A pair of screenwriters who met at UW-Madison and have worked together throughout their Hollywood careers will speak at the school’s winter commencement ceremony.
Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, who are best known for their work on the TV shows “Lost” and “Once Upon A Time,” will headline the ceremony, the university announced in a release Wednesday.
The two wrote for the TV shows “One Tree Hill,” “Popular” and “Felicity” before joining the writing staff of the epic ABC drama series “Lost.” In addition to their award-winning writing work, they have also produced shows and movies.
Kitsis and Horowitz graduated from UW-Madison in 1993 and 1994, respectively. Their writing has often included references to Wisconsin and UW-Madison — for instance, the mayor in “Once Upon a Time” lives on Mifflin Street.
"We try to shove our Badger pride into every show, every chance we get," Kitsis told the Wisconsin Alumni Association, according to the release.
Ariela Rivkin, the UW-Madison senior class president, said the class officers are “so excited to welcome one of Hollywood's most successful duos to speak at our commencement.”
"We love their work - from 'Lost' to 'One Tree Hill,' and the list goes on,” Rivkin said in the release. “When we realized that their partnership started right here at UW-Madison, we thought of the lifelong friends we've made in the last few years on campus. We can't wait to hear their story of friendship and determination."
Kitsis and Horowitz created a video to announce their selection as commencement speakers, which can be viewed here.
The ceremony will take place Dec. 17 at the Kohl Center.
