Sometimes Oscar is a Tar Heel

Let’s take a stroll down the red carpet to learn about a few Tar Heels whose faces and names have been on the silver screen.

Russell Banks’ ’67 novel “Affliction” was adapted for Hollywood in 1998. Cast member James Coburn won an Oscar for best supporting actor.

Andrew Carlberg ’07 produced “Skin” (2018), which won best live action short film.

Tim Crothers ’86, adjunct professor in the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media, wrote “The Queen of Katwe,” which was made into 2016’s “Queen of Katwe.”

Louise Fletcher ’57 won best actress as Nurse Ratched in best picture “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” When accepting that 1976 Oscar, she used sign language to thank her deaf parents.

John Forsythe ’48 acted in 1967’s four-nomination “In Cold Blood.” He voiced Charlie on TV’s “Charlie’s Angels,” and in the film “Charlie’s Angels” (2000) and its 2003 sequel. He played a pivotal role as the judge in “…And Justice for All,” a two-nomination film.

Charles Frazier ’73 wrote the bestselling novel “Cold Mountain,” which became a hit movie in 2003. It received seven nominations. Cast member Renée Zellweger won the Oscar for best supporting actress.

Andy Griffith ’49 starred in “A Face in the Crowd” (1957) and “No Time for Sergeants” (1958) before he became better known for TV roles as Andy Taylor in “The Andy Griffith Show” and as Ben Matlock in “Matlock.”

Since 1992, Carolina’s Hollywood Internship Program has placed more than 1,000 students.

George Grizzard ’49 acted in 2000’s “Wonder Boys,” which nabbed three nominations and a win for best original song “Things Have Changed” by Bob Dylan. Grizzard won a Grammy, Primetime Emmy and Tony Award.

Anne Haney ’56, with her distinctive voice, acted in movies like “Mrs. Doubtfire” and “The American President” and TV shows like “Designing Women” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”

Sam Hargrave ’04, a stunt double in “Captain America,” “Captain America: Civil War” and “Infinity War,” also worked as stunt coordinator in many films, including the “Hunger Games” movies.

Ken Jeong ’95 (MD) practiced medicine and stand-up comedy before starring in “Knocked Up” and has voiced or acted in at least 50 other movies, including “Crazy Rich Asians.”

Theodore Kim ’03 (MS) ’06 (PhD) and Lawrence Kesteloot ’95 (MS) won Oscars in 2012 — Kim for special effects technical achievement on “Avatar” and “Hugo,” and Kesteloot for advances in computer graphics lighting.

Rayna McClendon ’09, a former co-executive producer for Marvel Studios, was consulting producer on “Obi-Wan Kenobi” for Disney+.

Jack Palance ’41 received two best supporting actor nominations for his role in “Sudden Fear” (1952) and as a hired gun in “Shane” (1953). In a career revival, he won the category for playing Curly Washburn in “City Slickers” (1991) at age 73. After accepting the award, he memorably performed one-armed push-ups on stage.

Tom Quinn ’93 is founder and chief executive officer of NEON, which distributed 2019’s best picture winner “Parasite”; “I, Tonya” (2017), for which Allison Janney won best supporting actress; “Anatomy of a Fall” (2023), nominated in five categories and winner of best original screenplay; and “Anora” (2024), which received seven nominations.

Jim Rash ’94 co-wrote the screenplay for “The Descendants” (2011), which won an Oscar for best adapted screenplay.

Randolph Scott, class of 1924, starred in dozens of movies from 1928 to 1962, including more than 60 Westerns. He acted with the likes of Mae West, Irene Dunne, Henry Fonda, Fred Astaire, Marlene Dietrich and John Wayne.

Lionel Stander ’30 had a supporting role in “A Star Is Born” (1937), which got eight Oscar nominations and won best original story. He is perhaps best known as Max the chauffeur on TV’s “Hart to Hart.”

Carolina English professor Daniel Wallace ’08 wrote the novel “Big Fish.” Its 2003 movie adaptation earned a best original score nomination.

Kelly Ward ’02 (MS), ’05 (PhD), helped create groundbreaking animation techniques at Disney Studios to make Rapunzel’s hair move naturally for “Tangled.”