#academy honorary achievement

[sonnyjohnson]

RIP James Earl Jones an EGOT Winner an Iconic actor and voice of Mufasa and Darth Vader

January 17, 1931-September 9, 2024

"One of America's most distinguished and versatile actors” for his performances on stage and screen. Mr Jones has also been recognized as "one of the greatest actors in American history" He was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1985. “He was honored with the National Medal of Arts in 1992, the Kennedy Center Honor in 2002, the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2009 and the Honorary Academy Award in 2011”

[justinsentertainmentcorner]

Jacqueline Mansky and Mike Barnes at THR:

James Earl Jones, a commanding presence onscreen who nonetheless gained greater fame off-camera as the sonorous voice of Star Wars villain Darth Vader and Mufasa, the benevolent leader in The Lion King, died Monday. He was 93. Jones, who burst into national prominence in 1970 with his powerful Oscar-nominated performance as America’s first Black heavyweight champion in The Great White Hope, died at his home in Dutchess County, New York, Independent Artist Group announced. The distinguished star made his big-screen debut in Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) and was noteworthy in many other films, including Claudine (1974) opposite Diahann Carroll; Field of Dreams (1989), as the reclusive author Terence Mann; and The Sandlot (1993), as the intimidating neighborhood guy Mr. Mertle.

For his work on the stage, Jones earned two best actor Tony Awards: for originating the role of Jack Jefferson — who was based on real-life boxer Jack Johnson — in 1968 in Howard Sackler’s Great White Hope and for playing the patriarch who struggles to provide for his family in a 1986 Pulitzer Prize-winning production of August Wilson’s Fences. Jones, the recipient of an honorary Oscar at the 2011 Governors Awards and a special Tony for lifetime achievement in 2017, was one of the handful of people to earn an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony and the first actor to win two Emmys in one year. “You cannot be an actor like I am and not have been in some of the worst movies like I have,” the self-deprecating star said when he was given his Academy Award. “But I stand before you deeply honored, mighty grateful and just plain gobsmacked.” Jones’ rise to become one of the most-admired American actors of all time was remarkable considering he suffered from a debilitating stutter as a child.

[...] Jones, of course, also was known as the “voice” of CNN. “I just emptied my mind, then filled it with the thought of all the hundreds of stories — tragic, violent, funny, touching — that could be following my introduction,” he said when asked about his motivation. “And then I said, ‘This is CNN.’”

James Earl Jones, who provided the voice for Darth Vader in Star Wars and provided CNN with the “this is CNN” line, dies at 93.

[kwebtv]

James Earl Jones (January 17, 1931 – September 9, 2024) Actor known for his film roles and his work in theater. He was one of the few performers to achieve the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony). He was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1985, and was honored with the National Medal of Arts in 1992, the Kennedy Center Honor in 2002, the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2009, and the Academy Honorary Award in 2011.

 On television, Jones received eight Primetime Emmy Awards nominations winning twice for his roles in thriller film Heat Wave (1990) and the crime series Gabriel's Fire (1991). He also acted in Roots (1977), Jesus of Nazareth (1977), Picket Fences (1994), Homicide: Life on the Street (1997) and Everwood (2004).

Jones played lead characters on television in three series. Gabriel's Fire and a revamped version called Pros and Cons aired on ABC between 1990 and 1992. In both formats of that show, Jones played a former policeman wrongly convicted of murder who, upon his release from prison, becomes a private eye. In 1995, Jones starred in Under One Roof as Neb Langston, a widowed African-American police officer sharing his home in Seattle with his daughter, his married son and children, and Neb's newly adopted son. The show was a mid-season replacement and lasted only six weeks, but earned him another Emmy nomination. He also portrayed Thad Green on "Mathnet", a parody of Dragnet that appeared in the PBS program Square One Television.[59] In 1998, Jones starred in the widely acclaimed syndicated program An American Moment (created by James R. Kirk and Ninth Wave Productions). Jones took over the role filled by Charles Kuralt, upon Kuralt's death.

