“Spotlight” producer Michael Sugar ’95 wins Oscar at 88th Academy Awards

Brandeis alumnus accepts Oscar on stage at Dolby Theatre

Photo: Mark Suban/©A.M.P.A.S.

Michael Sugar ’95 achieved a sweet lifelong dream on Sunday night when he got to walk Hollywood’s red carpet and take home an Oscar at the Academy Awards ceremony for his work as a producer on “Spotlight.”
 
“Spotlight,” which won Oscars for Best Picture and Best Screenplay, follows the true story of the Boston Globe’s investigative reporting  of the Catholic Church’s sex abuse scandal.
 
“This film gave a voice to survivors and this Oscar amplifies that voice, which we hope will become a choir that will resonate all the way to the Vatican,” Sugar said onstage at the Dolby Theatre when he accepted the award.
 
At Brandeis Sugar majored in American Studies and minored in film studies, taking several classes with professor Tom Doherty, who, he said, influenced his career path. After graduation, Sugar earned a law degree at Georgetown University before returning to his native Southern California to pursue a career in the movie and television industry.
 
Today, Doherty took great pride in his former student’s accomplishments. “I am thrilled at Mike's success — and especially for such a worthy and important film,” Doherty said. “He was always an engaging, brilliant and generous student and I am not in the least surprised that he was behind the podium at the Academy Awards last night being characteristically gracious and eloquent.”
 
In addition to his work on “Spotlight,” Sugar produced the series “The Knick” for television and “The Fifth Estate” for the silver screen. For the last decade, Sugar has worked at Anonymous Content, an L.A. production and management company, managing an enviable list of filmmakers, writers, directors and actors.

Brandeis Alumni and Friends also profiled Sugar and his work on "Spotlight."