Nancy Spielberg | |
|---|---|
| Born | Nancy Spielberg June 18, 1960 Camden, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Arizona State University UCLA Sarah Lawrence College The New School |
| Occupation | Film producer |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Spouse |
Shimon Katz (m. 1991) |
| Children | 2 |
| Father | Arnold Spielberg |
| Relatives | Steven Spielberg (brother) Anne Spielberg (sister) Kate Capshaw (sister-in-law) |
Nancy Spielberg (born June 7, 1956) is an American film producer. She has produced multiple documentaries on Jewish and Israeli history and is the third and youngest sister of director and producer Steven Spielberg.[1]
Early life and education
[edit]She was born on June 7, 1956, the youngest of four children. Seven months after being born her family moved to Phoenix, Arizona in February 1957 where her father, Arnold Spielberg, had found work as a computer scientist at General Electric. Her family was not particularly religious, attending synagogue only a couple times each year, but often had Shabbat meals.[2] Spielberg and her family were the target of occasional antisemitic remarks by neighbors and classmates at Phoenix public schools.[3][4]
The family relocated to California, where Nancy's parents divorced in 1966.[3] Following the split, Spielberg returned to Arizona with her mother.[5] She began attending an Orthodox Jewish school in the fifth grade, along with her elder sister Anne.[4] The household also began keeping kosher.[4]
Spielberg attended Arizona State University and UCLA and later studied writing at Sarah Lawrence College and The New School in New York.[4][5][6]
Career
[edit]Spielberg produced the 2014 documentary Above and Beyond, about the founding of the Israeli Air Force.[2][7]
In 2016, Spielberg was a co-executive producer for the documentary On the Map, directed by Dani Menkin, about the Israeli national basketball team, winners of 1977 European Cup.[8] She worked again with Menkin while producing the 2019 documentary Picture of His Life, about Israeli nature photographer Amos Nachoum,[9] and the 2020 documentary Aulcie, about the titular basketball player Aulcie Perry.[10]
In 2021, Spielberg became a part of Jewish Story Partners, an initiative launched by her brother and his wife.[11]
In 2022, Spielberg served as a consultant for her brother's The Fabelmans, the film of a Tony Kushner script based on Steven's childhood.[12]
Filmography
[edit]| Year | Film | Role | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Chernobyl Heart | Consultant | [2] | |
| 2011 | Elusive Justice: The Search for Nazi War Criminals | Executive producer | [2] | |
| 2014 | Above and Beyond | Producer | [7] | |
| 2016 | On the Map | Co-executive producer | [5] | |
| 2017 | Who Will Write Our History | Producer | [13] | |
| 2019 | Picture of His Life | Executive producer | [9] | |
| 2020 | Aulcie | Executive producer | [10] | |
| 2022 | The Fabelmans | Consultant | [12] | |
| 2023 | Closed Circuit | Producer | [14] | |
| Vishniac | Executive producer | [14][15] | ||
| 2025 | A Letter to David | Producer | [16][17] |
Personal life
[edit]In 1983, Spielberg married Shimon Katz.[4] The couple had two daughters: Jessica Katz, who performed on The Voice Israel in 2014,[18] and Melissa Katz.[4]
As of 2015, Spielberg and her husband lived in Riverdale, New York. Spielberg considers herself a Modern Orthodox Jew.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ Tugend, Tom (2012-06-13). "A close encounter with Steven Spielberg's dad". Jewish Journal. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
- ^ a b c d Schleier, Curt (2015-01-28). "Why Nancy Spielberg Made a Movie About the Israeli Air Force". The Forward. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
- ^ a b Goldenberg, Anna (2015-04-23). "Close Encounters of the Steven Spielberg Kind in Arizona". The Forward. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Producer Nancy Spielberg reflects on finding, forming Jewish identity". Jewish Journal. 2015-01-28. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
- ^ a b c "Who is Nancy Spielberg? 'The Fabelmans' director Steven's sister details 'difficult' moments with family". MEAWW. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
- ^ (15 June 1983). S.Y. Katz Is Married To Nancy A. Spielberg The New York Times. Retrieved on 1 December 2025
- ^ a b "U.S. Pilots Who Fought for Israel Star in Movie by Spielberg's Sister". Haaretz. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
- ^ Scheck, Frank (2016-11-29). "'On the Map': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
- ^ a b Scheck, Frank (2020-06-17). "'Picture of His Life': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
- ^ a b "The story of Black American basketball player and Jewish convert Aulcie". The Jerusalem Post. 2021-11-12. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
- ^ Tugend, Tom (2021-04-16). "Spielberg Launches Drive to Film Jewish Stories". Jewish Journal. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
- ^ a b Spielberg, Nancy (2022-11-19). "Nancy Spielberg: This is how it feels watching your life on screen". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
- ^ Leichman, Abigail Klein (2022-01-26). "'Who Will Write Our History'". Jewish Standard. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
- ^ a b Martin, Bradley (2023-05-08). "Nancy Spielberg: 'We have to get people back into the theater'". Jewish News Services. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
- ^ "'Vishniac': The great story of a great photographer told in documentary". The Jerusalem Post. 2023-05-13. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
- ^ Michtav Le'David Berlin Film Festival. Retrieved on 1 December 2025
- ^ Mintzer, Jordan (14 February 2025). ‘A Letter to David’ Review: An Israeli Filmmaker Considers the Fate of an Actor Turned Hostage in a Harrowing Film Essay The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved on 1 December 2025
- ^ Caspi, David (2014-06-03). "Steven Spielberg's Niece Competes on 'The Voice' Israel (Exclusive Video)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-01-28.