- American actress, humanitarian and author Helen Hayes (1900-1993) is a mentor to actress Eden Riegel; and was mentored by American acting coach, playwright and actor William Gillette (1853-1937).
- American newspaperman and short story writer Damon Runyan (1880-1946) was a mentor to American journalist, sportswriter, editor, and screenwriter Gene Fowler (1890-1960), who said about writing: "Writing is easy. All you do is stare at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead." He also said, "A book is never finished; it's abandoned." "The best way to become a successful writer is to read good writing, remember it, and then forget where you remember it from."
- Canadian actor, director, historian, and educator who participated in more than 800 roles on stage, radio, film, and television and developed the blueprint for the establishment of the National Theatre School of Canada David Gardner (1928-2020) "mentored and motivated students at the University of Toronto and York University."
- American film, television, and stage actor, comedian, writer and producer Orson Bean (1928-2020) was a mentor to journalist Andrew Breitbart (1969-2012); and is a mentor to filmmaker Phil Lord.
- American film producer Scott Macaulay is a mentor to film director and screenwriter Kitty Green.
- The Hollywood Reporter's Women in Entertainment Mentorship Program provides multiple scholarships and mentorships, funded by the entertainment industry. $1.6 million was provided in 2020.
- American minister and author Michael Beckwith is a mentor to actor Sterling K. Brown who said of his mentor, "Finding Rev. Michael was like finding a spiritual mentor in my new found field of discovery and question. His words and teachings were always there to guide me and show me that God wasn't out to smite me or anyone else!"
- American minister and author Michael Beckwith is a mentor to actor Hill Harper who said of his mentor "Finding Rev. Michael was like finding a spiritual mentor. I am finding a deeper and more real experience of what God truly is and I am grateful." Others that acknowledge the mentorship of Rev. Michael are actress and producer Hilary Swank; talk show host and media proprietor Oprah Winfrey; actor, singer and director Scott Bakula; and actor and singer-songwriter Van Morrison.
- American director, animator, puppeteer and the creator of The Muppets Jim Henson (1936-1990) was a mentor to American puppeteer, who played "Big Bird" and "Oscar the Grouch" for 49 years of Sesame Street, Caroll Spinney (1933-2019) who is in turn a mentor to Sesame Street puppeteers Matt Vogel; and Eric Jacobson.
- The Hollywood Reporter created a mentorship program that pairs high school juniors from some of the most underserved schools in Los Angeles with top-level women in film (in cooperation with Big Brothers Big Sisters). Individual mentors provide assistance, and donors have provided millions of dollars in college scholarships and support for the program. One of the scholarship funds provides money for books, travel, tuition and study abroad for each girl in the program.
- A pioneering woman of cinema, director and filmmaker Agnès Varda (1928-2019) was known as a mentor to many younger filmmakers, including film director Caroline Leone; and filmmaker Miranda July.
- American acting teacher Lisle Jones (1931-2020) is a mentor to Australian actor Hugh Jackman.
- Best known for starring in big screen comedies Airplane! and The Naked Gun, Leslie Nielsen (1930-2010) was an expert at goofball humour while maintaining a deadpan delivery and bumbling style. The characters he played typically provided movie lines that became unforgettable. In the movie, Airplane he played the buffoonish hero doctor who finds himself on a plane overcome by food poisoning. A passenger says to him, "Surely, you can't be serious." His now famous reply: "I am serious. And don't call me Shirley." Fellow comedians quickly came under his influence as he was just as eager to make those around him laugh as he was to play funny roles on TV and in film. Canadian comic Brent Butt said of him, "He definitely loved to entertain; he loved to try and get laughs all the time, that was kind of what he was about." Actor Paul Gross, who worked with him on the TV-series Due South and the film, Men with Brooms, said that "Leslie's huge heart and fierce intelligence defined oddball comedy and he was its undisputed master. His loss will be felt by all. More personally he was a mentor and friend. I will miss him terribly." Nielsen appeared in more than 100 films and hundreds of TV shows throughout his six-decade career. If the name "Lt. Frank Drebin" is familiar, you were likely a fan.
- Award-winning co-founder of Cineplex John Dunning (1927-2011) is a mentor to Canadian director David Cronenberg and award-winning film producer Don Carmody.
- Both in real life and in fiction, American actor Adam West (1928-2017), who was mostly associated with the role of Batman, was a mentor to actor Burt Ward, who was mostly associated with the role of Robin in the TV-series Batman.
- American comic actor and writer, known for his ability to improvise, Fred Willard (1939-2020) was a mentor to many, including American actor Ty Burrell.
- Award-winning American independent film and TV director, producer and writer Lynn Shelton (1965-2020) is a mentor to actresses Reese Witherspoon; Kerry Washington; Liz Tigelaar; and Nia DaCosta; and artistic director Beth Barrrett.
- Syracuse University professor Sawyer Falk (1899-1961) was a mentor to Brooklyn-born American comic actor on stage and TV Jerry Stiller (1927-2020).
- Indian actor and filmmaker who made over 80 films and appeared in TV soaps Irrfan Khan (1967-2020) is a mentor to Indian actor Nawazudin Siddiqui.
- Award-winning film, TV and stage actor Brian Dennehy (1938-2020) is a mentor to award-winning stage and screen actor Nathan Lane.
- Film producer Kevin Cleary said about his mentor, literary agent Mickey Freiberg (1940-2012) who died of a brain tumor in December, 2012: "Once I brought him a book that I thought would make a great movie and he told me I would just embarrass myself if I tried selling it in Hollywood because it was too big and crossed too many genres. So a couple weeks later right after I optioned the book to Tom Cruise and Paramount Pictures he walks into my office and says: 'Congratulations, I knew you were smart enough not to listen to me. Always stick with your gut instinct and don't listen to anybody else if you believe in it.' It was the best advice I ever got and I apply it in my work every day. Mickey's rule 'don't listen to anybody else if you believe in it.'"
- Broadway star and TV-icon Florence Henderson (1934-2016) is a mentor to Brady Bunch star Barry Williams. She was the first woman to host The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and became a role model for women to hold hosting and broadcasting positions on network television and was the childhood television heroine of Calista Flockhart. She was mentored by Christine Johnson, considered Broadway star Mary Martin her role model, and as a child, Ms. Henderson idolized actress Jane Wyman. In discussing her serving as a role model in playing mother Carol Brady on the Brady Bunch, she said, "I begged them [the producers] to give Carol Brady a job. They wouldn't do that. I mean, those clothes, for God's sake, take a look at them! I didn't choose those, please. But I said, 'Can I just hit the kids every now and then? I mean, real life!' They wouldn't let me."
- American television personality, musician, composer, actor, talk-show host and terrific laugher Steve Allen (1921-2000) was a mentor to American comedy writer and comic Bill Dana (1924-2017), who often played "Jose Jimenez" in his routine on The Ed Sullivan Show which resulted in a saying that people around the world used: "My name...my name is Jose Jimenez."
- Oscar-winning American writer and filmmaker William Blatty (1928-2017) was a mentor to actress Linda Blair.
- Austrian-born American photographer Lisette Model (1901-1983) was a mentor to American photographer Diane Arbus (1923-1971).
- Emmy-award winning actress for playing Perry Mason's assistant in the long running TV-series, Perry Mason, was a mentor to American film and TV actress Mandell Maughan.
- French actor, director Jean Meyer (1914-2003) was a mentor to French New Wave Oscar-nominated actress Emanuelle Riva (1927-2017).
- Battlestar Galactica Emmy-nominated actor Richard Hatch (1946-2017) was considered a mentor by Alex Peters, Robert Meyer Burnett, and Diana Kingsbury.
- American founder and director of the improv troupe that launched the careers of many comedians and actors, the Groundlings, and director of acting workshops that produced many well-known actors, Gary Austin (1942-2017) is a mentor to comedy actor Pee-wee Herman (Paul Reubens) and comedy performer Jenny Wynter . Mr. Austin created the improvisational teaching technique that creating scenes based on arbitrary suggestions with performers then committing to agreement on the premise of the story Ñ no matter how far-fetched Ñ and then performing to reflect the truth of the scene and characters.
- American entertainment executive and former talent agent Ron Meyer is a mentor to American actor, producer, singer, and professional wrestler Dwayne Johnson.
