Jessica Erlbaum's Hollywood office is almost bare, save for the deep gray sofa on which we lounge with our feet up, her desk, and a few cabinets. We are Will Ferrell in a Santa hat, Kristen Wiig, and the fake kids from Lifetime's 2015 parody thriller A Deadly Adoption. As we talk, Ferrell casually walks down the hallway. Elbaum was once his assistant, but is now a partner in Gloria Sanchez Productions, the female-oriented offshoot of Ferrell and Adam McKay's Gary Sanchez Productions (responsible for such delightfully sophomoric comedies as "Step Brothers" and "Get Hard") Ferrell and Adam McKay are the men behind the female-led blockbusters "Book Smart" and "The Hustlers," which were spun off from Gary Sanchez Productions (responsible for such hilarious and sophomoric comedies as "Step Brothers" and "Get Hard").

When Gloria Sanchez launched the company in 2014, Hollywood thought "one female film" that year would be enough. But Elbaum wanted women to be the stars, not the supporting players. Even before the entertainment business was much reevaluated, Erlbaum set out to make films that the industry feared, and she made women do interesting things, no matter how uncomfortable it made the men in the theater. What I am most proud of is that 'Gloria Sanchez' was not started in response to #MeToo or Time's Up," says Erlbaum. It was born out of a desire to tell women's stories."

Helping to change the culture of Hollywood has been challenging, but it has not been the toughest job for Erlbaum. After graduating from the University of Southern California, she worked in publicity at MGM Studios, but decided that "PR was not for me," so she joined the family business, Red Carpet Car Wash in the San Fernando Valley. Her days were spent washing towels and wiping windshields. She says, "I always joked that my time at the car wash was harder than any 16 hours on the set." A string of good luck led to a more glamorous career: while standing in line at a coffee shop, a regular customer (who worked at the United Talent Agency) suggested that Elbaum look for an entry-level job there. She was not hired, but it sparked a desire to work in filmmaking.

A friend offered Elbaum a desk job on Ferrell's team, and she heard rumors that Ferrell was looking for an assistant. Elbaum had seen other assistants like Jim Carrey go from coffee maker to filmmaker, so on the phone with Ferrell, she threw her hat into the ring. 'I don't know what hit me,' she said. 'They were silent on the other end, and I knew I had said too much. This is a nightmare. But he said, 'That's great. He said, 'That's great. Her first day was spent on the set for the reshoots of Anchorman. (A few years later, she would co-produce "Anchorman 2.")

As Ferrell's right-hand man, Elbaum immersed herself in the development and production process for eight years, assisting him with scheduling and other duties, before producing her own feature film, "The Bachelorette" He was also the right-hand man for Ferre, managing his schedule and assisting him in the production process. Starring Isla Fisher, Lizzy Caplan, Kirsten Dunst, and Rebel Wilson, this 2012 comedy began as a very different project. Erlbaum had been working with Caplan to develop a TV show, but "at the time, HBO was going nowhere because 'Girls' was the only female show they could have." Erlbaum changed direction and asked the show's writer, Leslie Headland, about adapting an off-Broadway play about women preparing for a friend's wedding.

Still Ferrell's assistant, Erlbaum shot the film while he was on vacation. Less than a year later, "The Bachelorette" was released to mixed reviews. Some critics did not know what to make of the lewd chick flick, while others saw it as a female response to The Hangover. Erlbaum's hunch was right: "People were hungry for women's stories. "

'The Bachelorette' ushered in a new era of comedy. It was also the show that solidified Erlbaum's decision to become a producer. Says she, "I knew this was my calling." Ferrell hired another assistant, and Erlbaum pitched the idea of a company specializing in female-led projects.

Gloria Sanchez's first feature, Sleeping With Other People, opened in theaters in 2015 and has since enjoyed an avalanche of success; in 2019, the company will produce the Netflix epic starring Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini, " Dead to Me, and the same year it released Booksmart, an indie antidote to the run-of-the-mill high school comedy directed by Olivia Wilde. Both were award-winning films, but neither was the kind of film that Elbaum foresaw as a big hit in the years to come.

"The Hustlers," based on the true story of a stripper who swindled thousands of dollars from her Wall Street clients, was not an easy sell. No one wanted to make that movie," Erlbaum said. Gloria Sanchez was partnered with Annapurna Pictures, which later dropped the film. Gloria Sanchez was partnered with Annapurna Pictures, but the company later dropped the film. It was bold. People were afraid." Fortunately, Jennifer Lopez, who had already been tapped for the lead role, had a relationship with STX Entertainment, and the company chose the film. From there, Elbaum assembled an all-star cast that included Constance Wu, Rizzo, and Cardi B. Not only was the film a box office smash (it grossed $157.6 million at the box office; Annapurna was poor), but it once again proved that the story of a "risqué" woman was worth the gamble.

Gary Sanchez Productions dissolved in 2019, but Gloria has been revitalized; in January, Gloria Sanchez signed a multi-year first-look deal with Netflix; the second season of Dead to Me premiered on May 8 to critical acclaim; the first season of the show was released on May 9, and the second season of the show premiered on May 10 to critical acclaim. Elbaum's group is currently producing "The Shrink Next Door," based on a true-life podcast, and will release "Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar," a reunion of Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo's comedy gold next summer. For director Erlbaum, the film is another fresh female lead that will disappoint. Kristen and Annie have written the most original and wildest (script) I've ever read or worked on. It's exactly what the world needs right now," she says. If her track record proves anything, it is that Erlbaum is probably right.

A version of this article originally appeared in the Summer 2020 issue of Marie Claire. Barb and Star Go to Vista del Mar was scheduled to be released in July 2020, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, its release has been pushed back to next summer.

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