son of Ruth (Pincus) and producer/director/actor Howard Winchel Koch Sr. He graduated from Beverly Hills High School in 1963.

Career

Hawk Koch began his career in London, working for music impresario and co-owner of The Dave Clark Five Harold Davison, as a road manager for visiting American acts. Koch returned from London to manage The Dave Clark Five's 1964 United States tour. After his time in the music business, Hawk Koch turned to filmmaking in Hollywood, working as assistant director for a number of directors and later as a producer. Koch has been intimately involved with the making of more than 60 major motion pictures, including Chinatown, Heaven Can Wait, Marathon Man, The Way We Were, Primal Fear, Wayne's World, Peggy Sue Got Married, and Rosemary's Baby. His colleagues and collaborators have included Sidney Pollack, Roman Polanski, John Schlesinger, Francis Ford Coppola, and Warren Beatty. Hawk has worked with Natalie Wood, Laurence Olivier, Dustin Hoffman, Jack Nicholson, Barbra Streisand, Anthony Hopkins, Whoopi Goldberg, Diane Lane, Edward Norton, and Halle Berry. At the Producers Guild of America (PGA), Koch and co-president Mark Gordon led the fight to preserve the producer's credit and secured all the major film studios and major independent film studios to agree to uphold the Producer's Mark (p.g.a.). In 2010, Koch and Gordon were the first pair of co-presidents to be elected by the PGA membership. The duo was re-elected in 2012. On July 31, 2012, Koch was elected president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, making Hawk and his father the only father-son pair to lead the Academy in its history. On August 1, 2012, Koch took leave from his post at the PGA in order to assume the Academy's presidency, later rejoining Mark Gordon as PGA co-president in August 2013. During his tenure at the Academy, Koch spearheaded several initiatives including a call for diversity, launching the first general membership meeting in its history, sharpening the focus on member engagement and the future of filmmaking, implementing the Academy's digital voting system, and securing major fundraising for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Koch has given one-on-one talks with Francis Coppola, Tom Cruise, and Jake Gyllenhaal at the annual Produced by Conference, and he has been a featured speaker at the Sarajevo Film Festival, the South Dakota Film Festival, and the Beijing International Film Festival. He delivered the 2013 commencement address at Chapman University Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, and was a featured speaker at the 2019 Renaissance Weekend. Koch is a vocal advocate for diversity and representation in film and television as well as diversity within the entertainment industry's professional guilds and organizations. As of 2020, Koch serves on the board of directors for AMC Entertainment, Cast and Crew, the Motion Picture and Television Fund, the Producers Guild of America, and the National Film Preservation Foundation.

Personal life

Koch dated Sondra Locke after the collapse of her relationship with Clint Eastwood. He is married to Jungian analyst and writer Molly Jordan Koch. He was previously married to Rita Litter, mother of his children Billy Koch and Emily Anne Koch; to Marcia Zukor (now married to Ken Ziffren), mother of Robby Koch; and to actress Joanna Pacuła. His grandson is actor Cooper Koch.

Filmography

He was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.

Film

Television