- Award-winning Canadian film director Sturla Gunnarsson is a mentor to Canadian filmmaker David McCallum, who said that he asked Sturla to be his mentor because he knew he would give him an honest opinion and not let me take the easy way out. As a result of the mentorship, David learned to let the process evolve or unfold and not be dictatorial about it.
- Award-winning French film director and writer Eric Rohmer (1920-2010) is a mentor to Canadian writer Russell Smith. Mr. Smith learned from Mr. Rohmer's films that is was possible to have an entire film and plot based on everyday dramas. "This realization made me understand that I had the experience and imagination necessary to make up similar stories. And I started writing them."
- Canadian stage performer, close-up magician, and magic store entrepreneur Tony Eng (1946-2008) was a mentor to generations of magicians. Mr. Eng's father did not like the tricks and slight-of-hand activities that his son would perform while working in his father's restaurant. His dad said to him, "Why don't you read some books and become a lawyer? At worst, you can be a cook." At 14, Mr. Eng found his own mentor in a barber who also performed as a magician.
- American actor, director, and writer Harold Ramis (1944-2014) was a mentor to writer-directors Judd Apatow, Jay Roach, Peter
y, Jack Kasdan, and film producer Frederick Marx, who said of his mentor, "Now with him gone, I've already started asking myself, 'What would Harold do?' I wish I could channel him to help solve a thorny problem I'm facing right now. Or maybe is is his voice I can hear telling me not to react. 'Let it be.' Maybe. All I know is when I grow up, I want to be like Harold.
- Award-winning Canadian film director, producer and actor Norman Jewison is a mentor to American film director Lee Daniels.
- American improv comedy guru, actor, and teacher Del Close (1934-1999) is a mentor to Mike Myers, Canadian-born actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film producer.
- American magician and metallurgical engineer Bob Elliott (1934-2011) was a mentor to magicians David Copperfield and Criss Angel.
- Canadian filmmaker, director and philanthropist James Cameron is a mentor to film directors Carlos Florez and Steven Quale.
- American actor and director Clint Eastwood and actor and acting coach Vincent Chase were mentors to American actor Bill Paxton (1955-2017) who was a mentor to Chris Klein and actor Justin Cornwell.
- Talent agent Sam Cohn (1929-2009) is a mentor to American film, television,and theatre producer Marc Platt.
- American film historian Robert Osborne (1932-2017) was the glue that drew me to watch Turner Movie Classics. He said that actress Lucille Ball (1911-1989) was a mentor to him, and was once Bette Davis' (1908-1989) date to the Academy Awards.
- French composer, conductor and writer Pierre Boulez (1925-2016) was a mentor to German conductor and composer Matthias Pintscher.
- American composer Philip Glass served as a mentor to Peru's Pauchi Sasaki, a film composer in the Rolex Mentor and Protege program.
- German opera tenor, often ranked with Domingo and Pavarotti, Peter Hofmann (1944-2010) is a mentor to opera soprano Anna Maria Kaufmann.
- Austrian composer, theorist, and painter Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951) was a mentor to Austrain composer and conductor Anton Webern and was mentored by Austrain composer and conductor Gustav Mahler (1860-1911).
- Fashion designer Nolan Miller (1933-2012) is a mentor to American fashion designer Mark Zunino.
- Pioneering American choreographer and dancer Trisha Brown (1936-2017) was a Rolex Mentor to Australian dancer Lee Serle.
- Award-winning Canadian director and choreographer Brian MacDonald (1928-2014) is a mentor to Canadian National Film Board commissioner and French-born Canadian theatrical producer James Domville (1933-2015), who said of his mentor, "He set me on my future course and thereby changed my life."
- Actor Mel Brooks was a mentor to comedic actor Gene Wilder (1934-2016).
- TV and movie producer, Garry Marshall (1934-2016) is a mentor to actor John Stamos, who said about his mentor: "he was always interested in what I was doing - the projects I was involved in, the people I was hanging out with. He wanted to meet everyone. He'd say: 'Bring friends.' 'Anyone here I should meet?' He always asked about my mother. Always said what a nice woman she was. He knew how important she was to me. And she adored him. 'How's that cute little Garry Marshall?' Loretta would say....He was always there for me...He led by example by never wasting the little time we are given. The man made the most out of every minute. He didn't wallow in the things we can not change."
- Film producer Kit Carson (1910-2014) was a mentor to Roman Coppola.
- Hindi film director & actor Karan Jjohar is a mentor to Pakistani film star & performer Fawad Khan.
- John Grierson (1898-1972), a Scottish-born Canadian documentary filmmaker was a mentor to Michael Spencer (1919-2016), a Canadian film advocate, champion, director and producer.
- Canadian Métis filmmaker Gil Cardinal (1950-2015) was a mentor to many. His legacy fund aids emerging filmmakers.
- TV-producer and real estate mogul Merv Adelson (1930-2015) is a mentor to CBS chief Leslie Moonves.
- Master ventriloquist, director, and actor Ken Campbell (1941-2008) is a mentor to ventriloquist Nina Conti.
- Movie director Brad Bird (Pixar's The Incredibles) is a mentor to director Colin Trevorrow (Safety Not Guaranteed).
- Spike Lee is a mentor to Dee Rees (director of Pariah and Bessie)
- Female pioneer in early French cinema Alice Guy Blaché (1873-1968) was a mentor to the first American woman to direct a full-length feature: Lois Weber (1879-1939)
- Jerry Weintraub (1938-2015), producer and promoter, was mentored by Colonel Tom Parker (1909-1997), Elvis Presley's guide and MCA Talent Agency head Lew Wasserman (1913-2002), and is a mentor to producer Alan Polsky.
- TV-writer, producer Eric Kripke was a mentor Kim Manners (1951-2009), X-Files producer.
- Pakistani TV actress Farah Ruma considers actor and director Afzal Hossain as her mentor.
- American actor, painter, photographer Leonard Nimoy (1932-2015) is a mentor to Canadian actress Kim Cattrall.
- French film director Jean Renoir (1894-1979) was a mentor to Indian film director Satyajit Ray (1922-1992).
- Indian filmmaker Mani Kaul (1944-2011, Bio) is a mentor to director Gurvinder Singh.
- Actor John Turturro regards Italian director, Francesco Rosi (1923-2015, Bio), as a mentor.
- Comic Chris Rock is a mentor to comic Aziz Ansari.
- Master magician Harry Blacksone (1885-1965) is a mentor to Canadian magician, skeptic James Randi.
- Screenwriter and director Nora Ephron is a mentor to writer, actress Lena Dunham and actress Rita Wilson.
- Joan Rivers (1933-2014) is a mentor to comedian Margaret Cho
- Phyllis Diller (1917-2012, Bio) was a mentor to Joan Rivers (1933-2014).
- Bob Hope (1903-2003, Bio) was a mentor to Phyllis Diller (1917-2012, Bio).
- George Carlin (1937-2008) is a mentor to John Stewart
- John Stewart is a mentor to Stephen Colbert
- Movie director Todd Phillips is a mentor to actor Bradley Cooper.
- Cinematographer Guy Green (Great Expecations) (1913-2005) was a mentor to British cinematographer of Fiddler on the Roof Oswald Morris (1966-2014).
- David Burns, two-time Tony-winning actor, is a mentor to Jim Brochu, actor and producer on Broadway.
- James Gandolfini (1961-2013) was a mentor to Steven Van Zandt.
- Actress and singer Maureen O'Hara, who was inducted into the Irish American Hall of Fame, was mentored by British actor and director Charles Laughton (1899-1962).
- Motion-picture director, Stephen Frears is a mentor to director Christopher Nolan.
- Comic genius Redd Foxx (1923-1991, Bio) was a mentor to comic Reynaldo Rey (1940-2015, Bio).
- Comedian and movie director Bobcat Goldthwait has made a documentary about his mentor political comic and activist Barry Crimmins: MI>Call Me Lucky
- Ron Meyer, a vice chairman of NBCUniversal, is a mentor to Donna Langley, chairwoman of Universal Pictures (2014).
- Hollywood stunt master and film director Hal Needham (1931-2013) is a mentor to actor, director Burt Reynolds and stuntman Stanley Barrett.
