The Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce will commemorate Academy Award-nominated screenwriter, producer and LGBTQ+ community advocate Ron Nyswaner Thursday with the 470th star on the Palm Springs Walk of the Stars.
Nyswaner is likely best known for his work on “Philadelphia,” starring Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington, which celebrated its 30th anniversary of a wide release this year. The legal drama was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the 66th Academy Awards. He is also the recipient of GLAAD, National Board of Review, and Writers Guild of America awards, in addition to BAFTA, Emmy, and Golden Globe nominations.
He has also received accolades for his activism, including a Steve Chase Humanitarian Award, the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Vanguard Award, and the Ryan White Youth Service Award.
Other works from Nyswaner across genres and mediums include “‘My Policeman,” “Murder on Middle Beach,” “Smithereens,” “Mrs. Soffel,” “Soldier’s Girl,” “The Painted Veil,” and contributions to acclaimed series such as “Ray Donovan” and “Homeland.” Many of these projects address contemporary sociopolitical issues, especially those related to the LGBTQ+ community, and Nyswaner has been praised for “bringing the challenging conversation surrounding HIV/AIDS to mainstream media,” according to a Chamber statement.
He created and produced his most recent work, the Peabody Award-winning limited series “Fellow Travelers,” in 2023. Based on a Thomas Mallon novel, the miniseries explores “the volatile romance of two men who meet in 1950s Washington D.C., just as Joseph McCarthy and Roy Cohn initiate the Lavender Scare,” as well as broader queer American history.
“Fellow Travelers” actor Jelani Alladin and executive producer Robbie Rogers, former soccer player and the first openly gay male athlete in any major North American sports league, have both been invited to speak at the ceremony.
“We are immensely excited to be a part of honoring Ron Nyswaner for his work in not only entertainment, but for his longtime activism for the LGBTQ+ community,” said Palm Springs Chamber CEO, Nona Watson, in a statement.