The Go-To Guy
The ability to play just about any role makes actor Sam Anderson, ’69, ’71, a hot ticket in Hollywood
You may know him as Bernard Nadler on the hit ABC television show Lost. The day Sam Anderson was interviewed by the Alumni Review, he had just returned from shooting the season opener in Hawaii. “I certainly can’t complain,” Sam said of the location.
Currently in its sixth and final season, the veteran actor came on board almost from the get-go, in season two, as the husband of Rose, an African American woman. “We have a bi-racial marriage on Lost,” Sam said, “but they never make a big deal of that, which I really like.”
When he first got the part, Sam remembers leaving his North Hollywood home for Hawaii while his teenage twins, Elizabeth and Ben, stayed back with their aunt and uncle, as his wife, Barbara, was in Ireland visiting relatives. Promptly after his plane landed in Hawaii, the taxi driver alerted Sam of a power blackout in L.A., which was believed to be a terrorist attack. He never forgot the array of emotions he felt when he feared his family’s safety. He incorporated those feelings into his character — a man separated from his wife when the plane they were flying on was split in half, crashing on different parts of an island in the South Pacific. “I always pride myself on being a character, and I really learned that at UND,” Sam said, citing the fact that UND’s small theatre department enabled everyone to play a variety of roles.
Sam believes his interest in studying people and analyzing their personalities has also helped him earn his current reputation in Hollywood as the go-to-guy, often contacted to do the difficult parts — “the villains, the crazies, the emotional roles,” he said.
If Sam wouldn’t have become an actor, he says he would have been a psychologist; incidentally, he did marry one, and credits his wife for helping him with many of his roles. “There is a definite link that I make between psychology and acting. It’s like a puzzle or reading a book and trying to find out who did it. You need to have a sense of each scene, what’s going on and what you’re there for. You have to figure out what the behavior of that person is. I do a lot of people watching. I steal constantly. I am a little people thief,” Sam laughed, saying he’s been caught more than once staring at someone in a coffee shop or restaurant in an attempt to get a sense of a specific character he is about to play.
When this Wahpeton, N.D., native first came to Hollywood 30 years ago, he landed mainly funny characters. “My first job out here was to play a nervous disc jockey on WKRP in Cincinnati,” Sam recalled.
From there, he was cast on sitcoms like Perfect Strangers, where he played the nasty mail room boss, and Growing Pains, where he was the cantankerous principal, Mr. Dewitt. After a few years of humorous roles, Sam stopped accepting such offers to hold out for more serious parts. “I didn’t want to be that funny guy. I wanted to do more dramatic roles. Pretty soon I started getting those characters and I could go back and forth. I knew I would have a longer career and it would be more challenging and more rewarding,” Sam remarked.
He was right. In addition to his current role on Lost, Sam has played the lecherous principal in Forrest Gump, the arrogant cardiologist, Dr. Jack Kayson, on ER, and, as a freelance actor, he’s made one-time appearances on numerous television shows including Criminal Minds, Grey’s Anatomy, Angel, Cold Case, CSI: New York, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Boston Legal, and From Earth to the Moon, to just name a few.
Because of his love for theatre, he also co-runs the Road Theatre Company, which is about to launch the play As White as O — a story of love and synesthesia, a real condition in which people see certain words and concepts in different colors, and taste sounds and feelings.
When it comes to getting his big break, Sam said he almost had it last summer when he was cast next to Brad Pitt in the movie Money Ball, in which Pitt was going to play a baseball player and Sam the team owner. “Literally, the day we were supposed to leave for location the studio got nervous about the economy and pulled the plug on it. They were too worried another baseball movie wouldn’t sell,” Sam said.
Though the economy has slowed things down some in Hollywood, Sam is still holding out for a big movie role in the future. He said Money Ball may still hit the big screens and he’s out reading for other parts as well. At 62 years old, he says, “There’s no reason to stop. My energy doesn’t seem to flagger,” adding that keeping up with his 17-year-old twins keeps him young, along with a regular yoga routine.