- Tony Award-winning and Olivier Award-winning British actor Richard Griffiths (1948-2013) is a mentor to actor Daniel Radcliffe, who said about him: "Any room he walked into was made twice as funny and twice as clever just by his presence."
- Stephen Speilberg, who counts Jerry Lewis as a mentor, says of him, "He taught me the importance of mentoring."
- Mike Nichols (1931-2014) was a mentor to Kevin Spacey and Stephen Spielberg.
- Stephen Spielberg is a mentor to J.J. Abrams
- Dancer and singer Donald O'Connor (1925-2003, Bio) was a mentor to actress Bonnie Franklin (1944-2013, Bio).
- Quentin Tarantino, director, calls crime fiction writer Elmore Leonard, "a real mentor to me."
- Mikendra McCoy, teacher, is a mentor to Chris Colfer, actor. She told him "As long as you truly own who your are, no one can ever use you against you."
- Stella Adler, acting coach, was a mentor to Marlon Brando
- Keith Robinson, comic, is a mentor to Kevin Hart, comedian
- Actress Katherine Helmond is a mentor to comic/actor Billy Crystal and director/actor Ted Wass
- Gary Cooper (1901-1961) is a mentor to Kirk Douglas
- Karl Malden (1912-2009) is a mentor to Michael Douglas and Gary Cole.
- Joseph Papp (1921-1991), theatre producer and director and actress Jean Arthur (1900-1991) are mentors to Meryl Streep
- Jacques Tati is a mentor to French director and physical comedian Pierre ƒtaix
- Jack Lemmon, Jason Robards, Robert Carrelli (Chatsworth High drama teacher), John Graham Spacey (uncle) mentors to Kevin Spacey
- American comedian, actor and musician Jackie Gleason (1916-1987) is a mentor to talk-show host Larry King.
- Frank Shuster (comedian) mentor to Lorne Michaels (executive producer, SNL)
- Eugene Levy is a mentor to Daniel Perlmutter thru Canada's Governor General's 2012 Performing Arts Mentoring Program
- Gordon Pinsent is a mentor to Kevin Loring thru Canada's Governor General's 2010 Performing Arts Mentoring Program
- Uta Hagen mentor to Jack Lemmon
- Barbara Stanwick mentor to Linda Evans
- Gary David Goldberg mentor to Michael J. Fox
- Jay Sliverheels (Canadian and Mohawk actor) mentor to Micheal Horse (aboriginal actor)
- Carroll O'Connor mentor to Larry Hagman
- Robert Altman mentor to Tim Robbins, Tom Skerritt, Alan Rudolph
- Charlie Feldman mentor to Warren Beatty
- Warren Beatty mentor to Diane Keaton
- Bob Fosse mentor to Melanie Griffith
- Mel Gibson mentor to Heath Ledger
- Tom Sharpin mentor to Russell Crowe
- El Porton Mexican Restaurant is in Mentor, Ohio
- Madonna is a mentor to Gwyneth Paltrow
- Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle mentor to Buster Keaton
- Buster Keaton and Red Skelton mentors to Lucille Ball
- Tim Conway said his mentors were actor Ernest Borgnine and comic actor Don Knotts
- Lucille Ball mentor to Carole Cook, Ruth Buzzi, and Carol Burnett who was also mentored by Garry Moore
- Carol Burnett is a mentor to Vicki Lawrence
- Gilda Radner mentor to Catherine O'Hara
- The population of Mentor, Wisconsin in 2006 was 586
- Rob Reiner mentor to John Cusack
- Beau Bridges mentor to Jeff Bridges
- Michael Landon (1936-1991) and Patty Duke Astin (1946-2016) mentors to Melissa Gilbert. Melissa Gilbert said, "She helped raise me to be the woman I am today."
- John Wayne mentor to James Arness
- Yakima Canutt (1895-1986, Bio) was a mentor to John Wayne (1907-1979, Bio)
- Philip Burton (schoolteacher) mentor to Richard Burton
- Marion Ross mentor to Henry Winkler
- Henry Winkler is a mentor to Marlee Matlin
- Jonathan Winters mentor to Robin Williams
- Lee Strasberg mentor to Ellen Burstyn, Martin Landau, Steve McQueen
- Ann Jillian mentored by her mother, Margaret
- Susan Lucci (Erica Kane on "All My Children">)mentored by Ruth Warrick (Phoebe Tyler Wallingford on "All My Children" Bio)
- Martin Sheen mentored by Rev. Alfred Drapp (teacher at Holy Trinity School)
- Roman Polanski mentor to Nastassja Kinski
- Joe Weider mentor to Arnold Schwarzenegger
- Ingmar Bergman mentor to Woody Allen
- James Dean mentor to Dennis Hopper
- Gene Kelly mentor to Carol Haney
- Joanne Woodward mentor to Dylan McDermott and Allison Janney
- Elia Kazan mentor to Rod Steiger
- David Mamet (screenwriter, director) mentor to William Macy
- Louis B. Mayer (creator of MGM Studios) mentor to Irving Thalberg (producer)
- Dino De Laurentis (producer, director) and Ray Stark (producer) mentor to Steve Simon
- Darryl Zanuck (former head 20th Century Fox studios) mentor to Robert Evans (actor, former head of Paramount Studios, autobiography: The Kid Stays in the Picture)
- Robert Evans is a mentor to producer Alicia Allain.
- Mauritz Stiller (movie maker) mentor to Greta Garbo
- Richard Burton mentor to Sir Anthony Hopkins
- Donald Crouch (literature professor) mentor to James Earl Jones
- Lawrence Tierney mentor to Scott Brady
- Actor and director John Houseman (1902-1988) was a mentor to René Auberjonois (American actor and singer), Kevin Kline, and actor and playhouse founder James Houghton (1958-2016).
- George Cukor (director) mentor to Ruth Hussey (actress) who said the most important advice she learned from her mentor was "Keep your emotions near the surface so that you can call on them when you need to."
- Sir Derek Jacobi (actor) mentor to Kenneth Branagh (actor, director, producer)
- Sir John Gielgud mentor to Sir Alec Guiness
- Sir Alec Guinness (British actor) mentor to Timothy Findley (Canadian novelist, Bio)
- Alfred Lunt (actor) mentor to Montgomery Clift
- Spencer Tracy mentor to Robert Stack (actor and national skeet shooting champion) and Elizabeth Taylor
- Audrey Hepburn mentor to Elizabeth Taylor
- Mentor Williams is an actor and composer
- Adam Farrar mentor to Leonardo DiCaprio
- Anne Jackson (actress) mentored by her sister, Katherine
- Candy Darling (drag queen star in Andy Warhol films) mentor to Susan Tyrrell (1945-2012, actress, nominated for best supporting role in John Huston's Fat City)
- Bill Cosby mentor to Sinbad
- Milton Berle is a mentor to comedians Don Rickles and Alan King, and was a mentor actor Jack Gifford (1907-1990)
- Sid Caesar mentor to Neil Simon
- Stanley Sander mentor to Adam Sandler
- Larrry Harmon (TV-producer) mentor to Bozo the Clown
- Jules Stein (former chairman of MCA) and Lew Wasserman mentors to Brian Grazer (Academy Award winning producer) told him, "All you really own are the ideas adn the confidence to write them down."
- Johnny Carson (1925-2005) was a mentor to Garry Shandling (1949-2016) and Jay Leno
- Comedian Garry Shandling (1949-2016) is a mentor to comedian Sarah Silverman and Jeffrey Tambor.
- Del Close (actor, comic) mentor to Bill Murray, John Candy, Mike Meyers, and John Belushi
- Peter Lassally (TV-producer) mentor to David Letterman
- David Letterman mentor to Rob Burnett (producer)
- Robinson Stone (acting teacher) mentor to Denzel Washington
- Sue Carol (actor and agent) mentor to Alan Ladd (actor)
- Stella Adler (acting coach) mentor to Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro
- John Ford (motion picture director) mentor to John Wayne and Budd Boetticher (director)
- Joel Schumacher (director) mentor to Colin Farrell (actor)
- Constantin Costa-Garvas (director) mentor to Peter Kassovitz
- Erwin Piscator mentor to Walter Matthau
- Mentor Headlands State Beach Park is on Lake Erie near Cleveland
- Cecil Pickett (drama coach) mentor to Brent Spiner (actor and Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation)
- Kim Collier (Canadian theatre director and winner of the 2010 Siminovitch Prize) mentor to Anita Rochon (Canadian theatre director)
- Elizabeth Sterling Haynes (drama and education visionary, Bio) mentor to Leona Paterson (pioneer in speech arts, actress, Canadian professor)
- Herbert Brodkin (TV producer) mentor to William Shatner (Canadian actor) ->When an optimist is asked to think of a Canadian actor, they typically reply: "Christopher Plummer." When a pessimist is asked the same question, they typically reply: "William Shatner."
