Campbell Scott

As an actor, director and producer, Campbell Scott - who first made an impact on moviegoers with his touching portrayal of a man living with cancer in the Julia Roberts showcase, "Dying Young" (1991) - is inarguably a dignitary of American independent film. The stage-trained Broadway actor never strayed far from the world of small, personal films, where he impressed critics and festival-goers with the difficult acting challenges he took on in the AIDS chronicle "Longtime Companion" (1989), the literary gem "Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle" (1994), and the jaded New Yorker story "Roger Dodger" (2002). Scott also earned a solid reputation as a director, first sharing duties with Stanley Tucci in the appetizing indie favorite "Big Night" (1996) before taking the helm of his own television adaptation of "Hamlet" (Hallmark Channel, 2000) and dramatic features "Final" (2001) and "Off the Map" (2005). With his soulful performances as polished but emotionally clueless professionals and brilliantly nuanced oddballs, Scott well deserved his reputation as a champion of independent film and one of its strongest talents.