When asked if he’s accomplished what he’s set out for Sam thoughtfully said, “I’m a man in process. Over the last few years that’s become much more important to me than results. I love the ‘doing of it’ and all the different stages of that. The results are the gravy. ” ■ Leanna Ihry
The Funny Guy
A witty writer for Spike, Chris Carlson, ’98, lives for humor
His list of credits is long and impressive. At the young age of 33, Chris Carlson, a self-proclaimed North Dakota farm boy from Glenburn, N.D., has made a name for himself in New York City. Chris is currently editorial director for Spike (TV), a division of MTV branded to 18 to 34-year-old males. Chris recently received the promotion after wooing the higher-ups with his clever, savvy comedy writing for the cable network.
While attending graduate school at Columbia University, Chris got his start in showbiz by landing an internship with Sex and the City, a popular series broadcast on HBO from 1998 to 2004. Since then, his witty writing has humored millions through the many moments he’s helped create on Spike. “It’s so satisfying to see something you’ve written get on the air. Especially since this business is so cut-throat and you often get told ‘no’ — hard,” Chris said.
At Spike, Chris is tasked with writing award shows including the 2007 Guys Choice Awards, the 2006 Scream Awards and the 2005 and 2006 Video Game Awards, all aired on the network.
This summer, he and a team of writers collaborated to successfully re-launch Entourage, a series Spike purchased from HBO. And, they’re in the process of launching Blue Mountain State, a fictional college football comedy that follows three incoming freshman at Blue Mountain State University.
In addition to the colossal task of writing award shows and promoting new television programs, Chris says the industry is faced with an entirely new challenge. “The poor economy and increased surge of the Internet is shifting around advertising dollars. We need to figure out where the revenue source is going to come from and how we’ll attract advertisers.”
This is where integrated marketing comes in. “What we’re doing now is trying to incorporate products into our scripts. For example, M&Ms would be really happy if we showed the logo and talked about them in a funny way on one of our shows.
“This is becoming much more so, given the climate of the economy. It is really shifting the creative side of the entertainment business,” Chris said.
Even so, Chris has no plans of changing professions. In fact, he’s branching off and doing some work on his own. “Me and a buddy wrote a feature-length screenplay we’re hoping will sell. We think it’s pretty funny,” Chris said.
As a writer, Chris stays inspired through reading and his genuine interest in life. “I live close to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and just go hang out. What has fascinated people throughout history is the same stuff — comedy, love, death, drama. Our job is to translate that into a story, even if it needs to get across in 30 seconds,” Chris concluded. ■ Leanna Ihry
The Fashionista
Stylist Julie Rave, '02, uses her creative edge to dress up Hollywood's hottest celebs
Imagine going to work every day and picking out clothes and jewelry for big-name celebrities to wear on TV — stars like Tori Spelling, Paula Abdul, Suzanne Somers, Serena Williams, and Susan Lucci, to name a few. For 2002 UND grad Julie Raven, it’s all in a day’s work. For the last year and a half, Julie’s been a fashion stylist for the Home Shopping Network (HSN) headquartered in St. Petersburg, Fla. “My job is to dress, style and coordinate the models and show hosts for all on-air fashion and jewelry shows,” Raven said.
In addition, Julie meets with top designers and vendors to ensure HSN is meeting their standards. “I’ve worked with Iman, Carl Banks, Lorenzo Borghese, Tina Knowles, and Dr. Rey,” she added.
Throughout her life, Julie never thought of herself as a fashion connoisseur. Though she was named “fashion queen” two years in a row by her sorority, Gamma Phi Beta, she considered her uncanny ability to pick out the perfect outfit for her family and friends more of a hobby than anything. After earning degrees in psychology and sociology from UND, Julie planned to apply to law school, but decided to do some research before diving in. “I talked to numerous attorneys who told me if there was nything else I wanted to pursue before law school I should really do that first. I had gone to New York for my 21st birthday and fell in love, so, on a whim, I applied at the top fashion merchandising school in the country, FIT [Fashion Institute of Technology].”
Julie was accepted and graduated in 2004. From there, her resume has grown far beyond what many 30-year-olds can imagine. Julie started out at Target headquarters in Minneapolis, where she learned much of the numbers game surrounding fashion
merchandising. From there, she opened her own consulting business, Raven Style, and has worked as a fashion consultant and personal shopper for stores like Lord and Taylor in Natick, Mass., and Macys in downtown Minneapolis.
