Alvin Sargent

Alvin Sargent (April 12, 1927–May 9, 2019) was an American screenwriter who received two Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay, for *Julia* (1977) and *Ordinary People* (1980). His other screenwriting credits include *The Sterile Cuckoo* (1969), *The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds* (1970), *Paper Moon* (1973), *Nuts* (1987), *White Palace* (1990), *What About Bob?* (1991), *Unfaithful* (2002), *Spider-Man 2* (2004), *Spider-Man 3* (2007), and *The Amazing Spider-Man* (2012).

Alvin Sargent was born Alvin Supowitz in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Esther (née Kadansky) and Isaac Supowitz. He was of Russian Jewish descent. Sargent attended Upper Darby High School, where he left at age 17 to join the Navy. As of 2006, he was one of 35 alumni featured on the school's Wall of Fame.

Sargent began writing for television in 1953, scripting episodes for *Route 66*, *Ben Casey*, and *The Alfred Hitchcock Hour* throughout the 1960s. He co-wrote his first film screenplay for *Gambit* (1966) and gained wider recognition for *I Walk the Line* (1970) and *Paper Moon* (1973), for which he won the WGA Award for Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium and received an Academy Award nomination. He won the Academy Award for Adapted Screenplay in 1978 for *Julia* (1977) and again in 1981 for *Ordinary People* (1980). He co-wrote the 2004 screenplay for *Spider-Man 2* and the 2007 screenplay for *Spider-Man 3*. He also co-wrote the screenplay for the 2012 reboot *The Amazing Spider-Man*.

Sargent was in a long-term relationship with producer Laura Ziskin; they were married from 2010 until her death in 2011. His brother was writer and producer Herb Sargent.

Sargent died from natural causes at his home in Seattle on May 9, 2019, four weeks after his 92nd birthday.