19. Laura Ziskin

Writers write what they know; diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004, this year Ziskin produced what she -- unfortunately -- knew. Her illness was the genesis for what became September's three-network fundraiser "Stand Up to Cancer," which raised more than $100 million for research. "It was the hardest, most rewarding job I've ever had," she says. That's saying something, as Ziskin produced last year's "Spider-Man 3," Sony's highest-grossing film ever ($891 million in worldwide boxoffice; the previous "Spider-Man" installments together earned more than $1.6 billion worldwide). The former game show writer, whose career took off after 1990's "Pretty Woman," is now in the early stages of developing "Spider-Man 4" and three romantic comedies. "Up to my neck in serials and special effects, I realized how much I miss that genre," she says. Regardless of what she's working on, Ziskin admits that her career prepared her for the fight of her life. "Having twice produced the Oscars helped me tremendously. After facing a life-threatening illness, any challenge is manageable."