A leading Hollywood producer specializing in mainstream youth and family-oriented entertainments, Shuler-Donner entered the industry as one of the first women members of the Hollywood Electronic Camera Union (Local IA 659). She worked as a camera operator on a number of TV projects before graduating to associate producer of "ABC's Wide World of Entertainment" (beginning 1973), a catch-all concept for various late-night formats that attempted to compete with Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show". Shuler-Donner next moved to Motown Productions, where she rose through the ranks to make her TV producing debut with the acclaimed "Amateur Night at the Dixie Bar and Grill" (1979), a TV-movie written and directed by Joel Schumacher in the style of Robert Altman's "Nashville".
Shuler-Donner produced her first feature, the John Hughes-scripted comedy hit "Mr. Mom" (1983) starring Michael Keaton. In collaboration with producer-director and future husband Richard Donner, she followed up with "Ladyhawke" (1985), an engaging sword-and-sorcery romance starring Matthew Broderick, Rutger Hauer and Michelle Pfeiffer. Shuler-Donner has since worked again with directors Schumacher ("St. Elmo's Fire" 1985), Hughes ("Pretty in Pink" 1986), and Donner ("Radio Flyer" 1992). Shuler-Donner had a particularly successful year in 1993 overseeing two solid hits--"Dave", a homespun political comedy, and "Free Willy", an affecting story of a boy and his whale. She oversaw the inevitable sequel to the latter in 1995 as well as was executive producer on "Assassins", directed by Donner.