Jones guest-starred in many television shows over the years, including for NBC's Law & Order, and Frasier, ABC's Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Fox's medical drama House, M.D., and CBS' The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men. He also voiced the CNN tagline, "This is CNN". He lent his voice to the opening for NBC's coverage of the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics. (Wikipedia)

IMDb Listing

[galerymod]

It is with great sadness that we mark the passing of Gena Rowlands, a truly beloved figure in the world of independent film in the USA.

The subject displays blonde hair, frosty blue eyes and a seductive smile. Gena Rowlands was regarded as the preeminent figure in American independent film. Gena Rowlands is a subtle and delicate performer, a true wonder. She is forthright in her communication. Furthermore, she demonstrated an unwavering resolve. In a statement made prior to his death in 1989, director John Cassavetes asserted that Rowlands was capable of performing any role. The couple were married for over three decades, during which time Cassavetes acted as Rowland's discoverer and most ardent supporter. With the release of highly successful films such as A Woman Under the Influence (1974) and Gloria (1980), he elevated her to the status of an award-winning and Oscar-nominated star. Rowlands has now passed away at the age of 94.

the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences bestowed an honorary Academy Award upon the then 85-year-old actress in recognition of her lifetime achievements. Her son presented her with the award at the ceremony.

Over the course of her career, Rowlands was nominated on eight occasions for the most significant US television accolade, the Emmy. She was awarded the prize on three occasions: in 1987 for her performance in The Betty Ford Story, in 1992 for her role in Face of a Stranger, and in 2003 for her performance in Hysterical Blindness.

It's always worth watching old films that contain real stories that can leave you spellbound.

mod the film enthusiast

[queer-cinephile]

30 Days of Classic Queer Hollywood

Day 18: Jerome Robbins (1918 - 1998)

Jerome Robbins was a very successful dancer, choreographer, and stage and film director. He was a five-time Tony Award-winner and a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors. He received two Academy Awards, including the 1961 Academy Award for Best Director for West Side Story and a special Academy Honorary Award for his choreographic achievements on film.

Robbins had relationships with both men and women. The men he was romantically tied to include actor Montgomery Clift, dancers Buzz Miller and Tommy Abbott (one of the Jets in West Side Story), composer Ned Rorem, and photographer Jesse Gerstein, whom Robbins cared for as he was dying of AIDS.

Robbins was a former Communist who was called to testify before the House Unamerican Activities Committee (HUAC). Under the threat of having his sexuality revealed publicly, Robbins cooperated with the committee and revealed the names of ten other Communists in Hollywood. This hurt his reputation in the community.

[barkingbonzo]

SOPHIA LOREN

Sofia Costanza Brigida Villani Scicolone OMRI born 20 September 1934), known professionally as Sophia Loren is an Italian actress, active in her native country and the United States. With a career spanning over 70 years, she was named by the American Film Institute as one of the greatest stars of classical Hollywood cinema.

Encouraged to enroll in acting lessons after entering a beauty pageant, Loren began her film career at age 16 in 1950. She appeared in several bit parts and minor roles in the early part of the decade, until her five-picture contract with Paramount in 1956 launched her international career. Her film appearances around this time include The Pride and the Passion, Houseboat, and It Started in Naples. During the 1950s, she starred in films as a sexually emancipated persona and was one of the best known sex symbols of the time.

Loren's performance as Cesira in the film Two Women (1960) directed by Vittorio De Sica won her the Academy Award for Best Actress, making her the first actor to win an Oscar for a non-English-language performance. She holds the record for having earned seven David di Donatello Awards for Best Actress: Two Women; Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (1963); Marriage Italian Style (1964, for which she was nominated for a second Oscar); Sunflower (1970); The Voyage (1974); A Special Day (1977) and The Life Ahead (2020). She has won five special Golden Globes (including the Cecil B. DeMille Award), a BAFTA Award, a Laurel Award, a Grammy Award, the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival and the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival. In 1991, she received the Academy Honorary Award for lifetime achievements.