Then a door opened for Julie in the world of home shopping, when she got a job with ShopNBC in Eden Prairie, Minn., closer to her hometown of Hayward, Wis. There, Julie mainly concentrated on the look of the products. Today, at HSN, she concentrates on how the on-air hosts, guests and models look. “Some of the people I’ve worked with the most are Tori Spelling and Paula Abdul because they sell their jewelry lines on HSN,” Julie said.
Sure not to fall short of ambition, Julie does celebrity freelance styling in her spare time. Her most recent work includes styling the Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, Ashley Tisdale, Selena Gomez, the Cheetah Girls, and other Disney Channel sitcom stars for a week-long taping of the Disney Channel Games. Additionally, she does freelance styling for Kohl’s headquarters for its print advertisements as well as styling models and celebrities for Prom magazine’s photo shoots.
When asked if it is what she thought it would be, Julie said, “It is much more labor-intensive than I ever imagined. I never thought I would be sleeping only a few hours a day and working an 80-hour work week for so many years, just to do what inspires me most. Ultimately, it will be worth it in the long run, but it’s a lot of work right now,” she said.
In the next five years, Julie wants to establish herself as a top image consultant with her business, Raven Style. “Raven Style is the seedling of my passion that I created in 2005, and since I have been growing and developing my talents in every area of the fashion merchandising field.” ■ Leanna Ihry
The Risk-Taker
Actor Brian LLoyd, ’99, walked out of a sales job and in to shows like Brothers and Sisters
Brian LLoyd grew up as a bit of a jock in Grand Forks, playing basketball and soccer. He studied accounting at UND, joined Sigma Chi fraternity and interned at Arthur Anderson a year and a half before graduating. He was on a well-defined path with a bright, secure future.
Instead, he walked away.
After moving to Minneapolis and working for both Arthur Andersen and Eli Lilly, Brian got a tip to read for the daytime soap All My
Children in New York. He was out visiting a fellow UND grad, Nathan Wold, and thought it’d be a fun experience.
“There were scouts and agencies there,” Brian said. “I was probably terrible, but I met some people and did some cold reading. They thought I had some good instincts.” It was late 2003, and figuring he had nothing to lose, Brian moved to L.A. “I told myself I’m going to figure it out, make it work, be successful. I had no idea what that really meant but I was going to do it.”
Interestingly enough, acting wasn’t a significant calling for him. “I was just antsy,” he said. “I thought about coaching, or maybe law school. Honestly, I went to New York, someone gave me an opportunity and I thought, ‘What the hell,’ I have nothing to lose. I love it more now than in the first year I was here, so that’s telling me something.”
So, what does Hollywood offer for a North Dakota native with a background in business? Quite a bit with the right attitude. Brian has been cast in television hits like CSI: New York, CSI: Miami where he starred with Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, and most recently Brothers and Sisters.
His regular week consists of an audition or two, perhaps a call back — he might read one line or up to 10 pages. Brian takes acting classes with Steppenwolf and rehearses with scene partners on top of that. He drops off headshots and follows up on leads or with people he met in order to build his network. To stay grounded he attends a men’s Bible study, plays hockey once
a week, and enjoys living near the beach. And, to pay the bills, he notes, “I’m a glorified busboy
three days a week and I waiter a bit.”
One of his biggest opportunities yet is on the horizon. Brian will hopefully head to Normandy, France, in 2010 to shoot a World War II film, No Better Place to Die, directed by Dale Dye who has starred in Mission: Impossible, Saving Private Ryan, HBO’s Entourage, and many others. In the movie, Brian plays a bazookaman with a Swedish accent. During the call back Dye asked if he spoke the language. Brian doesn’t, but he said he was a kid from North Dakota who knows lefse and hard Rs and long Os. He got the part.
Ironically, he discovered the man he plays was from Viking, Minn., about 45 minutes from Grand Forks. Using creative leg work, he was able to speak with the gentleman’s daughter. “I got the call from her on my birthday of all things. She left me two messages talking about her father, and when she called a third time we talked for two hours about it. Her father was stoic but he loved her and loved her mother.”
