In the motion picture industry, most people know Alan Horn as the smart, savvy chairman and CEO of Castle Rock Entertainment, the film company that has turned out movie hits such as When Harry Met Sally and In the Line of Fire, as well as the phenomenally successful television series Seinfeld. But what many don't know is that playing the Hollywood executive is only one of Horn's roles. He's also a dedicated environmentalist and an avid collector of art.

Horn is visibly passionate about his work with numerous environmental organizations. As residents of Los Angeles, he and his wife, Cindy, became especially concerned about local air and water quality when their first child was born in 1988. Together, they helped found the Environmental Media Association, designed to encourage writers, directors, and actors to incorporate environmental themes into their work, he says, "without being preachy."

Horn was subsequently asked to become a board member of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) in 1990. "In the face of the Contract with America's rollback efforts, NRDC is a staunch defender of clean air, clean water, and the proper treatment of toxic waste and sewage," says Horn. "I feel very proud of their work."

In addition, Horn and his wife are involved with grassroots organizations in the Los Angeles area such as the Coalition for Clean Air and Heal the Bay, which is dedicated to cleaning up Santa Monica Bay. Through the Horn Foundation, which they founded in 1989, the couple also contributes funds to many environmental causes, such as Conservation International. "I'm not in a position to work directly on environmental matters, but I can put my money where my mouth is and support those organizations that are actively involved in this work," Horn explains.

Horn's more private passion is his love of art. His interest began in the mid-1960s, when he was introduced to the work of Montana artists while stationed in that state with the Air Force. Feeling an affinity for the art of the American West, he became increasingly knowledgeable about it and gradually built up a substantial private collection of oil paintings, sculpture, and artifacts that now fills his home and office and includes works by Albert Bierstadt, Thomas Moran, and Frederic Remington. "American Western art is aesthetically beautiful, peaceful, and comfortable to live with," he says. "I also like the fact that it's indigenous to this country." Horn serves on the advisory boards of two museums, including the Autry Museum of West Heritage in Los Angeles.

For Horn, these social and cultural activities, as well as his active involvement in raising two young daughters, help him keep a sense of perspective as he negotiates the ups and downs of the mercurial movie business. It was perspective he needed this past year, in particular, as Castle Rock, suffering through a string of financially disappointing pictures (including City Hall and even the critically acclaimed The Shawshank Redemption), sought new ownership to replace Turner Broadcasting. Turner had purchased the company in 1993 and is itself being sold (with FTC approval) to Time Warner. As of this writing, Horn would only offer that he was "close to a deal."

Despite the challenges, Horn remains convinced that in his industry, like any other, quality will carry the day. "If we make good movies, 'they' will come," he smiles.

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