- Mentor Kaçi is a Yugoslavian film editor
- Robin Phillips mentor to Albert Hamilton Schultz (Canadian actor and artisitic director)
- Len Cariou (Canadian actor) played Alexander Graham Bell in the Canadian TV series, Mentors
- David Walker (TV producer) mentor to Ian Morrison (Friends of Canadian Broadcasting)
- Aaron Spelling (TV producer) mentor to Darren Star (producer)
- Lorne Michaels (TV producer) mentor to Conan O'Brien (TV talk show host)
- Rex Ingram (director) mentor to Michael Powell (director)
- Ernst Lubitsch mentor to Billy Wilder
- James L. Brooks (writer, director) and Billy Wilder mentors to Cameron Crowe (writer, director)
- John Cassavetes, Michael Powell, Jacques Ledoux and Billy Wilder mentors to Martin Scorsese
- Martin Scorsese (writer-director) mentor to Katherine Lindberg (writer-director)
- Christine McIntyre (1911-1984) (singer/actress, comedienne in The Three Stooges movies) mentored by Hugh McCollum and Edward Bernds (Columbia Pictures producers)
- David Chase (creator of The Sopranos) mentor to Terence Winter (creator and executive producer of Boardwalk Empire)
- Ramon Mentor worked as a sound technician for the movie, Inside
- Francois Truffaut (writer-director) mentor to Claude Miller (writer-director)
- Milos Foreman (director) mentor to Michael Weller (playwright)
- Carl Foreman (director) mentor to Lionel Chetwynd (filmaker)
- Peter Bogdanovich (filmaker) mentor to Cybill Shepherd
- John Barrymore mentor to John Carradine
- Pauline Kael (film critic) mentor to Paul Schrader (actor, director, writer)
- Jean Cocteau (French writer-director) mentor to Jean Marais (French actor)
- Roger Corman (director) mentor to Joe Dante (director)
- Emile de Antonio (independent filmmaker) mentor to Ron Mann (independent and documentary filmmaker)
- Don Siegel (film director) and Segio Leone (film director) mentors to Clint Eastwood
- Graeme Ferguson (co-inventor of Imax) mentor to Toni Myers (Canadian writer/director)
- Martin Ritt (film director) mentor to John Alonzo (cameraman)
- Stanley Kubrick mentor to Steven Spielberg, Baz Luhrman, and Tom Cruise
- Tom Cruise (actor) mentor to Jeremy Renner (actor)
- Francois Truffaut (director) mentor to David Newman and Robert Benton (screenwriters)
- Pedro Almodovar (director) mentor to Cecila Roth
- Steve Ross mentor to Steven Spielberg
- Steven Spielberg (motion picture director) mentor to Robert Zemeckis (motion picture director)
- Jerome Liebling (photographer and filmmaker) mentor to Ken Burns (filmmaker)
- His father, Francis Ford Coppola (motion picture director, vineyard developer), Irvin Kershner (director of The Empire Strikes Back, and Joseph Campbell are mentors to George Lucas (motion picture director)
- Chang Cheh (Chinese filmmaker) mentor to John Woo (Yusen Wu) (filmmaker)
- David Cronenberg (motion picture director) mentor to Atom Egoyan (motion picture director)
- Francois Truffaut mentor to Claude Miller (director)
- Guy Maddin (Canadian film maker) mentor to Noam Gonick (Canadian film maker)
- D.W. Griffith mentor to Lillian Gish (Bio)
- Alf Sjoberg (Swedish filmmaker) mentor to Ingmar Bergman (film director)
- John Sayles (producer, director) mentor to Karyn Kusama (director)
- James T. Aubrey (former president of CBS-TV) mentor to Keefe Brasselle (actor)
- Michael Ovitz mentor to Jay Moloney (late Hollywood superagent)
- Barry Diller mentor to Edgar Bronfman and Michael Eisner
- Michael Eisner mentor to Jeffrey Katzenberg (DreamWorks co-founder)
- William Cameron Menzies (set designer) mentor to Richard Sylbert (Oscar-winning set designer)<
- Mentor Karate for Kids is in Painesville, Ohio on Mentor Avenue
- Frank Loesser (composer of broadway shows such as Guys and Dolls and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying among others) mentor to Stanley (Stan) Edwin Daniels (Canadian screenwriter who wrote TV-shows such as The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Taxi among others)
- Mentor C. Huebner was a storyboard artist and illustrator for motion pictures and an artist. His father, son and grandson are all named Mentor.
- Maurice Noble (cartoonist creator of Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny) mentor to Don Hall (Disney artist)
- Harry Williams (circus owner and performer) mentor to Gunther Gebel-Williams (animal trainer and performer)
- William Leonard Hunt (The Great Farini - Canadian high wire walker, botanist, painter, inventor of the parachute) mentor to Lulu (trapeze artist)
- Canadian filmmaker George Kackender (1933-2016) is a mentor to Robert Lantos, television and movie producer. "His film launched my career," said Mr. Lantos of his mentor. "My early filmmaking lessons were all from him. I really did not know how a film was made. I went through that process organically with him and he was the master. I was the novice."
- Comedian Chris Rock has had several mentors. He says, "I had a lot of good mentors such as Eddie Murphy and Lorne Michaels. Half of what they said wasn't about being a comedian. It was like, 'This is what you are going to have to do, and these are the tough decisions you are going to have to make, and here's the way of going about things.'"
- Actor Tom Cruise is a mentor to actor Jonathan Lipnicki.
- Award-winning actress Gabby SidiBae calls film producer Lisa Cortes her mentor.
- Canadian dramaturge Iris Turcott (1954-2016) was a mentor to many playwrights and artistic director Nina Lee Aquino, who said, "She dramaturged my leadership. She was the guide that I needed to find my voice and my place...."
- Canadian comedian, actor, and political satire pioneer, Dave Broadfoot (1925-2016), was mentored by Canadian actor, professor and playwright Mavor Moore (1919-2006).
- Amercian director and comedy theatre founder Mick Napier is a mentor to comic actor Jason Sudeikis.
- Actor and political activist Robert Vaughn (1932-2016) played a mentor in many of his films and TV-series. His commitment to justice helped end the American War in Vietnam.
- Actor and acting teacher Jane Hoffman (1911-2004) is a mentor actress Geneva Carr.
- British actor Alan Rickman (1946-2016) was a mentor to Colin Firth and actor Matthew Lewis. Lewis said of his mentor, "He just offered me advice in where I should go and he said some things to me that filled me with a lot of confidence. And when you hear those sorts of things from someone of his stature, his ability, it means a lot."
- British actor Peter Vaughan (1923-2016) played the mentor Maester Aemon in Game of Thrones.
- India actor/politician M.G. Ramachandran (1917-1987) was a mentor to actress/politician Jayaram Jayalalithaa (1948-2016).
- Award-winning British film composer Stanley Myers (1930-1993) is a mentor to Academy Award-winning German film composer and record producer Hans Zimmer.
- American film icon and director Clint Eastwood was a mentor to American director, screenwriter and producer Michael Cimino (1939-2016).
- Film director Jeremy Saulnier considered actor Anton Yelchin (1989-2016) his mentor. "We spoke about his career in general. While Anton was a notorious over-thinker on set about character analysis and tracking his performance, he was a bold and reckless adventurer when it came to saying 'yes' to projects. I advised him to maybe slow down, to not say 'yes' to so many projects and instead try out a more targeted strategy. Upon reflection, not only did I realize that my advice was totally lame and that he was right all along, I realized who the 'Mentor' actually was in our relationship. Here's to bold and reckless adventure, and most importantly, Good People."
- American actress Mary-Louise Parker is a mentor to actor Lucas Hedges.
