Brian Robbins

Brian Robbins studied at Grant High School. The recorded working language is English. The field of work recorded is film direction, film screenwriting and film production. Distinctions recorded are Directors Guild of America Award, Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director and Peabody Awards.

• Name — Brian Robbins • Birth Name — Brian Levine • Born — 22 November 1963 • Birthplace — New York City, U.S. • Years Active — 1982–present • Occupation — * Film producer • director • actor • businessman • Children — 3 • Father — Floyd Levine • Education — Grant High School

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 was the actor Floyd Levine. When he was 14, 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 became known for his role as Eric Mardian on the ABC sitcom Head of the Class. He also hosted the children's version of the 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. Robbins is the founder of AwesomenessTV, a YouTube channel aimed at teenagers. The channel spun off into a television 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 resigned 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 Viacom (later merged with CBS Corporation to form ViacomCBS, now Paramount). On October 1, 2018, shortly after being appointed as president of Nickelodeon, he resigned his position as the president of Paramount Players, 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. He focused on driving Paramount's multi-platform strategy and theatrical success through a diversified portfolio of films. Robbins was also at the forefront of securing strategic filmmaker partnerships to expand the studio's global franchise business across live-action features, animation, consumer products and themed entertainment. As President and CEO of Paramount Pictures alongside from his dual role at Nick, Brian Robbins oversaw the expansion and revitalization of well-known franchises from Nick and Paramount Pictures such as Transformers, Sonic the Hedgehog, Mission: Impossible, A Quiet Place, Scream, SpongeBob SquarePants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and PAW Patrol, with the latter two receiving a combined $2.5 billion in consumer products revenue in 2023 alone. Robbins emphasized allowing intellectual property-driven brands to drive other lines of business, particularly consumer products. Robbins was instrumental in leading a multi-platform franchise strategy including greenlighting both a third Sonic The Hedgehog film and the spinoff series Knuckles. Most recently, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 surpassed the $405 million box office record of the previous film and the film franchise surpassed $1.2 billion in worldwide box office gross across its three movies. Following its debut, Knuckles, in its first 28 days streaming on Paramount+, received over 11 million total global hours and is the most-watched children's and family series on Paramount+ in terms of hours. Under Robbins' tenure, Paramount Pictures received over $6 billion in worldwide box office gross and had numerous number 1 hits, including Top Gun: Maverick. In 2024, Robbins oversaw the theatrical release of five number 1 openings, including Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Smile 2, Bob Marley: One Love, Mean Girls, and IF. Robbins has been recognized for his strategic approach to theatrical release windows relative to streaming. As an example of this, he shifted the release strategy of Smile from streaming to theatrical, with Smile becoming the top-grossing original horror film of that year and becoming the studio's third most profitable film in a decade. Robbins also strengthened Paramount Animation and Paramount's consumer products division through the success of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and PAW Patrol. Robbins 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 of Paramount Global after Bob Bakish resigned 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. Following the merger of Skydance Media and Paramount Global, Robbins stepped down from his positions within Paramount and Nickelodeon. In January 2026, it was announced that Robbins was creating a new entertainment company titled Big Shot Pictures, managing to acquire a first look deal with Sony Pictures.

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.

• Year — Title — Director — Executive Producer — Writer — Notes • 1988 — Head of the Class — Episode: "Will the Real Arvid Engen Please Stand Up?" • 1994 — All That — Also creator • 1996 — Kenan & Kel — 5 episodes • 1998–2001 — Cousin Skeeter — Also creator; Wrote "A Family Thing", directed "Skeeter's Toy Story" • 1999 — Popular — Episode: "The Phantom Menace" • 2001 — The Nightmare Room — Episode: "Four Eyes" • 2002 — Birds of Prey — Episode: "Pilot" • 2005 — All That 10th Anniversary Reunion Special — TV special • 2010 — Blue Mountain State — 2 episodes • 2011 — Supah Ninjas — 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 (2019–2025) • 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! (2020–2025) • Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years (2021–2024) • Rugrats (2021–2024) • 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" • Archie Bunker's Place — Danny Ferguson — Episode: "Double Date" • The Facts of Life — Ben — Episode: "For the Asking" • Taxi — Young Man — Episode: "Alex the Gofer" • 1983 — Teachers Only — Vinnie Minetti — Episodes: "Praise the Lord and Pasta Ammunition" and "Rex, the Wonder Husband" • Three's Company — Mark Furley — Episode: "Janet's Little Helper" • Knight Rider — Randy Merritt — Episode: "Soul Survivor" • 1984 — Diff'rent Strokes — Skyhigh — Episode: "Undercover Lover" • Newhart — Rob — Episode: "The Fan" • 1985 — Charles in Charge — Todd Baldwin — Episode: "Mr. President" • Growing Pains — Mitch — Episode: "Dirt Bike" • 1986 — The Gladiator — Jeff Benton — TV movie • 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"

Brian Robbins is recorded as having received Directors Guild of America Award, Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director and Peabody Awards.