Since the movie business is fickle, Brian says he’ll believe it all once he’s in France, but he’s confident the movie will be made. It’s another step on his adventure outside his original path. ■ Amanda Hvidsten
The Perfectionist
Paying attention to detail is a 24-7 job for ShopNBC Director of Television Operations Jeff Larson, ’96
To say Jeff Larson doesn’t have much stress in his life would be far from the truth. As director of television operations for ShopNBC, he’s responsible for making sure the show is broadcast live to 72 million homes, 24 hours a day, 364 days a year.
“We take off 24 hours for Christmas,” Jeff said.
He started with the home shopping show 12 years ago, working his way up from an assistant on the floor to his current job. “It’s
pretty fast‐paced and high stress. Anyone who is out there in television and works behind the scenes would know that directing live television is emotionally draining. You’re working three, four, five hours straight in a chair, and very little is scripted,” Jeff said of his typical day.
He added, “The production team consists of floor directors, robotic camera operators, jib operators, graphic operators, graphic
producers, directors, and production managers. As director of television operations my primary responsibility is to lead this team through each day of broadcasting, keeping us on-air while achieving the highest level of ‘production value’ possible. It can be tough keeping your edge from day to day.”
Nevertheless, this Minot, N.D., native enjoys the variety. “It definitely is fulfilling. If you want to get in a job that’s different every day with new challenges and rewards, this is a great career,” he said.
Right up there with the Home Shopping Network and QVC, ShopNBC does an average of $500 million in sales every day. This
popularity has attracted stars like Steve Baldwin, Betty White, Star Jones, Cheryl Tiegs, Raquel Welch, and Suzanne Somers to sell products on the show. “It’s an extra perk to get to meet some of these stars,” Jeff said.
After graduating from UND with a degree in communication, Jeff began working for French Productions in Grand Forks, where he was a shooter, editor and producer. He did that for two years and then the flood of ’97 happened. “All that was left of French Productions was a concrete block,” Jeff said.
He began sending resume tapes to the Twin Cities and decided to make the move, despite the fact that he didn’t have a job. “Everyone told me everything is freelance, nobody gets a staff position.”
But, Jeff proved them all wrong and was hired on the spot by ShopNBC. The rest, as they say, "is history."
So, is it all what he thought it would be? "To some extent it is. In college I envisioned where I would be in 10 years and I figured I would be out there in corporate America with an office and that's where I am." ■ Leanna Ihry
The Mastermind
Screenwriter John Rice, '81, brings words to life through his thoughtful films
Hanging out on set with Hollywood stars like Nicholas Cage, Christian Slater, Tommy Lee Jones, and Forest Whitaker may
be a dream for most people, but for John Rice it’s all in a day’s work. Thinking back, John realizes now the film he wrote, starred in and directed while attending UND was only the first of many films to come. In regards to his acting in that film, Rice jokes, “I should have stayed behind the screen.”
After graduating from UND, he landed a job working in Washington, D.C., with Senator Quentin Burdick (D-N.D.). During his
time in Washington, he was asked to create a campaign film and began getting involved in more media related projects. This was when he had an epiphany — producing, writing and directing movies was much more interesting than politics.
John left the political arena and delved into the graduate program for film studies at the University of Southern California. He had no idea what lay ahead.
His big break actually came when producer John Davis read one of his scripts and decided it was time for them to go mainstream. His first film, Curiosity Kills, starring C. Thomas Howell and Courteney Cox premiered in 1990 on the USA Network. From there, he went on to write Chasers, with Dennis Hopper and Gary Busey, and Blown Away, starring Academy Award nominated Jeff Bridges, and Academy Award winning actors Tommy Lee Jones and Forest Whitaker.
John enjoys a good comedy, but when it comes to creating movies he wants to make one “with something on its mind.”
This, according to John, is fighting what Hollywood wants to do. His hit movie Windtalkers embodies the ideals he strives for. Working on this film was amazing. In the first roll of the film we had 13 cameras going. There were cameras everywhere — on soldiers’ helmets, on helicopters — there were 181 explosions in the first roll of the cameras. It took a day and a half to coordinate all the cameras and explosionscand the thousand extras just for the first shot,” he said.
