10 Awesome True Stories That Still Need The Hollywood Treatment

7. The Life and Times of Percy Julian

Percy Julian's life story provides a great double whammy of transcending racial barriers and getting short-shrifted thanks to petty feuds. The man was one of the first African-Americans to earn a PhD in chemistry and the second inducted into the National Academy of Sciences. Oh, and he pioneered steroid research by figuring out how to synthesize hormones. Which means there's a good chance you've used some form of medication descended from his work. And yet you probably don't know his name. That's because a series of personal entanglements with the wrong people landed him on the wrong side when it came time to dole out proper credit. It's time the man got his due, and I'll bet there are plenty of Oscar-hungry actors who'd love to take a stab at the role.

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Dan Schindel loves movies more than you do. He considers it an accomplishment to have survived a year and counting in Los Angeles. Someday, he'll be the greatest critic in the world. He spent a year watching a documentary every day, so now he knows everything.