The son of 1940s and 50s film star Alan Ladd, this former talent agent and London-based independent producer ("Walking Stick" and "A Severed Head" in 1970, "Tam Lin" and "Villain" in 1971, and "X, Y & Zee" in 1972) joined 20th Century-Fox Pictures in 1973 in the creative affairs department, rising to studio head in only three years. The more notable Fox films under Ladd's directorship were "Star Wars" (1977), "An Unmarried Woman" and "Norma Rae" (both 1978) and "The Rose" (1979). In 1979, Ladd founded The Ladd Company, based at Warner Brothers, which co-produced such diverse fare as "Chariots of Fire" (1981), "Outland" (1981), "Blade Runner" (1982), "Star 80" and "The Right Stuff" (both 1983), "Police Academy" and "Once Upon a Time in America" (both 1984).

Ladd became president and chief operating officer of MGM/UA Entertainment in 1983, resigning in 1988 to chair Pathe. The most notable films during Ladd's tenure at MGM/UA were "Moonstruck" (1987), "A Fish Called Wanda" and "Rain Man" (both 1988). In 1990, he became chairman and CEO of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc., during that time producing only one huge financial hit 1991's "Thelma and Louise", which grossed $45.3 domestically.

Ladd was ousted in 1993, to be replaced by Frank Mancuso, but was soon snapped up as a producer by Paramount. Concentrating less on studio politics and more on turning out individual projects, Ladd had his most notable success to date with the Oscar-winning "Braveheart" (1995), the Mel Gibson-directed epic set in 13th-century Scotland. Other Ladd films have included the successful "Brady Bunch Movie" (1995) and its enjoyable "A Very Brady Sequel" (1996), and the disappointing actioner "The Phantom" (1996).