J.C. Spink Remembered as Larger-Than-Life Hollywood Personality

Producer J.C. Spink was remembered as a larger-than-life personality at a packed memorial service in Beverly Hills on Thursday.

Spink, who produced “The Hangover” along with dozens of other films, died April 18 at the age of 45. Hundreds of mourners filled All Saints’ Episcopal Church to share in stories of Spink’s charisma, humor and generosity.

“As complicated as things got in the end, I loved J.C. and I always will,” said Chris Bender, his partner at Benderspink. “He was a troublemaker, mischievous beyond words, but he always made what we did more fun… There was nobody like him. He was the perfect partner for me.”

Spink’s younger brothers, Brian and Daniel, also paid tribute. Brian Spink said he is still struggling to accept his brother’s untimely death, and thanked the Hollywood community for showing its support over the last two weeks.

“The majority of you probably do have a J.C. story,” he said. “J.C. probably pissed off a fair amount of you, and that’s totally fine… He had a good way of turning things around and making you laugh.”

Spink was born for the entertainment business, his brother said, and had such passion that he “could convince you of something you did not believe was the case.”

He was remembered as a prankster, as a force of chaos, and as a mentor who reveled in others’ successes.

Bender recalled a trip to Cannes, where a tourist mistook Spink for Harvey Weinstein. For the rest of the trip, he introduced himself as Weinstein’s nephew, and posed for photos and signed autographs as “Jeffrey Weinstein.” Roy Lee recalled a time when he and Spink were both young assistants and they tried to get into an exclusive CAA party. Spink was not on the list, so they went around back by the dumpster and sneaked in.

“I was mortified,” Lee recalled. “J.C. proceeded to go up to everyone and introduce himself, even though we were nobodies in the business at the time.”

Jake Weiner, a producer who worked at Benderspink, recalled that J.C. referred to himself as “the motor” of the company.

“J.C. loved what he was doing: selling, operating, making movies, and of course, announcing it all,” he said. “He was relentless, and in most cases, unstoppable.”

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