California native and University of Wisconsin alumna Nicole Rocklin stood in the “Spotlight” last week Sunday at the Academy Awards as an Oscar-winning producer for Best Picture.
As a producer in California, Rocklin’s work centers around true stories derived from books and journals that she and her partner, Byle Faust, work with from scratch.
She said her most recent work as one of the producers of “Spotlight” featured a story that was “imperative” to tell. Rocklin said the story of six individuals who put their lives on hold for two years to uncover one of the biggest coverups was an example of the importance of holding institutions accountable.
Without the Spotlight team at the Boston Globe, or investigative reporters in general, Rocklin questioned who would be able to keep institutions like the Catholic Church in “Spotlight” accountable.
“Of all the [productions] I could work on this was the most imperative because I think it’s important to remember to keep these institutions accountable and question their decisions,” Rocklin said.
‘Spotlight’ navigates dark, true events with compelling storytelling
She called the combination of “Spotlight” actors, director and financier “magic.” Though “Spotlight” had been considered an upset by some entertainment media, Rocklin said “Spotlight” winning the Best Picture award would never be an upset to her. Rocklin said she walked into the night confident, but said seeing Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers on the Red Carpet brought them some good luck.
Rocklin said she always knew she wanted to pursue a career in entertainment. After graduating from UW in 2001 with a double major in history and African-American studies, Rocklin returned to California, working two years for an entertainment law firm before she moved on to work for Jerry Bruckheimer Films.
Eventually, Rocklin set off on her own with Faust as a partner and fellow producer. Rocklin said their work centers on stories like “Spotlight” that are true and promote the importance of change.
“We’ve been focused on smaller sorts of projects,” Rocklin said in a statement. “Some people put 20 things out there. We don’t do that. It’s not who we are. We want to tell stories about real people.”
In addition to producing “Spotlight,” Rocklin has also produced “The Perfect Guy” and “Middle of Nowhere.” Rocklin is currently working on about 10 different projects at various stages with her partner.
Though Rocklin said she does not know how much bigger she can get in the industry after winning Best Picture, Rocklin said she misses Madison and hopes to make it back eventually for a football game.
