Born and raised in Southern California, Cary Brokaw began his career as a marketing trainee at 20th Century Fox after earning an MBA from UCLA. Moving quickly through the ranks at Fox, he spent a year as director of acquisitions before being named as manager of the studio's eastern division. In 1981, Brokaw joined movie emporium operator Cineplex Odeon Corporation as an executive vice president. After two years, though, he moved over to the presidency of Island Alive Releasing where he oversaw the distribution of films like "El Norte" (1983).

In 1985, Brokaw made his debut as an executive