Karen Glass, a former Disney studio exec who helped develop The Princess Diaries and Tuck Everlasting before she began producing holiday TV movies, died Monday, December 22. She was 63.
A sister of radio host Ira Glass, Karen Glass most recently exec produced this year’s Lifetime holiday movie A Pickleball Christmas starring James Lafferty and Zibby Allen. She reportedly was already working on a new mahjong-themed holiday movie.
Her death was announced by family in an obituary. A cause was not disclosed.
According to previously published reports, Glass joined the Walt Disney Co. in 1989 as a member of the marketing team at Buena Vista Television. The following year she began a five-year association with Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, where she was a manager of sales administration before being promoted to director of theatrical strategy and planning. In 1995, she joined Buena Vista Pictures Marketing as a director of national promotions and in 1996 served as exec director on national promotions.
During her tenure at Disney – she left in 2006 – Glass helped spearhead The Princess Diaries (she bought the book for the studio and insisted on hiring Julie Andrews for the film), Tuck Everlasting, and Herbie Fully Loaded, among many others.
After leaving Disney, Glass became a prolific producer of TV holiday movies, including such films as Ice Princess starring Michelle Trachtenberg (2005) and Same Time, Next Christmas starring Lea Michele (2019). Glass’ other holiday-themed TV credits include, among others, Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Sweater (2020), Christmas Class Reunion (2022) and Leah’s Perfect Gift (2024).
Glass, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and the UCLA Anderson School of Business, recently started a business, Glassworks College Advising, to counsel high school students applying to college.
In addition to brother Ira Glass, Karen Glass is survived by son Zachary Sean Barry; sister Randi Glass Murray; in-laws David Meckel and Susanna Fogel; stepmother Sandy Glass; nephews Sam and Ben Murray; and uncle Bennett Politzer.