[simshousewindsor]

By Shon Gableton | Published by SNN

The Academy of Simmy Picture Arts and Sciences (ASPAS, also known as the Academy or the Simmy Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization in Del Sol Valley, United States of Americreek, with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of simmy pictures.

The Academy is known around the world for its annual Academy Awards, now officially and popularly known as "The Olivias". Princess Lara and her husband Prince Anthony, grandson of Leona Basse, attended the 84th annual Academy Awards.

It was no doubt a poignant moment for Anthony, remembering his grandmother nearly 30 years after her death. The occasion also marked the royal couples first oversees trip since announcing their pregnancy.

Since its inception in 1924, the likes of Oasis Springs' Princess Akima of Monaco and of course Anthony's grandmother have attended - the latter scooping the Best Actress award in 1965 for her role in The Country Lady - plus there have been several royal appearances at the glitziest Olivia parties.

Before marrying his maternal grandfather, the famed Windenburg illustrator Emmanuel Addie, Leona Basse accepted her Best Actress award at the 1965 ceremony, which was also held at the Garwin Theatre in Del Sol Valley.

Above, she is photographed with fellow actor Harry Belatiér, who won Best Actor for his performance in The Barefoot Bride the same year. Just a month later, she would move to Windenburg and marry Addie.

In 1966, the actress did not return to award that year's Best Actor award, as is customary, due to being pregnant and unable to fly overseas.

Walking the red carpet, the Countess of Boykins wore a stunning pale-blue gown by designer @rustys-cc, with short sleeves and pleated detailing. Here, the gorgeous silhouette can be seen, as well as Lara's elegant up-do.

A close-up of the royal's beautiful aquamarine diamond earrings (a gift from Prince Anthony), clutch, and her glowing beauty. Her Royal Highness was thought to have taken inspiration from her late grandmother-in-law's own red carpet style, since she often styled her hair in a similar shape.

At this year's ceremony, Silver Screen Icon, Dame Dorothy Dunbridge CWE received an Honorary Award. The 91 year old Windenburg actress attained international stardom and critical acclaim in both musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist, and on the concert stage with a career spanning seven decades.

Dunbridge was one of the most popular stars of classical Simmywood cinema in the 1950s. Best friend to Leona Basse, she is also godmother to both Prince Anthony and his mother.

The Academy's Honorary Award is given to honor extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of simmy picture arts and sciences, or for outstanding service to the Academy.

[film-classics]

Myrna Loy - The Queen of Hollywood

Myrna Loy (born Myrna Adele Williams in Helena, Montana on August 2, 1905 ) was an American actress who reigned as one of America’s leading movie stars in the 1930s and the 1940s. Millions of fans idolized her as ‘the perfect wife,’ a paragon of charm, sophistication and intelligence, earning her the title as "The Queen of Hollywood."

Of Welsh, Scottish, and Swedish ancestry, Loy moved to Culver City in her early teens. She first attended the exclusive Westlake School for Girls. When her teachers objected to her extracurricular participation in theater, her mother enrolled her in Venice High School.

To help the family, she wroked at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre, where she performed in prologues, musical sequences that served as preliminary entertainment before the feature film. This led to work as an extra in Hollywood productions in 1925 and then a contract with Warner Bros. in 1926.

With the advent of sound films, she then became associated with musicals, and when they began to lose popularity, her career slumped. In 1934, after Loy's move to MGM, John Dillinger was shot to death after leaving a screening of her film Manhattan Melodrama (1934). She received widespread publicity, with some newspapers reporting that she had been Dillinger's favorite actress.

