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New York Times bestselling author and CEO of Multimedia Hollis Company Rachel Hollis spoke today about the sudden loss of her ex-husband, former Disney President of Global Distribution Dave Hollis.
Dave Hollis died Saturday at the age of 47. No cause of death was determined, but the family confirmed the former Disney exec had been hospitalized with heart problems.
“We are devastated,” Rachel Hollis wrote on Instagram. “I have no words and my heart is too broken to find them.”
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She added, “Please wrap the children in prayers as we try to navigate the unthinkable.”
Dave Hollis leaves behind four children.
News of Dave Hollis’ death stunned the distribution community. The 17-year Disney veteran had steered Disney’s feature films through the pre-Fox merger and Disney+ heyday with franchise highlights like Star Wars: Force Awakens and Avengers: Infinity War. His track record at the box office has been more than impeccable, tallying multiple industry records of all time with $7 billion worldwide in 2016, $6 billion in 2017 and a seven-year tenure during which 12 Disney releases grossed well over $1 billion -$ at the global box office, and one over $2 billion (Force Awakens). Even more, Hollis was known for his razor-sharp business acumen, good personality, and charismatic personality.
Then-Disney chairman Alan Horn called the outgoing Hollis “an equal footing” with former Warner Bros Disney sales chief Dan Fellman at CinemaCon 2018.
“When I left I thought I’d never see his like, but I have and it’s Dave Hollis,” Horn exclaimed at CinemaCon that year.
Hollis left Disney in June 2018 to work for and oversee his then-wife Rachel’s multimedia empire, which has spanned motivational speeches, books, self-help podcasts and entrepreneurial endeavors. He oversaw the Fathom Events theatrical release of her documentary Rachel Hollis Presents: Made for More in August 2018. The documentary followed the author of Girl, Wash Your Face as she pursued her dream of producing the RISE conference series that brought women together who don’t. Don’t look alike, vote alike, or act alike in a supportive and inspiring community.
Dave Hollis took inspiration from Rachel and wrote his own self-help book called Get Out of Your Own Way, which hit shelves in March 2020, just like Covid. In it he said of his rise to prominence as head of Disney sales: “I just got an A and didn’t have to go to college. As the list continued to grow and teams progressed, hits became more frequent and the fleeting effort it took to make a sale made me feel something I couldn’t pinpoint for a long time. I got the biggest bonuses of my life, the biggest recognition of my career and the envy of others who had to work harder to do a similar job at other studios. and yet I was unhappy because of that contrast.”
Later in that chapter, Hollis wrote, “In what many considered a crazy move, I quit. I left a great job of security, a guaranteed multimillion-dollar annual salary, and a position of clout and prestige. I went away to chase dreams with my wife. Before her great book sold a single copy, we took a leap of faith and made the decision to relocate our family from LA to a small town south of Austin, Texas.”
Dave Hollis and Rachel Hollis later divorced. But Dave would keep writing. In 2021 he wrote his second self-help book, Built Through Courage: Face Your Fears to Live the Life You Were Meant For, documenting his public divorce and personal awakening. He is also the author of the children’s book Here’s to Your Dreams. On social media, Dave Hollis has been consistently posting about working with his church, living with his kids, exercising and living with his partner, fitness influencer and author Heidi Powell.
One of Dave Hollis’ last contributions was that of his daughter fishing.
“From a freeze to shorts in less than 48 hours. Today was a good day,” he wrote.