The movie focuses on two marines and the Native American code talkers they were assigned to protect. Code talkers spoke Navajo, a relatively unknown language, and were used in WWII to transmit highly sensitive material the U.S. Marine Corps didn’t want translated by enemy forces. John was also there when six original code talkers along with Nicholas Cage, Lisa Marie Presley and a few others flew to Washington, D.C. to receive congressional medals from then- President Bush. “It was great knowing that I helped spur something on that helped them get recognition. There is a thrill in doing something good.”
John, originally from Minot, N.D., is currently working on a project financed by some North Dakotans. The movie Stan’s Cup is a comedy with heart about a hockey player who missed out on defeating the Russian hockey squad at the 1980 Olympics, but gets his chance 30 years later. John is not only writing the script, but also trying the director hat on for size. He is also writing a screenplay, Pressure, for producer Paul Sandberg, who is famous for his work with the Bourne Trilogy, starring Matt Damon.
■ Wendy Honrath
The Eagle Eye
Seeing the world through the eye of a lens is a way of life for Hollywood camera man Joe Patrow, ’05
When it comes to making and producing Hollywood movies and television shows, name the task at hand and Joe Patrow has probably done it. As a freelancer in Los Angeles, Joe takes the jobs as they come and, given the business, he finds himself doing a wide array of things including camera work, photography, editing, writing, and more. “To me, all of this is my day job. My real passion is to write and direct my own stuff. All I can do is keep writing scripts and hope A) I can sell them, or B) I can direct them myself,” Joe said.
To say Joe is just sitting around waiting for that to happen would be the farthest thing from the truth. He’s building a resume that’s extensive and impressive. “I have worked on the movie Pirates of the Caribbean, been a part of some MTV music videos, been a director on Big Brother and Truth Be Told, both reality TV shows on CBS. And, I’ve also done some 3D stuff,” Joe modestly said.
That “3D stuff ” includes doing camera work for the Jonas Brothers and Hannah Montana movies that were released last year. “The average day, when shooting one of these kinds of movies, is 12 hours and up to 16 hours. A while ago we did a 19-hour shoot,” Joe said.
This young, aspiring moviemaker, from Bigfork, Mont., isn’t complaining. This year alone he’s had the opportunity to shoot commercials and music videos with some of the biggest names in Hollywood. “I worked with Robert Downy Jr. for an Esquire commercial. I shot an Angelina Jolie promo for her new movie, Salt. And, I worked with Anthony Hopkins on some commercials for a British HD company called Sky TV,” Joe said.
Connecting back to his UND roots, Joe shot the documentary Survey on Cyprus with UND professor Dr. William Caraher in 2004, but said he is not the documentarian some may think he is. “I really like coming up with stories. I like the lights and actors and the fact that you can create whatever world you like. That is more exciting to me than following some people around with a
camera,” Joe said of the experience.
Joe earned a master’s degree in history from UND, which may seem a rather odd area of concentration for someone who’s been making movies since the age of eight. When asked why, Joe simply said, “The purpose of story is why I got a master’s in history. To be a good storyteller, the more you can learn about history the better. The story of humankind is just as important as
a narrative story on a bookshelf. The story of us is more important. The more you understand about the world, the better you can move in it today and tell a story.”
As most in showbiz, Joe says he’s questionedhis career field, but is not giving up on his dreamof one day shooting a feature film. “You haveyour days where you’re like, ‘why am I doingthis,’ but by-in-large, I love it. I must or I wouldn’tbe doing it,” Joe said. ■ Leanna Ihry
The Entrepreneur
Rex Sorgatz, ’97, turns old products into new media through his self-made business
After running MS NBC.com and NBColympics.com, and having a Wired magazine Blogger of the Year nomination under his belt, Rex Sorgatz, ’97, looked for something more. He’d resisted the temptation to move to New York, where many of his friends had
already headed, and instead made career moves to Minneapolis and to Seattle. But, New York, inevitably, was where his next adventure lay.
“Two years ago, I moved with the plan to start an online video company. The economy took a dive in the middle of that,” he said.