- Award-winning TV-producer and network boss Grant Tinker (1926-2016) was a mentor to Emmy-winning actress Mary Tyler Moore (1936-2017).
- Award-winning Canadian comedian Jo-Anna Downey (1967-2017) was a mentor to many.
- Award-winning Canadian performer, director, playwright and educator Joy Coghill (1926-2017) was mentored by Dorothy Somerset (1900-1991), founder of the University of British Columbia's theatre department and Charlotte Chorpenning (1873-1955), children's theatre playwright and was a mentor to many in the theatre industry.
- American actress, comedian, writer and producer Lily Tomlin is a mentor to Allee Willis.
- Award-winning Canadian American actor Raymond Burr (1917-1993), most famous for playing Perry Mason in the TV-series of the same name, was a mentor to American actress Natalie Wood (1938-1981); and American actor of stage, film and TV and journalist Don Galloway (1937-2009), who played Perry Mason's protege Detective Sergeant Ed. Brown.
- The 13 Premier of Saskatchewan and former leader of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party, Lorne Calvert, is a mentor to award-winning Saskatchewan-born Canadian comedian, actor and writer Brent Butt.
- Award-winning American comedian and actress and one of the original cast members of the comedy sketch show Saturday Night Live, Gilda Radner (1946-1989) is a mentor to award-winning Toronto-born actress, writer and comedian Catherine O'Hara.
- Toronto-born Canadian television actress and stage performer Cynthia Dale refers to Montreal-born Canadian actor and director Richard Monette (1944-2008), the artistic directorof the Stratford Festival of Canada for 14 years.
- Actor Norman Lloyd (born in New Jersey in 1914 and living in Los Angeles) is a mentor to Ontario, Canada-born actor, comedian, television host, and voice actor, who served as a "comedy mentor" on the TV-show Last Comic Standing, Howie Mandel.
- Toronto-born Canadian comedian, writer, producer, actress and political commentator Samantha Bee calls New York-born comedian and talk-show host, Jon Stewart, her mentor. Ms. Bee also created a mentor program to inspire more a more diverse, but trained, pool of great writers. She wants to find the "pockets of people who don't formally have access to this world, who want to be in this world, who have no idea how to get there, and who demonstrate some skill in some capacity and a passion for it."
- Toronto-born Canadian comedian best known as a member of the comedy duo Wayne and Shuster, Frank Shuster (1916-2002) is a mentor to award-winning Canadian-American television producer, writer, comedian and actor, best known for creating and producing Saturday Night Live, and member of the Television Academy Hall of Fame Lorne Michaels, a recipient of the Order of Canada.
- Academy Award-winning Canadian filmmaker, director, editor, and cinematographer Chris Chapman (1927-2015), who made the film, A Place to Stand, was a mentor to award-winning filmmaker ("WaterWalker"), environmentalist, commercial artist, painter, wilderness educator and canoeist known as the "patron saint of paddling", Bill Mason (1929-1988). One of those influenced by Bill Mason, Ken Buck, said, "Seldom has any single Canadian artist had the hearts and minds of so many admirers; and seldom has any single Canadian been so influential in creating a sense of responsibility for our environment." In 1986 both Chapman and Mason were nominated for an Academy Award, and the mentor won.
- Award-winning British-born Canadian actor, producer, director, singer/songwriter, and guitar collector Keifer Sutherland, whose maternal grandfather was Canadian poliltican Tommy Douglas (1904-1986), considers his father, New Brunswick born actor Donald Sutherland, as his mentor.
- Gary Goldberg (1944-2013), American writer and television and film producer, is a mentor to Edmonton-born Canadian American actor, author, producer and activist Michael J. Fox, who said of his mentor, "He touched so many with his enormous talent and generous spirit. He changed my life profoundly."
- Canadian actor, songwriter and game and talk show host Alan Thicke (1947-2016) is remembered as a mentor by American actress Joanna Kerns and his brother, Todd Thicke.
- Emmy-award winning Texas-born television and film actor Powers Boothe (1948-2017) played the role of a mentor in several of his films such as Rapid Fire and Red Dawn.
- American actress, model and dancer Barbara Stanwyck (1907-1990) was a mentor to American actress Linda Evans, known for her television roles.
- New Orleans-born American crime fiction writer Elmore Lenonard (1925-2013) is a mentor to award-winning Etobicoke, Ontario-born Canadian screenwriter, television producer and director, and actor Graham Yost.
- Helena, Montana-born American film actor Gary Cooper (1901-1961) was a mentor to New York-born film, stage and TV actor Dan Duryea (1907-1968). Both men died of cancer.
- American actor and stage director Roscoe Lee Browne (1922-2007) is a mentor to actor, film director, playwright and producer Laurence Fishburne.
- American comedian, actor and musician John Belushi (1949-1982) was a mentor to Brantford, Ontario-born comic actor, screenwriter and graphic artist Phil Hartman (1948-1998), who was a mentor to comic actor and author Julia Sweeney and Scarborough, Ontario-born actor, comedian, screenwriter and film producer Mike Myers.
- American film director, producer and screenwriter Jonathan Demme (1944-2017), who directed such films as The Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia, Stop Making Sense and many others was mentored by film directors Hal Ashby (1929-1968) and Roger Corman and is a mentor to actress, director Jodie Foster.
- Canadian comedy legend, writer, musician and pot activist Tommy Chong (1938-2017) is a mentor to comic Wayne Darwen.
- Vice-chairman of NBCUniversal, Ron Meyer is a mentor to Donna Langley, chair of Universal Pictures.
- American actor, comedian, director and writer Carl Reiner is a mentor to American actor, singer, comedian and dancer, Dick Van Dyke.
- Film, television and stage actress Canadian Kim Cattrall is a mentor for the Canadian Film Centre (CFC) Actors Conservatory, where she shares her expertise with the next generation of actors through master classes and workshops. Previous Canadian mentors involved in the CFC initiative are Colm Feore, Don McKellar, Bruce MacDonald, Sarah Polley, Liane Balaban, Ruba Nadda, Risa Bramon Garcia, Kiefer Sutherland and Jacqueline McClintock, who is also a mentor to Canadian actors Rachelle Lefevre, Scott Speedman and Ann Hopkins. Americans who were previously mentors for the CFC include Edward Norton, William Goldman, Avy Koffman, Larry Moss, Patricia Clarkson; and Australia's Lindy Davies and Mexico's Guillermo Del Toro.
- Award-winning Canadian Indigenous filmmaker, director, writer and storyteller Shirley Cheechoo is considered a mentor to many in the Native arts community.
- Winnipeg-born Canadian TV and motion picture actor Donnelly Rhodes (1937-2017) is a mentor to Canadian actor Christopher Crabb. They both starred in the Canadian-made TV series, Danger Bay.
- Award-winning Alberta-born Canadian film, TV and threatre actor, producer, screenwriter, director and composer Paul Gross is a mentor to award-winning Canadian actor and producer Alan Hawco.
- Award-winning television and film actor and producer Toronto-born Canadian Jennifer Podemski travels throughout North America as a mentor and advocate for Indigenous issues.
- France-born longtime British television star, best known for his role as the detective Jason King, Peter Wyngarde (1928-2018) was a mentor to his manager, Thomas Bowington, who said, "he was a mentor on everything you can think of, from sports cars to how to make a good cup of tea and how to do a tie and shirt."
- New York City-born American filmmaker, writer, actor, comedian and musician Woody Allen is a mentor to film critic and author of Better Living Through Criticism: How to Think about Art, Pleasure, Beauty, and Truth A.O. Scott.
- Canadian music production manager J. Michael Elder (?-2017), who managed the Much Music Video Awards ceremonies in 2010 and 2012, was described as a mentor to many in the music industry.
- American Canadian filmmaker, writer and editor George Romero (1940-2017), who made some of the best and worst horror films, is a mentor to British director, writer and actor Edgar Wright; Canadian director and actor Philip Riccio; Greg Nicotero, the American director of The Walking Dead; and Canadian director and screenwriter Matt Birman. Birman said of his mentor, "Mostly all we ever did together was laugh."
- White Rock, British Columbia-born Canadian magician Celeste Evans (-2017), who overcame considerable prejudice against female magicians and acted as a beacon elegance, confidence, strength and femininity for other women, performed around the world, and was a mentor to Victoria, British Columbia-born magician Julie Eng, executive director of the arts organization Magicana.
