Karen Glass, Former Disney Executive and Holiday Movie Producer, Dies at 63

Karen Glass, a longtime film executive and producer who helped bring beloved movies like The Princess Diaries to life before becoming a force in holiday television films, has died. She passed away Monday, December 22, at UCLA Medical Center from complications related to pancreatic cancer. She was 63 and had been undergoing a surgical procedure at the time.

Glass spent the early part of her career at The Walt Disney Company, where she played a key role in developing family-friendly films that went on to become audience favorites. She later reinvented herself as a prolific producer of made-for-TV holiday movies, becoming a familiar name behind seasonal programming on networks like Lifetime.

A sister of renowned radio host Ira Glass, Karen Glass was known for her creativity, persistence, and deep love of storytelling. Her most recent credit was as an executive producer on Lifetime’s 2025 holiday film A Pickleball Christmas, starring James Lafferty and Zibby Allen. According to reports, she was already developing a new mahjong-themed holiday movie before her death.

Her family announced the news in an obituary. While pancreatic cancer complications were cited, no additional details about the cause of death were disclosed.

“Karen’s incredible creativity and her tenacity in getting film projects off the ground were fueled by her love for the film business,” said Ed Connolly, senior producer of Live with Kelly and Mark. “But her greatest love of all was her son, Zachary Barry.”

Glass joined Disney in 1989, starting in marketing at Buena Vista Television. Over the next several years, she moved through key roles at Buena Vista Pictures Distribution and Buena Vista Pictures Marketing, eventually becoming an executive director of national promotions. During her time at Disney, which ended in 2006, she helped champion several major projects, including The Princess Diaries—for which she personally pushed to hire Julie Andrews—along with Tuck Everlasting and Herbie: Fully Loaded.

After leaving Disney, Glass shifted her focus to television movies, particularly holiday-themed projects. Her producing credits included Ice Princess starring Michelle Trachtenberg, Same Time, Next Christmas with Lea Michele, as well as Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Sweater (2020), Christmas Class Reunion (2022), and Leah’s Perfect Gift (2024).

Beyond film and television, Glass was also passionate about education. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and the UCLA Anderson School of Management, she recently launched Glassworks College Advising, a business aimed at helping high school students navigate the college application process.

Karen Glass is survived by her son, Zachary Sean Barry; her brother, Ira Glass; her sister, Randi Glass Murray; her stepmother, Sandy Glass; extended family members; and loved ones. She is remembered as a driven executive, a creative producer, and a devoted mother whose work touched both the big screen and countless holiday living rooms.