Throughout the history of Fordham University, it has hosted many filmmakers on campus to produce iconic movies and television shows.

The campus’s gothic architecture and beautiful landscaping are especially attractive for academic or period-piece settings, such as “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (2017) and “The Exorcist” (1973).

Given its location as an idyllic oasis in the boroughs of New York City and having notable alumni in the entertainment industry, such as Denzel Washington and Lana Del Rey, it’s no wonder that Fordham and its New York roots hold a permanent place in pop culture.

In the Belmont neighborhood’s Hughes Avenue, you’ll spot a mural honoring the 1993 crime-drama film “A Bronx Tale,” which starred Robert De Niro and Chazz Palminteri. The film is set in 1960s Belmont — right in Fordham’s backyard — and if you’ve got a good eye for backgrounds, you can spot signs that feature Fordham. But “A Bronx Tale” was actually filmed in Astoria, Queens, which was made to look like Belmont.

The Rose Hill campus has been featured in numerous box-office successes and television hits. Keating Hall in particular is no stranger to the spotlight throughout Fordham’s brushes with Hollywood.

For example, the 2001 biographical drama film “A Beautiful Mind,” which won the Academy Award for Best Picture, centers around the true story of mathematician John Forbes Nash (Russell Crowe) and features several scenes in the basement of Keating Hall. The movie touches on Nash’s real-life struggles with mental illness during his studies at Princeton University. Nash is eventually called upon by the Pentagon to help crack encrypted enemy codes, with Keating’s basement serving as the background for the Pentagon scenes. Similarly, the 1973 blockbuster horror film “The Exorcist” also filmed scenes in the basement of Keating Hall, as well as Hughes Hall.

Moving up a level, you may have become well acquainted with Keating First, the auditorium on the first floor of Keating Hall. The political drama movie “Fair Game” (2010), which featured Naomi Watts and Sean Penn, filmed a scene there, as well as “Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps” (2010), which stars Michael Douglas and Shia LaBeouf. In a scene from “Wall Street 2,” Douglas’ character is seen lecturing a class of students, some of whom were real Fordham students who got to play as extras.

In front of Keating are the encompassing Keating Steps and Edwards Parade. Here marks the location for a scene in the movie “The Adjustment Bureau” (2011), in which Matt Damon plays a Congressman who ends up falling in love with a ballet dancer (Emily Blunt). Damon’s character delivers a political speech to a massive crowd gathered around Eddies Parade, as he stands atop the Keating Steps. The film’s director, George Nolfi, decided to film at this particular spot on campus after seeing Irish rock band U2 play there for “Good Morning America” in 2009.

In terms of more recent Fordham features in film and television, the Amazon Prime Video hit “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” filmed several scenes of its final season around Fordham’s campus in September 2022, notably in front of the Cunniffe Fountain, Edwards Parade and, of course, Keating Steps. Fordham’s architecture and timeless look were the perfect backdrop for the show given its early 1960s setting.

Additionally, a short ride on the Ram Van to Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus will take you to the filming locations for many other television shows and movies — such as the 2023 Netflix FBI-centered thriller “The Night Agent.” Additionally, Netflix’s “Zero Day” (2025), which stars Robert De Niro as a former U.S. president investigating a series of cyberattacks, was also filmed at Lincoln Center.

“The Night Agent” and “Zero Day” both featured the Lowenstein Center; the former had slated its 12th-floor lounge as a mock-up for the United Nations, while the latter transformed Lowenstein’s second floor into the CIA Headquarters. As an additional nod to Fordham, De Niro is seen wearing a Fordham sweatshirt in one of the episodes’ opening scenes.

These are far from all of Fordham’s appearances in film and television. Just this summer the television shows “Law and Order” and “Friends and Neighbors” were seen filming on campus. The next time you start watching a show set in New York, keep an eye out for Fordham.

Both campuses of Fordham University have had an enduring legacy in film and television, and its future as a staple film location in New York City is bright. Who needs Hollywood when we have Keating Hall? But we as students need to stay alert; you never know when you might accidentally stumble into your television debut on the way to class.