Legendary Hollywood producer Larry Kasanoff joins EmbellishPod to talk about what it actually takes to bet your career on a crazy idea — and win. Larry's résumé spans over 250 film and TV credits since 1987, including Platoon, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, True Lies, Dirty Dancing, and the entire Mortal Kombat franchise. He's the founder of Threshold Entertainment and co-founder of Lightstorm Entertainment (with James Cameron), and the author of A Touch of the Madness: How to Be More Innovative in Work and Life . . . by Being a Little Crazy.

In this conversation, Larry breaks down the three principles at the core of his book — Create, Ask, and Play — and tells the stories behind them: greenlighting Platoon as a 25-year-old executive, convincing a skeptical CEO to hand over the rights to what became Mortal Kombat, talking Cher into her first-ever animated film role, and the infamous Guns N' Roses music video stunt behind Terminator 2. He also gets candid about the bets that didn't pay off, why he doesn't dwell on the misses, and how "embracing the madness" applies just as much outside the movie business as in it.

A masterclass in creative risk-taking from someone who's lived it for four decades.

Mentioned: A Touch of the Madness (BenBella Books), Threshold Entertainment, Vestron Pictures, Platoon, Terminator 2, True Lies, Dirty Dancing, Mortal Kombat

Links: atouchofthemadness.com | thresholdentertainment.com | Instagram @larrykasanoff

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