When Duncan Kenworthy took a leave of absence from his duties with Jim Henson Productions to produce a "little" film he couldn't have imagined that the Oscar-nominated Best Picture "Four Weddings and a Funeral" (1994) would become the most commercially successful British film of all time and alter the course of his career forever. Beginning at the Children's Television Workshop in the 1970s, he worked on "Sesame Street" and later produced an Arabic version of the popular educational staple for Kuwaiti TV. His first feature credit came as associate producer of Henson and Frank Oz's "The Dark Crystal" (1982), and he served as producer of HBO's "Fraggle Rock" (1983) and segments of "The Storyteller" (NBC, 1987-88; five unaired episodes debuted on HBO in 1997), both products of Henson Associates, as well as for "The Jim Henson Hour" (NBC, 1989).
On the heels of his "Four Weddings and a Funeral" success, Kenworthy co-founded DNA Films with "Trainspotting" (1996) producer Andrew Macdonald. In 1998, DNA Films signed an agreement with the Arts Council of England to run one of the three film franchises funded by Britain's National Lottery. Receiving more than $45 million in lottery funds, the production company embarked on the ambitious task of making 16 films with commercial appeal over the ensuing six years. This attempt to revive Britain's flagging film industry prompted Kenworthy to tell New York's Daily News (July 4, 1999): "We want to make films that aren't consigned to the arthouse." His reteaming with "Four Weddings" screenwriter Richard Curtis produced another big winner, "Notting Hill" (1999), which soared on the wings of star Julia Roberts' popularity. DNA's first efforts, "Strictly Sinatra" and "The Final Curtain" (both 2001) began appearing in the new millennium.
Education
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University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Milestones
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1982 Teamed with Muppets creator Jim Henson as associate producer on the fantasy film The Dark Crystal
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1983 Produced HBO series Fraggle Rock , executive produced by Henson
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1985 Credited as Creature Shop producer for Dreamchild
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1987 Served as executive in charge of production for Hans My Hedgehog , the first segment of an irregular series entitled The Storyteller (NBC)
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1989 Co-produced The Jim Henson Hour (NBC)
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1994 Produced the hit comedy Four Weddings and a Funeral , starring Hugh Grant; first collaboration with screenwriter Richard Curtis; received Oscar nomination as Best Picture
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1995 Founded Toledo Pictures
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1996 Produced NBC s acclaimed, Emmy-winning miniseries Gulliver s Travels , staring Ted Danson
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1997 Produced John Duigan s independent feature Lawn Dogs
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1997 With producer Andrew Macdonald, founded DNA Films
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1998 DNA Films signed an agreement with the Arts Council of England to run one of the three film franchises funded by Britain s National Lottery
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1999 Reteamed with Curtis to score another big hit with Notting Hill , starring Grant and Julia Roberts
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2001 Served as executive producer (with Macdonald) of Strictly Sinatra and The Final Curtain
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2003 Produced the comedy Love Actually, which starred Hugh Grant and Emma Thompson; recevied a golden globe nomination for best comedy picture
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Produced (with Macdonald and others) the thriller Creatures (lensed 1999)
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Produced three segments of The Storyteller
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Served as senior vice president of production, Jim Henson Productions
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Started career at NYC s Children s Television Network in the 1970s, working on the educational puppet show Sesame Street ; would later produce 130 episodes of Iftah Ya Simsim (an Arabic version of Sesame Street ) in Kuwait
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Was senior vice president of production at Jim Henson Productions
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Worked closely with Jim Henson as head of the London-based Creature Shop