- Movie producer and executive Ray Wagner (1929-2014) is a mentor to former film studio executive, actress and philanthropist Sherry Lansing.
- Polish-born American acting teacher and director Lee Strassberg (1901-1982) was a mentor to New York-born, multiple award-winning actor and acting coach Martin Landau (1928-2017).
- Legendary American dancer, singer and actor Gene Kelly (1912-1996) is a mentor to California-born award-winning producer, director and choreographer Kenny Ortega, who was a cheerleader in high school, directed and choreographed the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Mr. Ortega said of his mentor: "He mentored me, and when the movie was over he continued to. He would invite me to his home and we would look at his films together and he would talk to me about how he designed choreography for the camera which was the greatest education I had received up until that point."
- New York-born American theatre actor, director and playwright Joseph Chalkin (1935-2003) was a mentor to California-born Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, actor, author and director Sam Shepard (1943-2017).
- American actress Erin Moran (1960-2017), most known for her TV-role as "Joanie Cunningham" on the long-running sitcom Happy Days was mentored by American actor, voice artist and TV-personality Tom Bosley (1927-2010), who played her father on Happy Days.
- Paris-born French film and theatre actor Etienne Decroux (1898-1991) was a mentor to many including Strasbourg-born French actor and mime Marcel Marceau (1923-2007).
- New Jersey-born American ccomedian, filmmaker, director, telethon host and actor Jerry Lewis (1926-2017) was a mentor to American stand-up comedian and actor Dane Cook.
- New Jersey-born Warner Bros. cartoon animator, screenwriter and director Frank Tashlin (1913-1972) was a mentor to American comedian, actor, and director Jerry Lewis (1926-2017).
- American comedian, civil rights and environmental activist and social critic Dick Gregory (1932-2017) is a mentor to many people including actor and comedian Nick Cannon; motivational speaker and television personality Michael Skolnik; journalist Lillian Smith, environmentalist Norris McDonald, and politician Elijah Cummings.
- American actor and comic Jay Thomas (1948-2017) was a mentor to New York-born American stand-up comic and talk-show personality Pete Dominick.
- Texas-born American film director, screenwriter and producer Tobe Hooper (1943-2017) was a mentor to American writer and director Josh Holland.
- Mexico-born award-winning motion picture and theatre actor, painter and writer Anthony Quinn (1915-2001) is a mentor to Canadian and senior program manager with the Asper Foundation, Jeffrey Morry, who said of his mentor, "He taught me that even the most accomplished person can and should take a chance, set aside his or her ego and reach out to others, even those relatively new to the world, in order to listen and grow. I've tried to live that lesson every day of my life."
- Award-winning Greek-American film director Elia Kazan (1909-2003) was a mentor to New York-born award winning actor Rod Steiger (1925-2002); and Key West, Florida-born American TV and film actress and acting coach Elizabeth Kemp (1951-2017).
- Key West, Florida-born American TV and film actress and acting coach Elizabeth Kemp (1951-2017) was a mentor to actor Hugh Jackman and singer Lady Gaga, who said of her mentor, "She helped me want to dream again and know it's power."
- Canadian actor, director and writer Paul Gross from Toronto, Canada was elevated to the Companion of the Order of Canada, in part, because he ardently promotes mentoring domestic talent.
- Puerto Rico-born Canadian actor Bruce Gray (1936-2017) was known as "a great mentor to many people and a great friend and the most ultimately supportive person to fellow actors.
- Ontario-born Canadian actress, writer, director and political activist Sarah Polley is a mentor to Ontario-born Canadian actress Sarah Gadon.
- Academy award-winning, Canadian-born New Zealand actress and inductee to Canada's Walk of Fame, Anna Paquin.?
- Nova Scotia-born Canadian actor John Dunsworth (1946-2017), who played Mr. Lahey on the long-running Canadian TV-show Trailor Park Boyswas described as "a generous mentor and gifted character actor" who often helped other actors do their best. The character he played on the TPB show, Mr. Lahey, was known as a booze-swilling grouch and ambiguously gay. In real life Mr. Dunsdworth was none of those things, just a good actor.
- India-born, award-winning Canadian film director Deepa Mehta awarded the Order of Canada?
- Texas-based drama coach Charles O. Stewart was a mentor to Mississippi-born American film actor Dana Andrews (1909-1992), who ought to have won an Oscar for his portrayal of Fred Derry in the tear-jerking story of WWII vets, The Best Years of Our Lives.
- Pennsylvania-born American actress, writer, comedian and producer Tina Fey, most known for her brilliant performances on the TV-show Saturday Night Live is a mentor to writer and executive producer Tracey Wigfield.
- Los Angeles-born American film producer and film executive Nina Jacobson is a mentor to Chicago-born film director, screenwriter and producer Angela Robinson.
- Pennsylvania-born Academy award-winner, Broadway singer and film and TV actor Shirley Jones was a mentor to New York City-born singer, guitarist, actor, teen hearthrop and one of the stars of the The Partridge Family TV-series David Cassidy (1950-2017). Mr. Cassidy's father was an American singer and stage, TV and film actor Jack Cassidy (1927-1976, who married Ms. Jones and she became David's stepmom as well as his TV-show co-star.
- Award-winning, Detroit-born American actress and singer Della Reese (1931-2017) is a mentor to actress and producer Roma Downey. Ms. Reese also played Ms. Downey's angel mentor on the TV-show Touched by an Angel.
- San Francisco-born documentary filmmaker Bruce Brown (1937-2017) mentored an entire generation of people who became surfers through his film The Endless Summer. The website, brucebrownfilms.com said, "Today our friend, partner, mentor, filmmaker and father passed away in Santa Barbara, California. With Bruce Brown and his inspiring movies an era comes to an end! His legacy lives on with all of us that continue to carry his torch."
- French-born Canadian stand-up comic, actor and screenwriter Mike MacDonald (1954-2018) is a mentor to Toronto-born Canadian-American stand-up comic and actor Jeremy Hotz; and Canadian filmmaker Brendan Merterns.
- British comedian, singer and actor Sir Ken Dodd (1927-2018) was a mentor to British actress and singer Claire Sweeney, British jouralist, singer and entertainer Alex Belfield and British choreographer Norah Button.
- New York City-born aFward-winning writer, producer, and director of many TV-shows that defined and led the modern era of television Steven Bochco (1943-2018) was a mentor to many TV writers, directors and producers including David Milch, David E. Kelley, and Dick Wolf. He was also a mentor to actors such as Neil Patrick Harris and Peter Onorati. One of those he mentored, said "Mentor is not a strong enough word. Nor is friend. He taught me so much about the business, and life, and always had my back."
- Kentucky-born American actor, director, activist and philanthropist George Clooney is a mentor to Boston-born American actor, director, producer and screenwriter John Krasinski.
- English-Irish-American actress, producer, and singer Dame Angela Lansbury is considered a mentor by American actor and producer Louis Herthum.
- Canadian political satirist and TV star Rick Mercer says that his award-winning career is all due to his mentor, English and theatre teacher Lois Brown. "Lois constantly told me I could write. I think of myself as a writer first. That's what gives me the most satisfaction. I wouldn't have made it into theatre without her."
- Award-winning Bronx, New York-born film and TV director Richard Donner was a mentor to Yellowknife, NWT-born Canadian actress Margot Kidder (1948-2018), who is a mentor to award-winning American actress, writer and singer Teri Hatcher.
- Retired Canadian film industry publicist David Novek was a mentor to Quebec-born award-winning Canadian journalist and filmmaker Kevin Tierney (1950-2018). Mr. Tierney, a mentor to film colleague Michele Fiorello, was noted as a mentor and pioneer who through his film work "contributed immeasurably to breaking down stereotypes and a better understanding between Anglophones and Francophones."
"Acting is the most minor of gifts and not a very high-class way to make a living. Shirley Temple could do it at the age of four." ~ American actress Katharine Hepburn (1907-2003) ~ A mentor to biographer Maryann Pasda Diedwardo, who said "she has been my mentor for my entire life. She was a shadow over my life that guided me and nurtured me in the strategies of how to live and will show me eventually how to die."
