NYWIFT Blog

Nancy Malone was honored at Thursday’s Muse Awards, receiving the Loreen Arbus Award for Those Who Take Action and Effect Change.

The Emmy winner was unable to attend the event. Fourteen-year-old Skarlee Roberts, a mentee of Malone’s, accepted the honor on her behalf. Roberts’ poise at the podium and word-perfect delivery wowed the crowd of 1,500.

The Muse honorees, which included Ellen Barkin, Connie Britton, Robin Wright, Sonia Manzano, and Frances Berwick, were each introduced with clips of their work. Malone’s video gave us glimpses of her 75+ film and TV roles, drawn from her work in iconic productions like Guiding Light, Route 66, and Hawaii Five-0.

Malone’s first of more than 30 directing jobs was on the groundbreaking PBS production There Were Times, Dear, the first film about Alzheimer’s disease. It won awards, increased awareness, and raised millions for research, an incredible start to that phase of her career.

The multitalented Malone also has 12 producing credits, working on such shows as Bob Hope: The First 90 Years and films like Little Miss Perfect, which is due out next year.

Her talents aren’t just in the studio. Malone was the first female vice president of 20th Century Fox Television.

During the awards ceremony, we also learned that if it wasn’t for Malone, NYWIFT might not exist. She co-founded Women in Film in Los Angeles 40 years ago, the first group of its kind. It led to the many sister chapters, including NYWIFT; the latest has just started up in Cuba.

Malone’s dedication to her craft and commitment to the next generation of actors and directors show why Nancy Malone was chosen as a 2013 Muse honoree.

— MIMI SPILLANE