#AllCoopedUp with Jonathan Glickman, Film Producer
My daughter has assured me that it’s very good for anxiety to watch the same films over and over again. So that must explain why I instantly feel better rewatching the classic James Bond movie franchise and rom-coms like 27 Dresses on repeat. I will no longer feel guilty that our family is spending countless hours in front of our screens. Film producer Jonathan Glickman is responsible for many of the classic quarantine flicks that we just can’t get enough of. After having served as the President of MGM Motion Picture Group from 2011–2020, he recently launched his own production entity, Glickmania. His first release will be RESPECT, an Aretha Franklin biopic starring Jennifer Hudson. Above all else, I love Jon because he is a loyal friend who will play any song I request on the guitar and he craves Hollywood and political gossip even more than I do! -Jenna
What’s your profession, and what does your day-to-day work experience look like now?
I just returned from an eight year tour as an executive running a film studio (MGM) to being an independent film, tv and now podcast producer. I actually moved into my office at the top of the old Hollywood Athletic Club tower in mid-February, and have been working out of there from 9-6 ever since our 17 year old son stealthy invaded my office in the garage/office right after the lockdown began. The nine-story building is empty, so it is the perfect place to get work done or reenact scenes from I AM LEGEND.
Are there objects or spaces in your house that you are newly appreciating?
I never appreciated the guest house until I started working there—I really loved it for the 10 days before my son’s invasion.
Or are there objects and spaces you have come to loathe?
I’ve begged my wife to put a lock on the pantry after 8 PM. I’ll undoubtedly find myself in there with handfuls of life cereal and mini semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Describe your at-home quarantine uniform.
I’m too civilized to wear jeans more than three days in a row, and they are usually accompanied with a food establishment or record store t-shirt from Washington, DC, or Ann Arbor, MI.
Who are you quarantining with? Do you feel the need to “get away”? How do you make it happen?
I’m with my wife, my 15 year old daughter, and the 17 year old office thief. We would probably have put on our Nikes and make a suicide pact if it wasn’t for the loves of our lives—Hazel, Hubble, and Havana—the three most expensive therapy mutts you can find and worth every penny.
What’s the last thing you purchased online? Regret or obsessed?
Two Fun Boy Giant Floats that take up 60% of the square footage of our swimming pool. I love them.
Tell us the best shows, podcasts, or books you’re loving right now.
If you are interested in 80’s hair metal, the CIA, and the end of the cold war, the best podcast of all time is Wind of Change by Patrick Radden Keefe. (If not, who needs you?) I’ve also been watching the French show Call My Agent! on Netflix with my wife (mostly in case we never get to go to Paris again) and we liked Unorthodox a lot.
Do you have any new quarantine activities or rituals?
This is bittersweet, but I’ve definitely had more family dinners in the past 10 weeks than the previous 17 years. Even though we usually fight, I love them and I am so glad they snuck in right before the kids went away to college. If there still is college.
What is your favorite quarantine snack? What restaurants are you ordering takeout from?
The aforementioned Life cereal with semi-sweet mini chocolate chips is my go to snack. We order from everywhere, but my new favorite pizza is Appolonia deep dish, which is NOT on Postmates or Caviar and only takes cash.
What is your creative outlet and how are you making space for it?
Playing guitar. I mostly play on weekends, but I am definitely playing more frequently than before.
What are you doing for exercise?
I have a Peloton, and am actually riding pretty frequently, which is proving that cardio has no effect in countering the amount of handfuls of mini chocolate chips you eat in a day.
When this is over I cannot wait to ___________.
Vote Blue on November 3. Elections have consequences!
Shop The Story