Loy gained further fame from the box office hit, The Thin Man (1934), which spawned five sequels. This marked a turning point in her career, and she was cast in more important pictures and became one of Hollywood's busiest and highest-paid actresses,

With the outbreak of World War II, Loy focused on the war effort, becoming an active member of the Hollywood Chapter of 'Bundles for Bluejackets,' helping run a Naval Auxiliary Canteen, going on fundraising tours, and volunteering for the Red Cross.

In the coming decades, she continued acting alongside her activism work. She organized opposition to the House Unamerican Activities Committee in Hollywood through radio broadcasts and petitions, worked with the federal government, and served in UNESCO.

In 1975, Loy was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent two mastectomies. She kept her diagnosis and subsequent treatment from the public. This resulted in her progressive retirement from acting; her last film performance was in 1980 and her last acting role on TV in 1982.

In failing health, Loy died at age 88 in a Manhattan hospital during surgery following a long, unspecified illness.

Legacy:

Received an Honorary Academy Award in 1991 in recognition of her life's work both onscreen and off

Bears the likeness of the 7-foot statue outside Venice High School, titled 'Inspiration," created in 1922 and has since become a symbol of the school and the community

Has a building named after her at Sony Pictures Studios, formerly MGM Studios, built in 1935

Named Queen of the Movies in a 1936 national poll by New York Daily News

Honored with a block in the forecourt of Grauman's Chinese Theatre in 1936

Listed by the Motion Picture Herald as one of America’s top-10 box office draws in 1937 and 1938

Served as the full-time assistant to the director of military and naval welfare for the Red Cross from 1941 to 1945

Became a member-at-large of the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO from 1949 to 1954, the first Hollywood celebrity to do so

Has been the namesake of Venice High School's annual speech and drama awards, the 'Myrnas' since 1953

Served as Co-Chair of the Advisory Council of the National Committee against Discrimination in Housing from 1961 to 1962

Became a founding board member of The American Place Theatre in 1963

Commemorated with a cast of her handprint and her signature in front of Theatre 80, on St. Mark's Place in New York City in 1971

Appeared in John Springer's "Legendary Ladies" series at The Town Hall in 1973

Presented with the 1979 Career Achievement Award by the National Board Review

Honored by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards in 1983 with the Career Achievement Award

Published an autobiography, Myrna Loy: Being and Becoming, in 1987

Was the winner of the 1988 Kennedy Center Honors

Honored by the Steel Pole Bath Tub with a song on their 1991 album Tulip that is both named after Loy and samples dialogue from one her film, The Thin Man Goes Home (1945).

Named by The Guardian named her one of the best actors never to have received an Academy Award nomination in 1991

Has been the namesake for The Myrna Loy Center for the Performing and Media Arts in downtown Helena since 1991

Honored as Turner Classic Movies Star of the Month for December 2016

Has a song named after her in Josh Ritter's 2017 album Gathering

Has a star on the  Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6685 Hollywood Boulevard for motion picture

[gone2soon-rip]

JAMES EARL JONES (1931-Died September 9th 2024,at 93). American actor known for his film roles and his work in theater. He was one of the few performers to achieve the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony). He was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 1985, and was honored with the National Medal of Arts in 1992, the Kennedy Center Honor in 2002, the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2009, and the Academy Honorary Award in 2011.

Jones worked steadily in theatre, winning the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his role as a boxer in The Great White Hope (1968), which he reprised in the 1970 film adaptation, earning him Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations.

Jones won his second Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his role as a working class father in August Wilson's Fences (1987). He was a Tony award nominee for his roles as the husband in Ernest Thompson's On Golden Pond (2005) about an aging couple, and as a former president in the Gore Vidal play The Best Man (2012). His other Broadway performances included Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (2008), Driving Miss Daisy (2010–2011), You Can't Take It with You (2014), and The Gin Game (2015–2016). He received a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2017.

