Alfred Molina, Susanne Bier Join Academy Board of Governors

Alfred Molina, who played director Robert Aldrich in the FX miniseries Feud: Bette and Joan, and Susanne Bier, director of the Oscar-winning Danish film In a Better World, have been elected to the board of governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which on Thursday announced its newly elected board for 2018-2019.

Molina, elected to represent the actors branch, and Bier, repping directors, were both elected to serve on the board for the first time. Also joining the board for the first time are Tom Duffield, the production designer whose recent credits include Hell or High Water and Patriots Day, who was elected to represent the designers branch, and Bonnie Arnold, who has produced animated movies like How to Train Your Dragon and who currently serves as president of DreamWorks Animation, who was elected to rep the short films and feature animators branch.

In securing his spot on the board, Molina was the winning candidate in a field that included Brie Larson, Lou Diamond Phillips and Meg Ryan. Bier defeated fellow directors Haifaa Al-Mansour, John Badham and Shawn Levy.

The election also marked a return to the board of former Academy president Sid Ganis. Ganis, who is now a producer, served four consecutive one-year terms as the organization’s president beginning in 2005, and, after a hiatus from the board, was elected to represent the public relations branch. Also returning to the board after a hiatus is costume designer Jeffrey Kurland, an Oscar nominee for 1994’s Bullets Over Broadway, who will represent the costume designers branch.

One branch, the producers branch, will have a run-off election, as the balloting resulted in a tie. Competing for the seat were producers Jason Blum, Michael De Luca, Jennifer Todd and Janet Yang. The voting resulted in a tie between Blum and Todd. The run-off election will begin Monday and end Tuesday.

The list of incumbent governors re-elected to the board includes Bernard Telsey, casting directors; Daryn Okada, cinematographers; Rory Kennedy, documentary; Jim Gianopulos, executive; Carol Littleton, film editors; Lois Burwell, makeup artists and hairstylists; Michael Giacchino, music; Scott Millan, sound; John Knoll, visual effects; and Billy Ray, writers.

In advance of this year’s election, a few prominent names decided not to seek re-election, including Kathleen Kennedy of the producers branch, Michael Mann of the directors branch and Marvin Levy of the publicists branch. Several other board members “termed out” after serving nine consecutive years and were not eligible for re-election. They included Tom Hanks of the actors branch, Jim Bissell of the designers branch and Bill Kroyer of the animation branch.

In its efforts to increase diversity among its membership and its leadership, this year’s board election maintains the status quo in terms of the number of women. Last year’s board had a record 21 women, and the new board also will have 21 women — and, possibly, 22, depending on the outcome of the producers branch election. With Kennedy not seeking re-election and Deborah Nadoolman Landis, the incumbent in the costume designers branch, not winning re-election, the board lost two women who had previously served, but it picked up two new women members in Bier and Arnold.

The Academy’s 17 branches, representing various aspects of filmmaking, are each represented by three governors, who can serve up to three consecutive three-year terms.The board oversees the activities of the Academy, which includes the annual Oscar ceremony.

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