"In my experience, a mentor doesn't necessarily tell you what to do, but more importantly, tells you what they did or might do, then trusts you to draw your own conclusions and act accordingly. If you succeed, they'll take one step back, and if you screw up, they'll take one step closer. What it is they teach youÉpass it on." ~ Edmonton, Alberta-born Canadian actor, producer and activist Michael J. Fox mentored New York-born American writer and producer for film and TV, Gary David Goldberg (1944-2013).
"Show me a successful individual and I'll show you someone who had real positive influences in his or her life. I don't care what you do for a living - if you do it well I'm sure there was someone cheering you on or showing the way. A mentor." Denzel Washington who considered his acting teacher Robinson Stone, his mentor.
"In life, finding a voice is speaking and living the truth. Each of you is an original. Each of you has a distinctive voice. When you find it, your story will be told. You will be heard." ~ American author John Grisham mentor to novelist Tony Vanderwarker, the author of Writing with the Master.
- Australian impressionist painter Hayward Veal was a mentor to Australian entertainer, actor, comedian, painter, television personality and convicted sex offender Rolf Harris.
- French Canadian filmmaker, screenwriter and painter Gillies Carle (1929-2009) was a mentor to Montreal, Canada-born actor and comedian Daniel Pilon (1940-2018).
- David Michael Ettlin was a mentor to American author, journalist, producer and television writer David Simon.
- French filmmaker, known for making the Holocaust documentary Shoah, Claude Lanzmann (1925-2018) considered French pilosopher, activist, novelist and playwright Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980), his mentor.
- American actress, singer, dancer, businesswoman, public service advocate, and diplomat Shirley Temple Black (1928-2014) said "I stopped believing in Santa Claus when my mother took me to see him in a department store, and he asked for my autograph."
- Comedian, actress, screenwriter and producer Amy Schumer considers comedian, actor, and producer Jerry Seinfeld, to be her mentor.
- American/Austrian/Ukranian actor, theatre director and acting teacher Lee Strasberg (1901-1982) was a mentor to American actress, sex symbol, and comedienne Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962), who once was quoted as saying, "Sometimes, I've been to a party where no one spoke to me the whole evening. The men, frightened by their wives or sweeties...the ladies would gang up in a corner and discuss my dangerous character."
- American producer, writer, and directorJudd Apatow is a mentor to Canadian-American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and director and inductee to Canada's Walk of Fame Seth Rogen; and Canadian screenwriter, film producer, and director, also an inductee into Canada's Walk of Fame, Evan Goldberg.
- American art and film critic and writer Annette Michelson is a mentor to French-American cinematographer and director Babette Mangolte.
- Paris-born French cinematographer William Lubtchansky (1937-2010) is a mentor to French cinematographer Caroline Champetier, who has filmed more than 70 films.
- Award-winning French filmmaker Agnès Godard is a mentor to award-winning Belgian-born French film director Agnès Varda.
- Theda Bara was a mentor to Joan Craig as described in the book, Theda Bara, My Mentor: Under the Wing of Hollywood's First Femme Fatale.
- Paris-born French film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and author Jean Renoir (1894-1979) was a mentor to Paris-born French comedian, dramatist, screenwriter and film director Jacques Becker (1906-1960).
- American film director Nicole Holofcener is a mentor to film director and concert pianist Dalila Droege.
- Miami-born Award-wining Oscar broadcast producer, film and Broadway producer, and writer Craig Zaden (1949-2018) is a mentor to American set designer for theatre, opera, and television Derek McLane; and Anaheim, California-born American actor, producer, musician and singer John Stamos.
- Montreal-born award-winning Canadian actor, director, arts advocate and Officer of the Order of Canada Albert Millaire (1935-2018) was a mentor to Quebec playwright, counsellor, and mental healt educator Benjamin Pradet through the Governor General's Peforming Arts Mentorship Program.
- Canadian theatre pioneer, playwright, actor, designer, university drama instructor, and founder of Nightwood Theatre Company (Canada's oldest feminist stage company) Kim Renders (-2018) was known as a supportive "mentor who expected the best from her students."
- Canadian writer and journalist Danny Daniels was a mentor to Canadian film and theatre producer, and activist for worker's rights Harry Gulkin (1927-2018), best known for his film Lies My Father Told Me, who, in turn, was a mentor to Quebec-born Canadian film director and screenwriter Francois Girard, best known for his film The Red Violin.
- Saskatoon-born makeup artist and college teacher Geralyn Wraith (1954-2018), who helped craft the look of major characters on shows such as The Kids in the Hall and Kim's Convenience, was known as a mentor to many young Indigenous women.
- French stage actress Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923) was a mentor to Russian dancer, actress, and art patron Ida Rubenstein (1883-1960).
- American television and film director and producer Jerry Bruckheimer is a mentor to English film director and producer Tony Scott (1944-2012).
- Brooklyn-born American television and film director, producer and writer James L. Brooks was a mentor to Bronx-born award-winning American actress, producer, director Penny Marshall (1943-2018), who was described a "a mentor and model for powerful women in Hollywood." She is a mentor to American actor Vincent De Paul.
- Canadian film industry assistance director and producer John Board (1934-2018) was considered a mentor to some of the brightest film makers in Canada.
- Indianapolis-born sleight-of-hand artist, magician and author Charles Earl Miller (1909-1989) was a mentor to Brooklyn-born sleight-of-hand artist, author, actor, master magician and performer Ricky Jay (1948-2018).
- Academy award winning American novelist, playwright and screenwriter William Goldman (1931-2018) is a mentor to American screenwriter, playwright, director and producer Aaron Sorkin. He also acted as a mentor to Matt Damon and Ben Affleck as they were writing "Good Will Hunting," for which they would win Oscars.
- American actress, often called the "Queen of the Independent Movies," Parker Posey called theatre professor, actor and writer Joe Stockdale, Jr. (1925-2016), her "college mentor."
- American executive film producer and founder and president of a philanthropic foundation Ruth Ann Harnisch is a mentor to recording industry academic Beverly Keel. Ms. Keel refers to her mentor as her "in-person guardian angel." She appreciates her mentor's focus on making the most of the hours we have together.
- American television executive Soraya Gage is a mentor to Emmy award-winning network television producer, author and speaker Wendy Sachs. One unusual piece of advice Ms. Sachs received from her mentor was to have her kids close together. In that way as they go older they could play together, yielding that mom an extra hour of sleep. Her mentor also told her to "bring her entire self to work." Be a mother and a professional simultaneously.
- British film and television director Howard Davies (1945-2016) is a mentor to award-winning British director Sam Mendes.
- Award-winning American screenwriter, film diretor, actress and comedienne Elaine May was a mentor to Bronx, New York-born American actress, witer and comedian Renée Taylor.
- American writer, educator and bookstore owner Gus Blaisedell was a mentor American actor, comedian, actor, and podcaster Marc Maron.
- American sea captain and novelist Lincoln Colcord (1883-1913) was a mentor to New Jersey-born passionate American sailor, writer, and reluctant actor Sterling Hayden (1916-1986)
- British comedian, author, singer, playwright and songwriter Eric Idle is a mentor to American comedian, magician, musician, actor and producer Steve Martin.
- American comedian and writer James McNair (1952-2014) is a mentor to American comedian Tracy Morgan.
- Ohio-born Canadian theatre director and teacher Dr. Betty Mitchell (1896-1976) was a mentor to Calgary, Alberta-born actor, teacher, director, administrator Georgie Collins (1925-2017) who, in turn, is a mentor to Canadian actress Kathi Kerbes; and award-winning England-born Canadian film and TV actor, artistic director Stephen Hair.
- London, England-born Canadian great grandmother and stage and film actress who appeared in productions across Canada, including The Stratford Festival Theatre and Shaw Festival Jennifer Phipps Boretski (1932-2019) was considred a mentor to many.
- French-born Academy Award-winning American film director, producer and screenwriter William Wyler (1902-1981) was a mentor to American film director, screenwriter and actor John Huston (1906-1987).
- American soldier, lawyer, diploma and World War II head of intelligence operations for the United States "Wild" Bill Donovan (1983-1959) was a mentor to Academy Award-winning American film director and U.S. Navy officer during World War II John Ford (1894-1973).
