John H. Peters (born June 2, 1945) is an American film producer and former hairdresser.
Early life
Peters was born on June 2, 1945, in Van Nuys, California. Peters is of Cherokee (father) and Italian (mother) descent. While growing up in a rough neighborhood, Peters's father died when he was eight years old and his mother later remarried; Peters was later expelled from school and sent to reform school for a year when he was 12.
Prior to becoming a producer, Peters ran away from home at the age of 14 and moved to New York City, where he found work as a hairdresser, beginning with dyeing women's pubic hair. Peters and Streisand then began a romantic relationship. He produced both Streisand's studio album ButterFly (1974) and her remake of A Star Is Born (1976), after being introduced through and working with Mengers.
Peters worked alongside Guber for the next ten years; the duo headed Sony Pictures from 1989 until 1991. Peters eventually left Sony to start his own production company, Peters Entertainment, in 1991; the company initially had an exclusive three-year deal at Sony, but eventually went to a non-exclusive deal and added another non-exclusive deal at Warner Bros. in 1994.
Superman
In the early 1990s, Peters bought the film rights to the Superman franchise from Warner Bros. In his Q&A/comedy DVD An Evening with Kevin Smith, filmmaker Kevin Smith talked about working for Peters when he was hired to write a script for a new Superman film, which was then called Superman Reborn and later Superman Lives. According to Smith, Peters had expressed disdain for most of Superman's iconic characteristics by demanding that Superman never fly nor appear in his trademark costume. to be unveiled in a homage to King Kong. Peters later produced the 1999 film Wild Wild West, the finale of which featured a giant mechanical spider. Peters says that he was banned from the Man of Steel set by producer Christopher Nolan because "my reputation scares these guys". Sandman creator Neil Gaiman called the last screenplay for the film that Warner Bros. sent him "not only the worst Sandman script I've ever seen, but quite easily the worst script I've ever read." In a 2005 interview regarding the film, Gaiman commented: "But Sandman movies, they just got increasingly appalling... They started out hiring some really good people... And then Jon Peters fired all of them and got in some people who take orders, and who wanted fistfights and all this stuff. It had no sensibility... they were horrible." As with the production of Superman Lives and Wild Wild West, Peters attempted to include a "giant mechanical spider" in the script. Gaiman would go on to leak the maligned script in an attempt to sabotage its production.
Proposed autobiography
Peters submitted a book proposal for his autobiography, which was self-written alongside Los Angeles writer William Stadiem. In the proposal, he described himself as someone who "came from the lower depths to become THE MAN in Hollywood, a master of seduction, production and psychology," and said he "has seen it all and knows it all, without ever being a know-it-all." Peters also reportedly intended to write about his sexual activities with Barbra Streisand, Sharon Stone and many other actresses. The 44-year old single mother also claimed that she was unable to obtain work after the incident because of Peters's influence in the industry. The claimant was awarded compensatory as well as punitive damages in the case.
Personal life
Peters married four times, each ending in divorce. The marriage certificate on his fifth marriage was never filed. Several of his marriages and relationships overlapped each other. Peters has four children from his marriages, the older three of whom are in the entertainment industry.
In May 1967, the year following his first divorce, Peters married actress Lesley Ann Warren, with whom he had his son Christopher. The couple divorced in 1975 after a two-year separation.
Barbra Streisand and Peters had a high-profile personal and business relationship from 1973 to 1982. Streisand went on to become godmother to his two daughters with Christine Forsyth.
Peters married his third wife, producer Christine Forsyth, in June 1987. Sometime after the couple's separation two months later, Christine Forsyth adopted After this severance, Peters allowed Forsyth and the girls to continue living in his Bel-Air property. Peters did not file for divorce until 1993 and later filed a request for her to leave the Bel-Air estate in 2006. who was to become his fourth wife in 2001. After their 2004 divorce, they reunited from 2006 to 2009. Together, they have daughter Kendyl Peters.
Peters reportedly became engaged to actress Julia Bernheim in February 2020. The announcement was made three weeks after his split from Pamela Anderson.
Peters is portrayed by Bradley Cooper in the Paul Thomas Anderson film, Licorice Pizza (2021).