Yet, all was not lost. Rex, originally from Napoleon, N.D., took consulting jobs for companies looking to launch new media projects. Serendipitously, it was this alternative plan that brought him to where he wanted — his own business. While most companies were scaling back and some were even going under, media companies Rex consulted were doing a lot of
transitioning from old media platforms to new.
Kinda Sorta Media was officially launched in 2009 as a consulting, branding, strategy, and Web site company working with big media outlets like Newsweek, Saturday Night Live, New York Magazine, and the Independent Film Channel. Please note it is not an agency. “I work to turn old products into new media. SNL is a good example. They know what the future will be with
people watching TV online. I’m doing a project for them sort of like a YouTube just for SNL with all 30 years of the show on the internet,” he said. Kinda Sorta Media involves social media, project management, content development, design, research, business development, industrial technology, and more.
The project with SNL came together through connections Rex had made working with NBC throughout the years, both from
running the network’s Olympic Web sites and from his time as executive producer of MSNBC.com. “When a friend of mine became a producer at Jimmy Fallon’s new show, he introduced me to Lorne Michaels. And, everything fell into place from there,” said Rex.
Is the media business what he thought it would be? “Well, I guess, no,” he said. “No one would say yes to that question. When I was in Grand Forks, we started small newspapers and the future of the medium existed in print and television. No one really knew what was going to happen with the internet and media changed more than anyone could’ve imagined in those years.”
■ Amanda Hvidsten
The Investigator
Judge Judy Associate Producer Dana Weaver, ’94, is always looking for the next legal escapade
Judge Judy — arguably the most popular court show on television today — has been airing in homes across the United States since 1996.
UND grad and Rolla, N.D., native Dana Weaver has held an integral role with the show for the last couple of years as an associate producer. Esentially, Dana’s job is to help decide who makes the cut. “We have researchers who pull small
claims from courts all over the country and we start calling like crazy. We interview them, getting both sides of the story and then, if it’s interesting and if they’re willing, we fly them out here,” Dana explained, adding they are real people and real cases on the show.
Dana got her start behind the scenes in Hollywood several years before joining Judge Judy, when she took a job with Central Castings and was in charge of putting extras on the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. From there, she became an assistant on Sabrina the Teenage Witch, did principal casting for 12 episodes of CSI: Miami, worked as a casting associate for some independent movies, and eventually did casting for the soap opera Passions. “That was one of my favorite jobs because in the Soaps you get people who aren’t big names and you give them a chance. They get a couple of lines and they are just ecstatic,” Dana said.
A broadcast major at UND, Dana recalls her involvement with Studio One, a live television show produced by students. Through that experience, she realized the news business wasn’t for her and decided to take some acting classes. However, she didn’t believe she had the talent herself, “If I cast myself I would be a misfit,” she joked, adding that she was always good at figuring
out who the good actors and actresses were. After an internship with U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan, ’65, HON ’02 (D-N.D.), in Washington, D.C., she headed to the Los Angeles area and started searching for work. “I had a book that listed all the casting directors and I just started sending out letters. I suppose I got lucky,” Dana remarked.
Dana believes a career in show business means going with the flow. “I had no idea that after Passions I’d be at Judge Judy. I never thought in a million years I’d be on a judge show. I have always just wanted a job that was fun, so, to me, this works for now," Dana said. ■ Leanna Ihry
The Chameleon
Attorney Katie O’Keefe-Hale, ’00, ’03, adapts to a new role when it’s lights, camera, action
After finishing a hard week of work as an attorney-trained-mediator for Trinity Mediation and with the North Dakota Supreme Court Family Mediation project, it isn’t uncommon for Katie O'Keefe-Hale to hop on a plane and travel to destinations around the United States to host the Heartland Poker Tour. “I like to stay busy,” the Grand Forks native explains. “Both jobs are so fulfilling and challenging in different ways.”
Katie, who always wanted to go into television and law, got her start as an anchor for UND’s studentrun television program Studio One. From there, she hosted Sioux hockey games and met Minnesota Twins President and 1989 UND grad David St. Peter. “When Dave saw me at a Sioux hockey game and told me to send in a tape I laughed,” Katie said.
