One of the top-ranked women in Hollywood, Fisher began her career as a script reader at United Artists before landing at Samuel Goldwyn Jr Productions as a story editor in the late 1970s. She subsequently moved to MGM where she became executive-in-charge of creative affairs then segued to 20th Century Fox where she rose to the position of vice president of production. From 1979 to 1981, Fisher served as head of worldwide production at Francis Ford Coppola's fledgling American Zoetrope, during which time the company produced "One From the Heart" (1982), partly filmed in high definition techniques and considered to have astonishing production values even if it did not draw audiences for its story. Under her aegis, Zoetrope also was involved in the restoration and 1981 re-release of Abel Gance's 1927 silent masterpiece "Napoleon". Fisher joined Warner Bros. in 1981, where she remained until 1995, rising through the ranks to the position of executive vice president, worldwide theatrical production. During this period, she worked with such esteemed directors as Steven Spielberg ("The Color Purple" 1985 and "Empire of the Sun" 1987), George Miller ("The Witches of Eastwick" 1987), Spike Lee ("Malcolm X" 1992) and Clint Eastwood ("The Bridges of Madison County" 1995). In 1995, Fisher was tapped as vice chair for Columbia TriStar, closely collaborating with Sony Pictures Entertainment president John Calley and co-vice chair Gareth Wigan. Under the TriStar banner such hits as "My Best Friend's Wedding" and the blockbuster "Men in Black" (both 1997) were released.