Angelina Jolie receives humanitarian award from Academy

The Hollywood film industry recognized Angelina Jolie on Saturday
with a humanitarian award for her work with
refugees and advocating for human rights
through her film career.
Actors Angela Lansbury and Steve Martin and
costume designer Piero Tosi also received what
are called “honorary Oscars” for their
contributions to film at the annual Governors
Awards from the Academy of Motion Picture
Arts and Sciences.
In a celebrity-packed room, with partner Brad
Pitt and Cambodia-born son Maddox by her side,
Jolie was introduced by Bosnian and Serbian
cast members from her directorial debut, “In the
Land of Blood and Honey.” They thanked her for
giving those who lived the Balkan war a chance
to express themselves.
The 38-year-old Oscar winner is a special envoy
to the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees and has made more than 40 field
missions, including recently to help refugees
fleeing the war in Syria.
Upon receiving the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian
Award from director George Lucas, Jolie
remembered her late mother who encouraged
her to live a life of use to others, although the
actress said it took time for her to realize what
that meant.
“When I met survivors of war and famine and
rape, I learned what life is like for most people in
this world,” Jolie said.
“I realized how sheltered I had been,” she added,
“and I was determined to never be that way
again.”
Past winners of the humanitarian award include
Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman.
CARDINALE CELEBRATES COSTUMES
British-American actress Lansbury, whose
career has spanned seven decades, was feted for
memorable roles in films like her cockney maid
in “Gaslight” in 1944, directed by George Cukor.
While nominated three times for supporting
actress Oscars, including for “Gaslight,” she has
never won.
“Ms. Lansbury, here is your Academy Award at
last,” said film historian Robert Osborne as he
presented her with the golden Oscar statuette.
Lansbury, 88, noted that although she had
worked with some of the best actors and
directors, the world knew her more for her TV
series “Murder She Wrote” than for her film
career.
The funniest notes of the night came with the
award for Martin, who was the recipient of jabs
from fellow actors Tom Hanks and Martin Short.
Short called the Governors Awards “the highest
honor an actor can receive in mid-November.”
“I can’t possibly express how excited I am
tonight because the Botox is fresh,” joked
Martin, 68, best known for his offbeat comedy,
banjo playing and films like “The Jerk.” He has
never won an Oscar.
Tosi, the prolific Italian costume designer who
worked with the director Luchino Visconti in
films like “The Leopard,” was not able to travel
from his home in Italy. Actress Claudia
Cardinale, who wore Tosi’s dresses in several
roles, accepted the award for the 86-year-old.
“Piero asked me, an actress, to collect this prize
because he believes the work of a costume
designer is mainly dedicated to us, the actors,”
said Cardinale.
“I suspect he chose me because he made me
suffer a lot in the 10 films we did together.”