My Weekend: Richard Gelfond

The chief executive of IMAX enjoys his Manhattan roof garden and the cultural variety of New York – but can't switch off from the job he loves.

Saturday morning

The first thing I do when I wake up is get on the email, so I can see how the movies performed on Friday night. Then I stretch and go on the elliptical machine. If the weather's nice I'll play tennis. I love the weekends because you can have an exercise routine, and get back in control of your body. Then my wife Peggy and I usually have breakfast; she'll prepare hard boiled eggs and English muffins, or bagels and cream cheese.

Saturday afternoon

We live in the West Village in New York, so in the afternoon we tend to walk around the city. We always stop for sushi or dim sum for lunch. Back home, I'll check the email again, and read the newspaper. We might sit in our roof garden – having outdoor space in Manhattan is truly a luxury. Then I'll get on the phone with IMAX in Los Angeles and see what the various news sites are saying about the movies.

Saturday evening

One of the great things about living in New York is that you tend to collect eclectic friends. We recently went to a function on Ellis Island to honour people whose close family were immigrants – I was one of those honoured because my dad was born in Russia. He came over when he was two-and-a-half and spent a month on Ellis Island while the authorities decided whether or not to allow him in. I was married on the island and my roots are important to me. It was great to hear different people's versions of the American story.

Our friends come from all sorts of industries. We'll talk about a variety of things, and that's one of the most fun things about my life, because I get a different perspective on the world around me.

We also have a summer home in Southampton, Long Island, so in the summer we'll host people there. We tend to barbecue a lot. My wife is Italian so she cooks a lot of lasagne. Her lasagne is amazing. She could win an award for it.

Sunday morning

I usually get up around nine or 10, and get the movie results for the weekend. I love my job. I can't enjoy my Sunday unless I know what the weekend numbers are. But it's true of all of the senior management at IMAX – we don't feel like we work for a company, we feel we're part of the company. We're a little bit insane.

Sunday afternoon

I'm a sports fan, so I like watching live sports on TV, especially the New York Giants and the New York Mets. We also see lots of movies and plays. We recently saw Anne Hathaway's intense one-woman show Grounded and The Audience with Helen Mirren, which I loved.

Sunday night

Sunday tends to be an early night, and my wife and I will typically spend it alone. We might order a pizza, or eat out.

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Curriculum Vitae

Richard Gelfond bought IMAX Corporation in 1994 with his partner Brad Wechsler when most IMAX films were documentaries played at museums. Under his tenure IMAX has become synonymous with Hollywood's most successful productions.

Uncommon Knowledge

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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

About the writer


Lucy is the deputy news editor for Newsweek Europe. Twitter: @DraperLucy

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