Robert W. Cort

Two-time Emmy-winner Robert W. Cort is best known in the industry as a film and television producer, but before he broke into show business, Cort was an analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Interestingly, the first film Cort produced was the 1985 anti-authority action-comedy called "Turk 182!," which starred a young Timothy Hutton as a teen vandal whose quest to get justice for his injured firefighter brother inspires rebellion throughout New York City. He went on to produce a string of hit features in the 1980s, including the fatherhood comedy "3 Men and a Baby" and the time-traveling teen adventure "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure." Cort has proved prolific in his new profession, having produced more than 50 films since "Turk 182!" He earned his first Emmy in 1990 for the inspiring biopic "A Mother's Courage: The Mary Thomas Story," which told of the struggle of basketball star Isiah Thomas's mother in keeping her sons free of the pitfalls of the ghetto. He won more accolades for his life-affirming fare in 1997, when the teacher-centered drama "Mr. Holland's Opus" garnered him a Christopher Award, a prize that celebrates uplifting art. In 2004, he won another Emmy and Christopher Award for the docudrama "Something the Lord Made," which co-starred Alan Rickman and Mos Def as heart surgeon pioneers Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas. Cort continues to make family-friendly fare with uplifting messages.