Jones made his film debut in Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove (1964). He received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Claudine (1974). Jones gained international fame for his voice role as Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise, beginning with the original 1977 film. Jones's other notable films include The Man (1972), Conan the Barbarian (1982), Matewan (1987), Coming to America (1988), Field of Dreams (1989), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Sneakers (1992), The Sandlot (1993), The Lion King (1994), and Cry, the Beloved Country (1995). On television, Jones received eight Primetime Emmy Awards nominations winning twice for his roles in thriller film Heat Wave (1990) and the crime series Gabriel's Fire (1991). He also acted in Roots (1977), Jesus of Nazareth (1977), Picket Fences (1994), Homicide: Life on the Street (1997), and Everwood (2004). His deep,booming,basonic voice,has become iconic,through his voice roles as Darth Vader,and as Mufasa,in Disney's 1994 animated feature classic,the Lion King.amid other voice roles.James Earl Jones - Wikipedia

[angelishere407]

Rest in eternal peace, MR. JAMES EARL JONES. 🙏🏾

9/9/2024

He was best known for his roles as Darth Vadar in Star Wars

King Jaffe Joffer in Coming To America

Mufasa in Lion King

Alex Hailey in ROOTS

James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931) had been described as "one of America's most distinguished and versatile" actors for his performances on stage and screen. His deep voice had been praised as a "a stirring basso profondo that has lent gravel and gravitas" to his projects. Over his career, he has received three Tony Awards, two Emmy Awards, and a Grammy Award. He was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1985. He was honored with the National Medal of Arts in 1992, the Kennedy Center Honor in 2002, the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2009 and the Honorary Academy Award in 2011.

[cozyaliensuperstar7]

Rest In Peace James Earl Jones 🙏🏾🕊❤️

James Earl Jones (January 17, 1931 – September 9, 2024) was an American actor known for his film roles and for his work in theatre. Jones has been described as "one of America's most distinguished and versatile" actors for his performances on stage and screen.

He has also been called "one of the greatest actors in American history".

He was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1985. He was honoured with the National Medal of Arts in 1992, the Kennedy Center Honor in 2002, the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2009, and the Honorary Academy Award in 2011.

Born in Arkabutla, Mississippi, in 1931, he had a stutter since childhood. Jones said that poetry and acting helped him overcome the challenges of his disability. A pre-med major in college, he served in the United States Army during the Korean War before pursuing a career in acting. His deep voice was praised as a "stirring basso profondo that has lent gravel and gravitas" to his projects.

Jones made his Broadway debut in 1957 in Sunrise at Campobello (1957). He gained prominence for acting in numerous productions with Shakespeare in the Park including Othello, Hamlet, Coriolanus, and King Lear.

Jones worked steadily in theatre, winning the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his role as a boxer in The Great White Hope (1968), which he reprised in the 1970 film adaptation, earning him Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations.

Jones won his second Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his role as a working class father in August Wilson's Fences (1987). He was a Tony award nominee for his roles as the husband in Ernest Thompson's On Golden Pond (2005) about an ageing couple, and as a former president in the Gore Vidal play The Best Man (2012). His other Broadway performances included Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (2008), Driving Miss Daisy (2010–2011), You Can't Take It with You (2014), and The Gin Game (2015–2016). He received a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2017.

Jones made his film debut in Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove (1964). He received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Claudine (1974). Jones gained international fame for his voice role as Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise, beginning with the original 1977 film. Jones' other notable roles include parts in Conan the Barbarian (1982), Matewan (1987), Coming to America (1988), Field of Dreams (1989), The Hunt for Red October (1990), The Sandlot (1993), and The Lion King (1994). Jones reprised his roles in Star Wars media, The Lion King (2019), and Coming 2 America (2021). On television, Jones won two Primetime Emmy Awards for his roles in TNT thriller film Heat Wave (1990) and the crime series Gabriel's Fire (1991). He was Emmy-nominated for East Side West Side (1963), By Dawn's Early Light (1990), Picket Fences (1994), Under One Roof (1995), Frasier (1997), and Everwood (2004). He also acted in Roots (1977), Jesus of Nazareth (1977), and Homicide: Life on the Street (1997).

