Celebrities

From Legal Ace to Movie Maker: The Inspiring Journey of Zola Marshariki

Every great movie needs a few plot twists, and film producer Zola Marshariki has embraced that storyline strategy often, especially in her own career. Her journey from a corporate attorney to a successful movie producer is nothing short of inspiring.

Early Life and Education

Zola Marshariki grew up in Brooklyn, where her mother was a manager at IBM’s Brooklyn plant, and her father ran a college bookstore and started an organization to provide services for Vietnam veterans. Initially, Marshariki wanted to be an obstetrician, drawn to the idea of helping bring new lives into the world safely. She says, “I guess metaphorically that is still what I do.”

At Dartmouth, she first studied Japanese but found her pronunciation lacking. She then shifted her focus to law, attending Harvard Law School and working as a corporate attorney for prestigious firms in New York and Los Angeles. Despite her successful legal career, Marshariki felt a calling towards the entertainment industry.

Breaking into Show Business

In 2000, Marshariki made a bold decision to break into show business. She started as an intern at Fox, a move that many thought was crazy. However, her gamble paid off. Today, she is the senior vice president of production at Fox Searchlight Pictures in Los Angeles, where she has brought numerous successful films to the screen over the past 14 years.

Some of her notable works include “Antwone Fisher,” starring and directed by Denzel Washington, “The Secret Life of Bees,” and “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” which earned more than $135 million worldwide. She is also behind the sequel, “The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” due out in March 2015. In 2010, she joined the faculty at the University of Southern California to teach advanced producing to graduate students in the School of Cinematic Arts.

Insights and Advice

Marshariki shared her insights with Diversity Woman about her career transition, the skills she brought from law to film, and her thoughts on movie marketing for diverse audiences. She emphasized the importance of creative executives in the film industry, comparing their role to that of a book editor who helps shape the vision of writers and directors.

She also highlighted the benefits of her legal background, noting that her law degree helped her develop strong communication skills and the ability to identify all angles of a situation. However, she had to learn new skills such as storytelling, communicating with agents and lawyers, and building long-lasting relationships.

Diversity in Film

Marshariki is passionate about seeing different kinds of stories told, especially those about African Americans. She believes in the importance of reflecting the diversity within the African American community in film marketing. She cited “The Secret Life of Bees” as an example of broadening a film’s appeal through diverse casting.

For those looking to break into the entertainment business, Marshariki advises exploring the multitude of careers available beyond acting, writing, and directing. She encourages finding something you love and are good at and pursuing it with passion.

Reflecting on her first job as a teen working in her dad’s college bookstore, Marshariki shared how being surrounded by books fueled her love for storytelling, which remains a core belief in her career today.

For more insights and stories like this, you can explore Executive Woman Media.