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The 2015 Academy Awards Creates New Awareness About ALS

February 23, 2015

Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, and Reese Witherspoon
Academy Award winner Reese Witherspoon, with fellow Oscar nominees Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones
(Photo courtesy of Reese Witherspoon)

The 87th Annual Academy Awards Ceremony took place at Hollywood's Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, with an estimated 37 million viewers watching the annual celebration of the films of 2014.

The show was hosted by Neil Patrick Harris and featured a star-studded line up of presenters, of which over 75% had taken the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge in 2014.  Notable Ice Bucket participants included Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Lopez, Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Pine, Chris Pratt, John Travolta, and Oprah Winfrey. In addition, one of show's presenters, actor Terrence Howard, currently stars on the hit television show Empire; he plays a character who has been recently diagnosed with ALS‬.

Best Actress nominees included Reese Witherspoon for her performance in Wild. The Academy award-winning actress showed her support to the ALS community in 2014 by participating in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge‬ participant and as a member of THE NBAA: Team Nanci at the Los Angeles Walk to Defeat ALS. Last year, Reese shared her story of how the diagnosis of long-time friend and former publicist, ‪Nanci Ryder‬, inspired her to get involved and support the fight against ‪ALS‬.

In addition, Felicity Jones was also nominated for Best Actress for her portrayal of Jane Wilde Hawking, wife of renowned physicist Stephen Hawking, in the film, The Theory of Everything.  The Focus Features production chronicles the amazing love story of Jane and Stephen, including his diagnosis of ALS‬, and was nominated for a total of five ‪Oscars‬ - Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Best Picture. Staff and volunteers from the Golden West Chapter attended the Los Angeles premiere of the film in October 2014, and had the opportunity to meet with both Redmayne and Jones. The Golden West Chapter plans to honor the filmmakers at its upcoming Gala "One Starry Night" on Monday, April 20, 2015 at the Pasadena Playhouse.

Watch Eddie Redmayne's moving and inspired acceptance speech for the Best Actor in a Leading Role at the 87th Academy Awards. (Video courtesy of The Oscars.com)



Julianne Moore won Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in Still Alice. In Still Alice, Moore plays a college professor who learns that she is suffering from early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Adapted from a novel by Lisa Genova, writer/director Richard Glatzer was diagnosed with ALS shortly before he and his husband, Wash Westmoreland, took the project on. In Moore’s acceptance speech, she recognized the filmmakers, who were unable to attend the ceremony.

"When Richard was diagnosed with ALS, Wash asked him what he wanted to do. Did he want to travel? Did he want to see the world? And he said that he wanted to make movies and that’s what he did."

See Julianne Moore's heartfelt, funny and compelling acceptance speech for the Best Actress in a Leading Role at the 87th Academy Awards. (Video courtesy of The Oscars.com)


 

our best wishes tonight to Focus Features and the incredible cast and crew of The Theory of Everything Movie. The film chronicles the amazing love story of Jane Wilde and Stephen Hawking , including his diagnosis of ‪#‎ALS‬. The Academy has been nominated for film for five ‪#‎Oscars‬, including Best Picture.

The 2015 Academy Awards Creates New Awareness About ALS

February 23, 2015

Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, and Reese Witherspoon
Academy Award winner Reese Witherspoon, with fellow Oscar nominees Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones
(Photo courtesy of Reese Witherspoon)

The 87th Annual Academy Awards Ceremony took place at Hollywood's Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, with an estimated 37 million viewers watching the annual celebration of the films of 2014.

The show was hosted by Neil Patrick Harris and featured a star-studded line up of presenters, of which over 75% had taken the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge in 2014.  Notable Ice Bucket participants included Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Lopez, Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Pine, Chris Pratt, John Travolta, and Oprah Winfrey. In addition, one of show's presenters, actor Terrence Howard, currently stars on the hit television show Empire; he plays a character who has been recently diagnosed with ALS‬.

Best Actress nominees included Reese Witherspoon for her performance in Wild. The Academy award-winning actress showed her support to the ALS community in 2014 by participating in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge‬ participant and as a member of THE NBAA: Team Nanci at the Los Angeles Walk to Defeat ALS. Last year, Reese shared her story of how the diagnosis of long-time friend and former publicist, ‪Nanci Ryder‬, inspired her to get involved and support the fight against ‪ALS‬.

In addition, Felicity Jones was also nominated for Best Actress for her portrayal of Jane Wilde Hawking, wife of renowned physicist Stephen Hawking, in the film, The Theory of Everything.  The Focus Features production chronicles the amazing love story of Jane and Stephen, including his diagnosis of ALS‬, and was nominated for a total of five ‪Oscars‬ - Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Best Picture. Staff and volunteers from the Golden West Chapter attended the Los Angeles premiere of the film in October 2014, and had the opportunity to meet with both Redmayne and Jones. The Golden West Chapter plans to honor the filmmakers at its upcoming Gala "One Starry Night" on Monday, April 20, 2015 at the Pasadena Playhouse.

Watch Eddie Redmayne's moving and inspired acceptance speech for the Best Actor in a Leading Role at the 87th Academy Awards. (Video courtesy of The Oscars.com)



Julianne Moore won Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in Still Alice. In Still Alice, Moore plays a college professor who learns that she is suffering from early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Adapted from a novel by Lisa Genova, writer/director Richard Glatzer was diagnosed with ALS shortly before he and his husband, Wash Westmoreland, took the project on. In Moore’s acceptance speech, she recognized the filmmakers, who were unable to attend the ceremony.

"When Richard was diagnosed with ALS, Wash asked him what he wanted to do. Did he want to travel? Did he want to see the world? And he said that he wanted to make movies and that’s what he did."

See Julianne Moore's heartfelt, funny and compelling acceptance speech for the Best Actress in a Leading Role at the 87th Academy Awards. (Video courtesy of The Oscars.com)


 

our best wishes tonight to Focus Features and the incredible cast and crew of The Theory of Everything Movie. The film chronicles the amazing love story of Jane Wilde and Stephen Hawking , including his diagnosis of ‪#‎ALS‬. The Academy has been nominated for film for five ‪#‎Oscars‬, including Best Picture.