Military Veteran:

With the war intensifying in Korea, Jones expected to be deployed as soon as he received his commission as a second lieutenant. While he waited for his orders, he worked on the stage crew and acted at the Ramsdell Theatre in Manistee, Michigan.

Jones was commissioned in mid-1953, after the Korean War's end, and reported to Fort Benning (now Fort Moore) to attend the Infantry Officers Basic Course. He attended Ranger School and received his Ranger Tab. Jones was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 38th Regimental Combat Team. He was initially to report to Fort Leonard Wood, but his unit was instead sent to establish a cold-weather training command at the former Camp Hale near Leadville, Colorado. His battalion became a training unit in the rugged terrain of the Rocky Mountains. Jones was promoted to first lieutenant prior to his discharge.

Jones moved to New York, where he studied at the American Theatre Wing and worked as a janitor to support himself.

2000–2009:

Career honors and other roles

Jones guest-starred in many television shows over the years, including for NBC's Law & Order, and Frasier, ABC's Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Fox's medical drama House, M.D., and CBS' The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men.

Jones also performed voice work for The Simpsons: in the 1990 "Treehouse of Horror" Halloween special and in two other episodes.

In 2002, Jones received Kennedy Center Honors at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.. Also at the ceremony were fellow honorees Paul Simon, Elizabeth Taylor, and Chita Rivera. President George W. Bush joked, "People say that the voice of the president is the most easily recognized voice in America. Well, I'm not going to make that claim in the presence of James Earl Jones."

Those there to honor Jones included Sidney Poitier, Kelsey Grammer, Charles S. Dutton, and Courtney B. Vance.

He also voiced the CNN tagline, "This is CNN".[10] He lent his voice to the opening for NBC's coverage of the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics.

Jones narrated all 27 books of the New Testament in the audiobook James Earl Jones Reads the Bible.

Although uncredited, Jones' voice is possibly heard as Darth Vader at the conclusion of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005). When specifically asked whether he had supplied the voice, possibly from a previous recording, Jones told Newsday: "You'd have to ask Lucas about that. I don't know."

On April 7, 2005, Jones and Leslie Uggams headed the cast in an African-American Broadway revival version of On Golden Pond, directed by Leonard Foglia and produced by Jeffrey Finn.

In February 2008, he starred on Broadway as Big Daddy in a limited-run, all-African-American production of Tennessee Williams' Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, directed by Debbie Allen and staged at the Broadhurst Theatre. In November 2009, James reprised the role of Big Daddy in Cat On A Hot Tin Roof at the Novello Theatre in London's West End. That production also starred Sanaa Lathan as Maggie, Phylicia Rashad as Big Mamma, and Adrian Lester as Brick.

In 2009, for his work on film and television, Jones was presented with the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award by Forest Whitaker.

In 1968, Jones married actress and singer Julienne Marie, whom he met while performing as Othello in 1964.

They had no children and divorced in 1972.

In 1982, he married actress Cecilia Hart, with whom he had a son, Flynn.

Hart died from ovarian cancer on October 16, 2016.

In April 2016, Jones spoke publicly for the first time in nearly 20 years about his long-term health challenge with type 2 diabetes. He was diagnosed in the mid-1990s after his doctor noticed he had fallen asleep while exercising at a gym.

Jones died at his home in Pawling, New York, on September 9, 2024, at the age of 93.

In a statement, CNN said that Jones "was the voice of CNN and our brand for many decades, uniquely conveying through speech instant authority, grace, and decorum. That remarkable voice is just one of many things the world will miss about James." Jones' alma mater, the University of Michigan, paid tribute to him by posting a "We Are Michigan" video narrated by Jones on X.

The NAACP, SAG-AFTRA, and MLB also paid tribute to Jones. Numerous members of the entertainment industry paid tribute to Jones including Mark Hamill, Danny DeVito, William Shatner, Barry Jenkins, Ava DuVernay, Colman Domingo, Octavia Spencer, Jeffrey Wright, Kerry Washington, LeVar Burton, Disney CEO Bob Iger, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, and Lucasfilm founder George Lucas.

