There have been several fictional people or people using false names nominated for actual
Academy Awards, in several cases because the actual winners were
blacklisted at the time. This list is current as of the
94th Academy Awards.
Despite not having written the screenplay and not even speaking English, Boulle (who had written the novel on which the film was based) was credited because the film's actual writers,
Carl Foreman and
Michael Wilson, had been blacklisted as communist sympathizers. On December 11, 1984, the Board of Governors voted posthumous Oscars to the duo.[1]
Nathan E. Douglas
1958 Best Writing, Story and Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen for The Defiant Ones
Nedrick Young and
Harold Jacob Smith co-wrote the screenplay, but Young was blacklisted and used a pseudonym for his screen credit.[2] As an inside joke, director
Stanley Kramer cast Young and Smith in bit parts as truck drivers and had their screen credit appear while they were on screen together. In 1993,
AMPAS restored Young's credit for this work.
The name was used as a cover for blacklisted writer
Dalton Trumbo.[3] On December 15, 1992, the Board of Governors voted to change the records and recognize Trumbo. Hunter's name was removed. However, Hunter's son, director
Tim Hunter, refused to cede the award to Trumbo,[citation needed] so the Academy presented a second Academy Award.
2003 Best Writing Adapted Screenplay for Adaptation.
Donald Kaufman was nominated along with his "brother"
Charlie. In fact, Donald does not exist; the screenplay was written by Charlie alone, but credited to both. Donald was the first fictitious nominee not to be a cover for a real person. (Both appear as characters in the film.)[5]
There have been several fictional people or people using false names nominated for actual
Academy Awards, in several cases because the actual winners were
blacklisted at the time. This list is current as of the
94th Academy Awards.
Despite not having written the screenplay and not even speaking English, Boulle (who had written the novel on which the film was based) was credited because the film's actual writers,
Carl Foreman and
Michael Wilson, had been blacklisted as communist sympathizers. On December 11, 1984, the Board of Governors voted posthumous Oscars to the duo.[1]
Nathan E. Douglas
1958 Best Writing, Story and Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen for The Defiant Ones
Nedrick Young and
Harold Jacob Smith co-wrote the screenplay, but Young was blacklisted and used a pseudonym for his screen credit.[2] As an inside joke, director
Stanley Kramer cast Young and Smith in bit parts as truck drivers and had their screen credit appear while they were on screen together. In 1993,
AMPAS restored Young's credit for this work.
The name was used as a cover for blacklisted writer
Dalton Trumbo.[3] On December 15, 1992, the Board of Governors voted to change the records and recognize Trumbo. Hunter's name was removed. However, Hunter's son, director
Tim Hunter, refused to cede the award to Trumbo,[citation needed] so the Academy presented a second Academy Award.
2003 Best Writing Adapted Screenplay for Adaptation.
Donald Kaufman was nominated along with his "brother"
Charlie. In fact, Donald does not exist; the screenplay was written by Charlie alone, but credited to both. Donald was the first fictitious nominee not to be a cover for a real person. (Both appear as characters in the film.)[5]