ALLIANCE — In front of a lively audience of students, alumni, and community members, Academy Award-winning actor and advocate Geena Davis brought energy and insight in discussing her remarkable five-decade career as part of the 2026 Schooler Lecture.

The discussion was moderated by Kevin Kern, professor of theatre at Mount Union, who began the evening by talking about Davis’ seminal classic “Thelma and Louise” and its impact on film and society.

“It was a pretty small movie for the time, and we never thought it would become what it has,” Davis said. “I have a friend for life in Susan [Sarandon].” 

Navigating through Davis’ film career—including classics like “A League of Their Own,” “Beetlejuice” and “The Fly”—one of the themes of the evening was her perseverance, made evident when discussing her Academy Award-winning role in “The Accidental Tourist.”

“I remember watching ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’ the day of the Oscars, and they had film critics on to talk about the awards. I was the only one who they said had no chance to win in [Best] Supporting Actress,” Davis said. “So when my name was called, I was really surprised and elated.”

Davis also discussed her memoir, “Dying of Politeness,” and her work as the founder of the Geena Davis Institute, which aims to increase authentic representation of marginalized communities on screen. This important work led to several thoughtful questions from Mount Union theatre students, including one about overcoming adversity in the acting profession.

“It’s certainly not always easy, but you have to keep persevering and knowing what feels right to you as you go throughout your career,” Davis said. 

Davis concluded the evening promoting her newest project, “The Boroughs,” a series set to debut May 21 on Netflix, and received a standing ovation from the near-capacity Timken Gymnasium.

Learn more about the entire Mount Union Lecture Series.