Following his death, The New York Times described Jones's career as a "a prodigious body of work" and called him "one of America’s most versatile actors in a stage, film and television career".

The Hollywood Reporter referred to Jones as "one of the most-admired American actors of all time".

The Guardian film critic Peter Bradshaw wrote, "like Sidney Poitier or Harry Belafonte or Paul Robeson, [Jones] was an African American actor with a beautiful voice which was the key to his dignity and self-respect as a performer; it was how his characters rose above racism and cruelty", and described Jones as "movie royalty".

In 2011, Academy Award-nominated actor Alec Baldwin called Jones "one of the greatest actors in American history".

His work was noted for having an impact on the African-American community as well.[9] Academy Award–winning actress Viola Davis said that Jones's career reflected "black excellence".

Critic Clive Barnes said that Jones's theatre roles were “like a black avenging angel...Even when corrupted by misery, his presence has an almost moral force to it, and his voice rasps out an agony nearly too personally painful in its nakedness".

[lboogie1906]

Ann Marie Brown Fudge (born April 23, 1951) in DC to Malcolm R. Brown, an administrator at the US Postal Service, and Bettye Lewis Brown, a manager at the National Security Agency.

She married Richard Fudge, Sr. (1971) an educational and training consultant. They have two sons. She received a BA in Retail Management from Simmons College and earned her MBA from Harvard University Business School.

She was the workforce specialist with the General Electric Company. he worked with General Mills Corporation in several leadership positions including marketing assistant, assistant product manager, product manager, and marketing director. She joined Kraft General Foods where she was associate director of strategic planning. She became vice president for marketing and development in the Dinners and Enhancers division at Kraft. She received the Black Achievers Award from the Harlem YMCA.

She was named by Kraft Foods president of the Maxwell House Coffee division, she became the first African American woman to head a corporate division. She was named by Fortune magazine as 30th on the 50 Most Influential Women in American Business. Adelphi University, Howard University, Marymount College, and Simmons College all awarded her an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.

She was the chairman and CEO of Young and Rubicam Advertising in New York City. She became a member of the Board of Trustees at Morehouse College, as well as a Trustee with the Rockefeller Foundation.

She was a member of the Barack Obama presidential campaign’s finance committee and was named by President Obama to the 18-member National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform.

She joined the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. She served on the boards of directors of General Electric, Novartis, and Unilever. She served as chair of the US Programs Advisory Board of The Gates Foundation and as vice-chair of the Harvard Board of Overseers. She was installed in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She serves on the Advisory Board of the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture in the District of Columbia. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[scotianostra]

July 23rd 1773 saw the birth of Thomas Makdougall Brisbane near Largs.

Decribed as a tall, handsome and benevolent-looking, sincerely religious, perfectly impartial, rational and far-seeing, an intellectual and scientific man and a patron of science..

I like this man's gib, and at a time when most notable people from this era are accused of historical crimes against the indigenous people of Australia and the likes, Sir Thomas seems to be a man with an unblemished character.

Brisbane was born at Brisbane House in Noddsdale, near Largs in Ayrshire, Scotland, the son of Sir Thomas Brisbane and his wife Eleanora (née Bruce).

Having studied mathematics and astronomy at the University of Edinburgh, Sir Thomas joined the British Army in 1789, enjoying a distinguished career in Flanders, the West Indies, Spain and North America. Indeed, such was the impression he made that it was the Duke of Wellington himself who made the recommendation that Sir Thomas serve in Australia in 1821.

As Governor of New South Wales – a post he held until 1825 – he immediately began working on a series of reforms to tackle the problems of a rapidly expanding colony. This included improvements to the land grants system, currency reform, and experiments in growing tobacco, cotton, coffee and flax.

