List of teachers portrayed in films
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The following real-life inspirational/motivational instructors/mentors have been portrayed in popular films:
- W. H. Balgarnie , inspiration for Mr Chipping, in James Hilton's Goodbye, Mr Chips and the three movie adaptations ( 1939 , 1969 , 2002) of the novella
- Stacey Bess , in the 2010 film Beyond the Blackboard
- Herman Boone and Bill Yoast, high school football coaches portrayed in the 2000 film Remember The Titans
- Sylvia Barrett, new teacher at a New York City high school, portrayed by Sandy Dennis in Up the Down Staircase (1967). Based on the novel of the same name by Bel Kaufman , who taught for 30 years in New York City schools.
- Bill Bowerman , track and field coach portrayed in the 1998 film Without Limits
- E. R. Braithwaite , British secondary school teacher and visiting professor at Manchester Community College portrayed in the 1967 film To Sir, with Love
- Herb Brooks , hockey coach portrayed in the 1981 TV film Miracle on Ice and the 2004 film Miracle
- Paul "Bear" Bryant , American football coach portrayed in the 2002 television movie The Junction Boys and the 1984 theatrical feature The Bear . Bryant is also a minor character in Forrest Gump , in which he coaches the title character during his college years.
- William Carlock in the 2010 biographical film Temple Grandin
- Ken Carter , education activist and former high school basketball coach portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson , in the 2005 film Coach Carter
- Noel Chestnut, track team coach and prison guard portrayed in the 2008 film Racing for Time
- Joe Louis Clark , high school principal credited with the turnaround of a troubled and dangerous New Jersey high school. Joe Clark was portrayed by Morgan Freeman in the 1990 film Lean on Me
- Ron Clark , portrayed in the 2006 film The Ron Clark Story
- Marva Collins , American educator who in 1975 started Westside Preparatory School in the impoverished Garfield Park neighborhood of Chicago , portrayed in the 1981 docudrama TV movie The Marva Collins Story
- Pat Conroy , teacher and later writer portrayed in 1974 film Conrack and 2006 TV movie The Water Is Wide
- Sarah Grace Cooke, on whom the character Miss Moffatt was closely modeled in the 1945 film and the 1979 made-for-TV movie The Corn Is Green
- Richard Dadier, English teacher portrayed by Glenn Ford in Blackboard Jungle (1955), a film based on Evan Hunter's experience among unruly students at the Bronx Technical High School
- William "Red" Dawson , assistant coach of Marshall University Thundering Herd football portrayed in the 2006 film, We Are Marshall
- Bill Dellinger , assistant track and field coach portrayed in the 1997 film Prefontaine
- Pierre Dulaine , dancer and dance educator portrayed in the documentary films Mad Hot Ballroom and Dancing in Jaffa and in the fictionalized film Take the Lead
- Jim Ellis , swimming coach portrayed in the 2007 film Pride
- Jaime Escalante , high school math teacher portrayed in the 1988 film Stand and Deliver
- Gary Gaines , football coach portrayed in the 2004 film Friday Night Lights
- Marilyn Gambrell , parole officer-turned high school teacher portrayed in the 2005 Lifetime movie Fighting the Odds: The Marilyn Gambrell Story
- Larry Gelwix , coach of the Highland Rugby team, featured in the 2008 movie Forever Strong
- Erin Gruwell , high school teacher portrayed in the film Freedom Writers
- Roberta Guaspari , music teacher and violinist portrayed in the 1995 documentary film Small Wonders and 1999 film Music of the Heart
- Don Haskins , American collegiate basketball coach portrayed in the 2006 film Glory Road
- LouAnne Johnson , teacher and retired United States Marine, portrayed in the film Dangerous Minds
- Harold Jones, T.L. Hanna High School , football coach portrayed in the 2003 film Radio
- Jack Lengyel , coach of Marshall University Thundering Herd football portrayed in the 2006 film We Are Marshall
- Anna Leonowens , teacher and tutor to the children of Mongkut , King of Siam, portrayed in the 1946 film Anna and the King of Siam , a 1956 film and a 1999 film both entitled The King and I , and the 1999 film Anna and the King
- George McKenna , educator, teacher, administrator, and superintendent, portrayed by Denzel Washington in the 1986 TV film The George McKenna Story
- Jim Morris , high school science teacher and baseball coach who became a major league baseball player after his students encouraged him to try out, portrayed in the 2002 film The Rookie
- John Forbes Nash, Jr. , mathematics professor at MIT and Princeton portrayed in the 2001 film A Beautiful Mind
- Mickey O'Keefe, boxing coach and police sergeant portraying himself in the 2010 film The Fighter
- Bruce Pandolfini , chess master who instructed young prodigy Joshua Waitzkin , portrayed in the 1993 film Searching for Bobby Fischer
- Sean Porter, Kilpatrick Mustangs ' coach and corrections officer portrayed in the 2006 film Gridiron Gang
- Freida J. Riley , teacher who inspired a love for science and mathematics in her rural West Virginia high school students, particularly future NASA engineer Homer Hickam , in the 1999 film October Sky
- Knute Rockne , football coach portrayed in the 1940 film Knute Rockne, All American
- Ben Schwartzwalder , football coach portrayed in the 2008 film The Express: The Ernie Davis Story
- Catana Starks , former Tennessee State Tigers swim coach, who became the first woman ever to coach a college men's golf team in the 2014 film From the Rough
- Iris Stevenson , award-winning choir instructor portrayed in the 1993 film Sister Act 2
- Anne Sullivan , teacher and mentor to Helen Keller , a blind and deaf girl, portrayed in the 1962 film The Miracle Worker and remakes in 1979 and 2000
- Melvin B. Tolson , debating coach and teacher who was featured in 2007 film, The Great Debaters
- Jim Valvano , basketball coach portrayed in the 1996 television movie Never Give Up: The Jimmy V Story
- Dick Vermeil , football coach portrayed in the 2006 film Invincible
- Jim White , high school cross country coach at McFarland High School portrayed by Kevin Costner in the 2015 film McFarland, USA
- Marvin Wood, basketball coach portrayed in the 1986 film Hoosiers as Norman Dale
- Ip Man , kung fu grandmaster and teacher, portrayed in the action films Ip Man film series
- Brad Cohen , teacher with Tourette Syndrome , portrayed in the 2008 Hallmark film Front of the Class
- Christa McAuliffe , Social Studies teacher from New Hampshire who was killed aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986. Portrayed by Karen Allen in the 1990 TV Movie Challenger
- Mary Kay Letourneau , high school teacher, portrayed in the Made-for-TV-movie All-American Girl: The Mary Kay Letourneau Story .