- Marlee Matlin, Jason Reitman, and Jason Blum are among 12 new board members.
- More women are now on the board than ever before.
Marlee Matlin, Jason Reitman, and Jason Blum will be joining the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Board of Governors.
They are among the 12 Hollywood professionals who were chosen to the board for the first time, the organization that organizes the Oscars announced on Wednesday. Casting director Richard Hicks, marketing and PR executive Megan Colligan, and cinematographer Dion Beebe are among the additional hires.
Read more. Jimmy Kimmel’s long-running talk show is coming to an end: This is why
Three governors, one from each of the academy’s 17 branches, assist in establishing and directing the academy’s strategy as well as overseeing its financial well-being. Rita Wilson, Whoopi Goldberg, and Ava DuVernay are some of the other current governors. With this election, more women are now on the board than men, and 28% of the members are from underrepresented racial or ethnic groups.
Following the incident in which Will Smith slapped Chris Rock during the Oscars ceremony earlier this year, the academy and the board have been under more scrutiny than usual. A few days later, the board declared Smith ineligible for 10 years to attend any academy event, including the Oscars.