His Edinburgh studies served Sir Thomas well. His keen interest in science led him to become the first President of the Philosophical Society of Australasia (now the Royal Society of New South Wales) and he established the colony’s first agricultural training college, also assuming the role of first patron of the New South Wales Agricultural Society.

It was during this period that the famous city that now bears his name was established, a fact that is entwined in the history of the transportation of convicts to the area from Britain.

Sir Thomas was looking for a new site to house repeat offenders and was shown an area around a large river at Moreton Bay. By 1824, convicts had moved in and both the river and the area became known as Brisbane. By 1839 it had become open to free settlement.

Beyond his military and civil service, Sir Thomas’s great love was for astronomy, an expertise he had honed at the University of Edinburgh. The observatory he had constructed at his first home in Australia recorded the first detailed observations of southern hemisphere stars from the continent and was where Enke’s comet was discovered in 1822. Remnants of Sir Thomas’s books and equipment are still held in the Sydney Observatory.

After returning to Scotland, he was elected President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1832, succeeding Sir Walter Scott, and was created a baronet in 1836. While continuing his astronomical research, he received honorary degrees from both Oxford and Cambridge universities, and was President of the British Association for the Advancement of Science.

He regarded his greatest achievements, however, as those that benefited his own community. He established the Largs Brisbane Academy to give local children the opportunity of a better education, and made provision for a new sewage system in the town to clear the streets of dirty water. This effectively reduced the prevalence of deadly diseases in the area, including the scourges of cholera and typhoid. He is remembered in the town today in the names of Brisbane Glen, Brisbane House and the Thomas Makdougall Brisbane Bridge.

On his death in 1860, Sir Thomas was rightly lauded: dedicated military leader, effective governor and celebrated astronomer. His memorial can be seen today in the grounds of the kirk in his hometown of Largs.

With no fewer than 10 locations named in honour of Sir Thomas – including one of the Moon’s craters and the much-loved Australian city – his influence during his relatively short tenure as Governor is clear, and as I pointed out at the start ofthis post, a man of great character.

[valkyries-things]

DAME ANGELA LANSBURY // ACTRESS

“She was a British and American actress. In a career spanning 80 years, she played various roles across film, stage, and television. Although based for much of her life in the United States, her work attracted international attention. Lansbury gained stardom for playing the leading role in the Broadway musical Mame (1966), winning her first Tony Award and becoming a gay icon. She had the main role in Murder, She Wrote which became one of the longest-running and most popular detective drama series in television history. Through Corymore Productions, a company that she co-owned with her husband Peter Shaw, Lansbury assumed ownership of the series and was its executive producer during its final four seasons. Among her numerous accolades were six Tony Awards (including a Lifetime Achievement Award), six Golden Globe Awards, a Laurence Olivier Award, and the Academy Honorary Award, in addition to nominations for three Academy Awards, eighteen Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Grammy Award.”

[barkingbonzo]

James Stewart

James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military officer. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morality, which he portrayed both on and off the screen, he epitomized the "American ideal" in the mid-twentieth century. In 1999, the American Film Institute (AFI) ranked him third on its list of the greatest American male actors. He received numerous honors including the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1980, the Kennedy Center Honor in 1983, as well as the Academy Honorary Award and Presidential Medal of Freedom, both in 1985.

Born and raised in Indiana, Pennsylvania, Stewart started acting while at Princeton University. After graduating, he began a career as a stage actor making his Broadway debut in the play Carry Nation (1932). He landed his first supporting role in The Murder Man (1935) and had his breakthrough in Frank Capra's ensemble comedy You Can't Take It with You (1938). Stewart went on to receive the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in George Cukor romantic comedy The Philadelphia Story (1940). His other Oscar-nominated roles were in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), It's a Wonderful Life (1946), Harvey (1950) and Anatomy of a Murder (1959).

[20th-century-personalities]

Anouk Aimee in 1955. In 2002, she received an honorary César, the French equivalent of the Academy Award, for career achievement.