ON SET: Peterson with Theron. Courtesy Clark Peterson

It’s a familiar story in Hollywood—an independent producer latches onto a script nobody else wants, helps persuade a high-profile actor to play the lead, struggles to get the film distributed, then hears his name among the “thank-yous” in the actor’s acceptance speech at the awards shows.

This time, the producer was Clark Peterson, ’88, the script was for the movie Monster, and the actor was Charlize Theron, winner of a Golden Globe and the widely touted favorite for Best Actress at this year’s Oscars, held February 29.

Peterson, whose previous film credits include The Watcher as well as a number of forgettable TV thrillers, saw something special when he read writer/director Patty Jenkins’s story of serial killer Aileen Wuornos. After Jenkins convinced Theron to play Wuornos—a role that required “a beautiful woman to play an unbeautiful character”—Peterson secured financing for the $6 million project. Getting the movie into theaters wasn’t so easy. “All of the studios passed on it, so we had to go back to the financier to get more money to get it distributed,” says Peterson.

Funny thing, now the studios are calling him. “My phone’s been ringing a lot more this week,” he said days after Theron’s Golden Globe win. “Suddenly everybody wants to work with me!”