Billy Ray, the screenwriter best known for co-adapting The Hunger Games for the big screen and for his Oscar-nominated Captain Phillips script, has claimed the final seat on the Academy of Motion Picture’s 51-member board of governors, the Academy announced on Friday.
Ray originally was one of four candidates seeking to become one of the three reps of the Academy’s writers branch, replacing incumbent Bill Condon, who did not seek re-election. The others were Larry Karaszewski, James Schamus and Dana Stevens. Voting took place between from June 24 through July 2.
On July 10, the Academy announced the results of the 16 other Board races that took place this year (one-third of the Board comes up for election every year). But in a rare, though not unprecedented, occurrence (there was a tie in 2009 for a directors branch seat), Ray and Karaszewski tied for the seat on the writers branch. A run-off election was then held between Ray and Karaszewksi, who is best known for two films that he wrote with Scott Alexander for director Tim Burton, Ed Wood and Big Eyes.
The run-off election — which was open only to members of the writers branch, who could vote on paper or online — took place from July 16 through July 22. Ray, who has not previously served on the board, will now serve alongside fellow writers Phil Alden Robinson and Robin Swicord.
