Bates, Streisand, Theron, Downey Jr. et al. to Present at 82nd Academy Awards, 3/7

Past Oscar winners Kathy Bates, Barbra Streisand and Charlize Theron will join former Oscar nominees Robert Downey Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, Queen Latifah and John Travolta as presenters at the 82nd Academy Awards®, telecast producers Adam Shankman and Bill Mechanic announced today. Collectively the group has earned 16 nominations and won four Academy Awards.

Bates won an Academy Award® for her lead performance in "Misery" (1990). Streisand won Oscars® in 1968 for her lead performance in "Funny Girl" and in 1976 for the Original Song "Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star Is Born)." In 2003 Theron received an Academy Award for her lead role in "Monster."

Downey earned Oscar nominations for his lead performance in "Chaplin" (1992) and his supporting role in "Tropic Thunder (2008). Both Jackson and Queen Latifah received nominations for their supporting roles in "Pulp Fiction" (1994) and "Chicago" (2002), respectively. Travolta earned nominations in the lead acting category for both "Saturday Night Fever" (1977) and "Pulp Fiction" (1994).

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2009 will be presented on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network beginning at 5 p.m. PT/ 8 p.m. ET. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the world's preeminent movie-related organization, with a membership of more than 6,000 of the most accomplished men and women working in cinema. In addition to the annual Academy Awards - in which the members vote to select the nominees and winners - the Academy presents a diverse year-round slate of public programs, exhibitions and events; provides financial support to a wide range of other movie-related organizations and endeavors; acts as a neutral advocate in the advancement of motion picture technology; and, through its Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive, collects, preserves, restores and provides access to movies and items related to their history. Through these and other activities the Academy serves students, historians, the entertainment industry and people everywhere who love movies.

For more information, visit www.oscar.com or www.oscars.org.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.