Actor, author and humanitarian Kirk Douglas will receive The UCLA Medal, the university’s highest honor, and filmmaker Martha Coolidge, recently elected the first woman president of the Directors Guild of America, will deliver a keynote address at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television commencement ceremony on Friday, June 14, at 4 p.m. in Perloff Quad on the Westwood campus. Robert Rosen, dean of the school, will preside over the ceremony and UCLA Executive Vice Chancellor Wyatt “Rory� Hume will confer the degrees at the event.
Since its establishment in 1979, The UCLA Medal has been presented annually at commencement to people who have made extraordinary contributions to UCLA or whose cultural, political or humanitarian achievements are of such significance as to merit the university’s highest recognition. Past recipients include former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton; former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres; actors Laurence Olivier and Carol Burnett; musicians Henry Mancini and Ella Fitzgerald; writers Isaac Bashevis Singer and Neil Simon; and filmmakers Francis Ford Coppola and Robert Wise.
A giant in the entertainment industry, a fearless fighter for justice and a generous supporter of charitable causes, Kirk Douglas will receive The UCLA Medal at the June 14 ceremony. Douglas has received three best-actor Oscar nominations and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Additionally, he has received Lifetime Achievement Awards from both the Screen Actors Guild of America and the American Film Institute. He has been honored with three Emmy Award nominations, a Kennedy Center Honor and the Legion d’Honneur for services to the country of France.
This past April, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Honor by President George W. Bush for his excellence as a performing artist and producer of quality films. In 1981 President Jimmy Carter presented Douglas the Medal of Freedom for his travels around the world on behalf of democracy and freedom.
Of all his accomplishments, Douglas is most proud of breaking Hollywood’s notorious black list in 1958 by giving blacklisted writer Dalton Trumbo screen credit for his work on “Spartacus.� Some 30 years later, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Writers Guild of America formally recognized Douglas’ courageous act.
Douglas’ best-selling books — three autobiographies, two children’s books and three novels — have reached millions with new ideas and thought-provoking revelations about himself and the world. He has just completed his 85th film, “A Few Good Years,� costarring his son, Michael, and grandson, Cameron.
Martha Coolidge is widely recognized as a director with a passion for directing strong stories and a gift for working with and discovering talented actors. She has helmed a diverse range of projects including raucous comedy, poignant drama and special effects films, in both the independent and mainstream categories. She has worked with such artists as Robert Duvall, Richard Dreyfuss, Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Laura Dern, Holly Hunter, Geena Davis, Gena Rowlands, Patrick Swayze, Mercedes Ruehl and Frances McDormand, and discovered great talent like Nicolas Cage and Val Kilmer.
Her numerous theatrical movies include “Valley Girl,� “Real Genius� (winner of the 1986 Grand Prix Award at the Paris Film Festival), “Rambling Rose� (which received three IFP Independent Spirit Awards for Best Picture, Director and Supporting Actress and Academy Award nominations for Lauren Dern and Diane Ladd), “Lost in Yonkers� and “Angie.�
Recent projects include directing the Hallmark production “Flamingo Rising,� starring William Hurt for Hallmark on CBS Television and “The Ponder Heart� for PBS, in addition to several episodes of the hugely popular series “Sex and the City� for HBO.
She has been twice nominated for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television: “Introducing Dorothy Dandridge� and “If These Walls Could Talk — Part Two.�
Coolidge received the 1992 Crystal Award from Women in Film and is the 1998 recipient of one of the DGA’s highest honors — the Robert B. Aldrich Award — which recognizes extraordinary service to the guild and its membership.
Saturday’s ceremony will honor approximately 250 students. The school will confer Bachelor of Arts, Master’s of Arts and Master’s of Fine Arts degrees.
Note to Editors: Photos available.
Parking: Enter the campus at Hilgard and Westholme. Cars will be directed to Lot 2; TV vans to the street east of Perloff Quad, in front of Dodd Hall.