This was her lucky break though, because shecsoon became a sideline reporter for the Minnesota Twins. “I didn’t know anything about baseball. I looked at it as learning a new language and jumped in with both feet"
This was just the tip of the iceberg for Katie. She was asked to host a pilot show for the Heartland Poker Tour. She once again found herself in unknown territory as she hosted the show without knowing anything about the game of poker. “I’ve become
pretty comfortable with being uncomfortable,” she explains, “I just picked up a book about poker and started learning.”
Around this time, Katie began working her way back into law. During the summer after her second year of law school she spent four-and-a-half months as a law reporter in Washington, D.C., for talk-radio news. “I was in D.C. right after the attacks of Sept.
11. I reported on the 9/11 Commission and 20th hijacker hearings,” Hale recalls. She also reported on the trial of John Walker Lindh, the American Taliban fighter.
In the near future, Katie will be hosting a celebrity charity event for disabled Veterans sponsored by Heartland Poker Tour. The event is very near and dear to her heart because her grandfather, John O’Keefe, ’46, was in the military and she is very proud of that piece of her family’s history. The poker tournament, scheduled to take place at the Redrock Casino and Resort in Las Vegas, Nev., will help disabled veterans and their families move forward with their lives. ■ Wendy Honrath
The Negotiator
Head of legal affairs for DreamWorks, Grant Gullickson, ’66, pairs an art form with a business
Not everyone starts out wanting to be an English professor, ends up getting a rock and roll recording contract in L.A., and eventually becomes head of legal affairs for DreamWorks. Welcome to the life of Grant Gullickson.
When we visited, he was still working with NBC Universal’s legal department. Describing his position he said, “I read the scripts and vet them for any problems, like acquisition issues with respect to literary works or someone’s life story, and then draft and negotiate agreements for the rights grantors, filmmakers and talent. Seeing the fruits of my labors on screen is usually
fun.”
Grant has served as production counsel for movies including A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man, American Gangster, Liar Liar, 8 Mile, Inside Man, Frost/Nixon, King Kong and Ridley Scott’s upcoming (2010) Robin Hood, among others. For King Kong he said there was “a lot of legal work going back to source material from 1931 — clearing the rights, working with a huge budget
and shooting in New Zealand. There was a lot of stuff. By the time that one was on screen we felt like we accomplished a lot.”
At the outset, Grant depicted himself as a transactional lawyer and warned his job may not be very exciting. In the course of conversation, however, he painted a true picture of his role as pairing an art form with a business. He said the filmmakers are artists, but the company is looking to make a commercial product. “My job is to make sure everything is nailed down so artists can just do their art,” he said. A noble view.
As Grant now makes the move to a similar position with DreamWorks, he sees it as the opportunity to be on the ground floor with relatively few senior executives to build a company (DreamWorks left its prior affiliation with Paramount in 2008). “How well
the company does will determine how well we all do, and vice versa,” he said. “That’s challenging and fun at this stage of my career.”
Back in college, Grant played with a number of bands (including the Church Keys and Canoise), before heading to L.A. on a recording contract. Twelve years later, he decided to take the California bar exam and got a job in finance and administration with Columbia Pictures. He spent seven years there and became a vice president, transferred to its sister company, Tri-Star, and moved into the legal department. Eventually, he moved to NBC Universal, where he served for the last 15 years. Then DreamWorks came looking for him.
Grant, originally from Grand Forks, decided to stay close to home and attend UND to study English and philosophy with the hopes of becoming a professor and never missing a home Sioux hockey game. Although his path had unforeseen curves, he feels as though what he learned at UND has served him very well. “All a lawyer has is his ability to communicate, and for me it’s through writing because I draft contracts.” As he mentors new or potential lawyers, he’s careful to advise them to get as much English grammar instruction and writing experience as possible. “The basis of just about any job is how well
one communicates,” he said.
Making movies can be described as a magical and unexpected experience of bringing a story to life. For his part in it, Grant said, “When you first get into it, you often don’t have any idea how good it’s going to be or whether it will find an audience. For A Beautiful Mind, I read it and was fascinated. When it turns out so well and wins the Academy Award for best picture, it’s really fulfilling.” ■ Amanda Hvidsten