Prominent Utah Filmmakers and Actors
(who are not Latter-day Saints)
Nearly all prominent filmmakers and actors from Utah have been Latter-day Saints/Mormons. These include such well-known individuals as Laraine Day, Donny and Marie Osmond, Roseanne, Academy Award-winning composer Leigh Harline ("It's a Wonderful Life", "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs"), Merlin Olsen, actress Maude Adams (Jane Seymour's character in the movie "Somewhere in Time" was based on her), actor Robert Walker ("Strangers on a Train"), actor Moroni Olsen ("Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs"). [For an extensive list, see Films by Latter-day Saints.]
But some prominent Utah film personalities are not Latter-day Saints and/or Mormons. The best known individuals are listed below.
- Frank Borzage - producer, director; b. SLC; Catholic (Best Director Academy Awards: "Bad Girl", "Seventh Heaven"); first person ever to be awarded the Best Director Academy Award
- Loretta Young - actress; b. SLC; Catholic (Best Actress Academy Award: "The Farmer's Daughter")
- Robert Redford - actor; director (Best Director Academy Award: "Ordinary People")
- James Woods - actor; b. Vernal, UT; Catholic (Academy Award nominations: "Ghosts of Mississippi", "Salvador")
- Patrick Fugit - actor; b. Vernal, UT; (star of "Almost Famous", 2000)
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