George Clooney News

This year the "Julie Harris Award for Lifetime Achievement" was presented to Jason Alexander, "A man worthy of the tribute for both his illustrious career and for his support of The Fund over the years," said The Fund's President and CEO, Joe Benincasa. See below for photos from the event!

L.A. Theatre Works (LATW) has recorded "8," a dramatization of the legal fight against California's Proposition 8 written by Academy Award-winning screenwriter and American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) founding board member Dustin Lance Black, for release on audiobook and for broadcast on LATW's nationally syndicated radio theater series. Directed by Rob Reiner and featuring an all-star cast that includes Kevin Bacon, George Clooney, Jamie Lee Curtis, Christine Lahti, Jane Lynch, Brad Pitt, Martin Sheen and John C. Reilly, "8" will air on public radio stations across the U.S. this week, beginning June 9.

MOMO films announced that '8' the new play by Academy Award winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black (Milk and J. Edgar) will come to life featuring an all-star Australian cast; Shane Jacobson, Lisa McCune, Daniel MacPherson, and Spencer McLaren.

Mc Coy Rigby Entertainment & Fox Operator Bill Malone of FX Arts, in association with Nederlander Presentations, Albert Nocciolino, Larry Payton, Michael Filerman and Heni Koenigsberg, bring audiences in Riverside the final production of the 2011-2012 season with the ultimate musical theatre experience for the entire family, Cathy Rigby and Brent Barrett starring in PETER PAN, a musical production of the play by Sir James Barrie, with lyrics by Carolyn Leigh, music by Moose Charlap, additional lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and additional music by Jule Styne, beginning June 29.

FACTS OF LIFE stars Mindy Cohn and Kim Fields reunited on last night's WATCH WHAT HAPPENS LIVE! on Bravo.

Hines Ward, a four-time Pro Bowler who played 14 years for the Pittsburgh Steelers before retiring after the 2011 season, joins NBC Sports Group as an analyst across its NFL, college football and studio programming, it was announced today.

Nancy Johnston will replace Allyce Beasley and co-star with Lynne Wintersteller in Kari Floren's two-hander Revisiting Wildfire about two college roommates, best friends for life, who re-unite after thirty years, which begins previews Off-Broadway tonight, June 1.

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) Conservatory Director Melissa Smith previously announced that honorary master of fine arts degrees would be conferred on acclaimed actress and comedian Mary Birdsong and California Shakespeare Theater Artistic Director Jonathan Moscone.

Nancy Johnston will replace Allyce Beasley and co-star with Lynne Wintersteller in Kari Floren's two-hander Revisiting Wildfire about two college roommates, best friends for life, who re-unite after thirty years.

L.A. Theatre Works (LATW) has recorded "8," a dramatization of the legal fight against California's Proposition 8 written by Academy Award-winning screenwriter and American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) founding board member Dustin Lance Black, for release on audiobook and for broadcast on LATW's nationally syndicated radio theater series. Directed by Rob Reiner and featuring an all-star cast that includes Kevin Bacon, George Clooney, Jamie Lee Curtis, Christine Lahti, Jane Lynch, Brad Pitt, Martin Sheen and John C. Reilly, "8" will air on public radio stations across the U.S. during the week of June 9.

American director Wes Anderson has built colorful, beautifully realized worlds in his seven feature films, from his stunning debut Bottle Rocket to his latest Cannes Film Festival opening feature, Moonrise Kingdom. From today, May 18 through 27, 2012, Museum of the Moving Image will present a Wes Anderson retrospective including all of his features and the short Hotel Chevalier, as well as a special screening of Orson Welles's The Magnificent Ambersons-a film that inspired Anderson. Each screening in the series will open with a personal video introduction by Wes Anderson.

Following the partnership on Ron Howard's RUSH, also to be released through Cross Creek's distribution deal with Universal Pictures, the first film being produced and financed under this new far reaching arrangement is the thriller A WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES starring Liam Neeson (TAKEN).

On June 10, 2012, The Actor's Fund will present its 16th Annual Tony Awards party at the Skirball Center, this year honoring Jason Alexander with the Julie Harris Award for Lifetime Achievement.. Scott Bakula will host the gala and this year's Honorary Celebrity Committee includes: Julie Bowen, Nancy Dussault, Dann Florek, Elliott Gould, Steve Guttenberg, Garry Marshall, Chita Rivera, Susan Sarandon, Holland Taylor and Zachary Quinto. The event includes cocktails and a silent auction followed by ainner and a live telecast of a live feed of the Tony Awards as they happen in New York.

The runaway British hit CALL THE MIDWIFE, a new drama that depicts midwifery in 1950s London, kicks off the PBS 2012 fall season with a six-part Sunday-night run that begins September 30. A production of BBC Worldwide and Neal Street Productions, MIDWIFE further strengthens PBS' hold on quality Sunday night programs and launches a fall full of drama - both fictional and real - anchored by Ken Burns's new documentary THE DUST BOWL, PBS ELECTION 2012 coverage of the presidential campaign including FRONTLINE's award-winning 'The Choice,' and the season two return of MASTERPIECE CLASSIC 'Upstairs Downstairs.'Sundays continue to be a source of captivating drama for PBS, while strong Wednesday 'Exploration' nights feature new episodes of the science series NATURE, NOVA and an updated NOVA scienceNOW, hosted for the first time by tech guru and New York Times reporter David Pogue. Monday nights open with a series of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW specials that lead into the first fall season of MARKET WARRIORS. The award-winning film series INDEPENDENT LENS moves to Mondays at 10 p.m. beginning October 29, creating a new space for independent film that will also be the home for POV's 2013 season. Friday night PBS ARTS programs include the four-part series VOCES, which highlights Latino and Hispanic arts, and AMERICAN MASTERS 'Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance.'

Exclusive Media has acquired international rights in all media to the feature film AT ANY PRICE, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Ramin Bahrani (GOODBYE SOLO, CHOP SHOP) and starring Dennis Quaid (WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU'RE EXPECTING), Zac Efron (THE LUCKY ONE), Kim Dickens (FOOTLOOSE) and Heather Graham (THE HANGOVER).

Downton Abbey meets Broadway! BWW can report that Dan Stevens, star of the Golden Globe-winning series "Downton Abbey," will play the role of "Morris Townsend" opposite Academy Award nominee Jessica Chastain (Catherine Sloper) and Academy Award nominee and Emmy Award winner David Strathairn (Dr. Austin Sloper) in the Tony Award-winning play The Heiress. Written by Ruth Goetz & Augustus Goetz, The Heiress will be directed by Tony Award nominated playwright and director Moises Kaufman. Performances will begin October 2012 at a theatre to be announced.

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) Conservatory Director Melissa Smith announced today that honorary master of fine arts degrees will be conferred on acclaimed actress and comedian Mary Birdsong and California Shakespeare Theater Artistic Director Jonathan Moscone.

Allyce Beasley and Lynne Wintersteller began rehearsals today as two college roommates, best friends for life, who re-unite thirty years later in Revisiting Wildfire by Kari Floren, directed by Eve Brandstein.