- Born in Toronto, Canada, award-winning and pioneering IMAX filmmaker and member of the Order of Canada Antoinette Myers (1943-2019) was considered "a generous-spirited leader, role model and mentor to many."
- Academy Award-winning British theatre and film director Tony Richardson (1928-1991) was a mentor to five-time Academy Award nominee and British-born stage and movie actor Albert Finney (1936-2019). Mr. Finney was described as a "mentor to a generation of working-class artists" in Gabriel Hershman's book Strolling Player: The Life and Career of Albert Finney.
- Australian-born Canadian documentary filmmaker, writer, producer and executive director of the Documentary Organization of Canada (a collective voice for independent filmmakers across Canada) Pepita Ferrari (1952-2019) was known as a "mentor to those who came after her."
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- So sorry to learn that Bob Einstein (1943-2018) has died. He was a key actor (playing the ornery Marty Funkhouser) on Larry David's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" a TV show that is dearly missed. Bob also created the character "Super Dave" and did parodies of stunts that usually wound up with him sustaining severe injuries. Bob Einstein's father, "Parkyakarkas" was one of my brother Alan's favourite movie comedy characters. My brother loved saying that name. The character was so obscure that it seemed like only my brother and I knew who he was. It was one of the things that created a special bond between us. I also learned the Bob Einstein had a brother whose name was Albert Einstein. Can you imagine? Albert decided it was too much and changed his name to Albert Brooks. He became (and still is a famous director, writer, and comic actor. Bob's style of comedy was one of the inspirations for comedy writer, director, actor, musician and magician Steve Martin, who describes Bob and British comedy actor and writer Eric Idle as his mentors.
- English director, screenwriter, producer and actor Edgar Wright is a mentor to London, UK-born director, actor and writer Joe Cornish.
- Detroit-born American film and television actor and comedian John Witherspoon (1942-2019) is a mentor to actors Shawn Wayans and Marlon Wayans.
- Italian filmmaker and screenwriter Frederico Fellini (1920-1993) is a mentor to Italian filmmaker and screenwriter Lina Wertmuller.
- Chicago-born American ventriloquist Jimmy Nelson (1928-2019) is a mentor to American ventriloquist Jeff Dunham, who said of his mentor, "I don't think I would be where I am today, doing what I do as my profession, were it not for Jimmy and his wooden partners, Danny O'Day and Farfel."
- Award winning America producer,director and writer Frank Woodward and Milicent Patrick(1916-1998) are mentors to author, producer and screenwriter Mallory O'Meara. In her 2019 book, The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick, Ms. O'Meara says about Milicent Patrick, "When I was a teenager, Milicent showed methe way forward into the creative life that I wanted to live. She demonstrated tha tit was possible fo me to make the art that I wanted to make. Now, as an adult, she has showed me the way forward to help create the world I want to live in. Uncovering her life over ther past two years has helped me see things I needto do to protect more women from her fate. It's helped me to be brave, be strong and be loud."
- Pioneering American Tony Award and Golden Globe winning actress, singer and model, nominated for an Oscar Diahann Carroll (1935-2019), whom Ava DuVernay described as an extraordinary person who "blazed trails through dense forests and elegantly left diamonds along the path for the rest of us to follow," is a mentor to six-time Grammy Award-winning American singer, actress, television host, and former United Nations Global Ambassador Dionne Warwick.
- American bandleader Les Brown (1912-2001); and award-winning American dancer and choreographer, actor, screenwriter and director Gene Nelson (1920-1996) were mentors to award-winning Cincinnati-born American singer, actress, dancer and animal welfare activist Doris Day (1922-2019).
- Manhattan-born American film critic Judith Crist (1922-2012) is a mentor to film critic Kenneth Turan; magazine editor Steven James Snyder; and novelist Nichole Bernier. Ms. Crist recalled something she learned from her mother about criticism: "All you'll get from strangers will be surface pleasantry or indifference. Only someone who loves you will criticize you."
- Italian theatre, opera and cinema director, as well as a screenwriter Luchino Visconti (1906-1976) was a mentor to Italian director of films, opera and theatre and politician Franco Zeffirelli (1923-2019).
- Quebec, Canada filmmaker who directed more than 50 films Jean-Claude Labrecque (1938-2019) is a mentor to many young Quebec filmmakers including Jennifer Alleyn.
- Vancouver, Canada actor, known mostly for his role in the TV-series Stranger Things Finn Wolfhard considers The Duffer Brothers; producer-director Shawn Levy; actor David Harbour and actor Joe Kerry, his mentors. Finn says of his mentors, "They just teach me a lot about everything - career and life and acting."
- American stand-up comedian, social critic and satirist Lenny Bruce (1925-1966) was a mentor to American author, journalist,comedian, editor, publisher and the person who created the term "Yippies" Paul Krassner (1932-2019).
- New York-born American televsion and stage comedy actress and dancer Valerie Harper (1939-2019) was considered a mentor to "every awkward girl" because of her role as Rhoda Morgenstern on the Mary Tyler Moore Show. She considered Chicago-born American film and television actor Richard Schaal (1928-2014) her mentor (and later married).
- American actor Michael B. Jordan considers Jamaican-Canadian writer Malcolm Gladwell his mentor. Mr. Jordan said he named his company "Outlier" after he read Mr. Gladwell's book of the same name. "I don't even know if he knows he's a mentor to me. What he put into his book is awesome to me. I too didn't want to be put in a box; I didn't want to be stereotyped; I wanted to go against the grain; I wanted to represent the people that felt like they were outsider, like they were 'Outliers.' So I wanted to creat a society of like-minded individuals." (Interview with Oprah Winfrey on Super Soul Sunday, 2019.)
- Brooklyn, New York-born actress, vaudeville performer, singer and screenwriter Mae West (1893-1980) was a mentor to several other performers including Judy Garland (1922-1969); and American vaudeville star and female impersonator Rae Bourbon (1892-1971). Ms. West was mentored talent agency mogul William Morris (-1932).
- American actor and firefighter Steve Buschemi recalled his mentor: "When I first moved into New York City the guy who lived on my floor, in the first building I ever lived in. There was a guy who took a liking to me. He worked for a furniture moving company. One day they were short and he asked me if I wanted work today. I did it, he took me under his wing. We became friends. He was an older guy that was into things I was just learning about. He was into the beat poets, Kerouac, and we shared the same musical tastes. He taught me a lot. But he lived hard. He ended up leaving New York for a while. Then coming back a few years later. But in a desperate way. I was living in a bigger place and had a better job. He asked if he could stay with me. He slept on my couch for months. He ended up robbing me and leaving town and I never saw him again. But I don't regret knowing him."
- British-born classical Canadian director and artistic head of the Stratford Festival from 1975 to 1980, Robin Phillips (1940-2015) was described as a mentor who "ignited a generation of Canada's best stage artists," including Stratford's current artistic director Antoni Cimolino.
- American film producer Hal Wallis (1898-1986) was a mentor to Tokyo-born Academy Award-winning French-British-American actress who appeared in 49 feature films Olivia de Havilland (1916-2020).
- An American actor and singer who played the role of mentors in several movies Wilfred Brimley (1934-2020) is a mentor to comic and talk-show host Stephen Colbert and has been mentioned as a man who called the 27th U.S. President William Taft (1857-1930) his mentor.
- Academy Award-winning Polish-American filmmaker Fred Zinnemann (1907-1997) was a mentor to British filmmaker Alan Parker (1944-2020), who said: "When I started out in advertising I had a mentor in the advertising agency I worked in called Colin Milward, the creative director and mentor also to David Puttnam and Charles Saatchi, who worked with me. He was tough Yorkshireman and his dour, no nonsense wisdom still stays with me. When I went on to make films my mentor was the great director, Fred Zinnemann. He would critique my films and give me his (not always kind) opinion. He told me, 'Being a film director is a great privilege, so don't waste it.'"
- Award-winning American documentary filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker (1925-2019) is called a mentor by comic impersonator Darrell Hammond.
- Former university football coach Ed Orgeron mentored many players including professional wrestler, actor and entrepreneur Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson who said of his mentor, "Always grateful for the lessons your taught me, that I was able to understand much later in life (finally).
- Actress Phylicia Rashad was a mentor to actor Chadwick Boseman (1976-2020) while she was teaching at Howard University.
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