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PEOPLE & ARTS Thursday 24 OcTOber 2019
Governors Awards honoree Geena Davis on advocacy and equity

By LINDSEY BAHR began informally after she
Associated Press realized the effect that
LOS ANGELES (AP) — When "Thelma & Louise" had on
Geena Davis got a mes- people.
sage on a Saturday morn- "It dramatically changed
ing that the president of my life," Davis said. "The re-
the Academy of Motion action to it made me real-
Picture Arts and Sciences ize that we give women so
needed to speak to her ur- few opportunities to feel
gently, she thought "I hope empowered and inspired
I'm not in trouble." by the female characters.
It was quite the oppo- That's when I decided that
site. The call was to inform from then on, I was going to
Davis that she had been make choices with women
selected to receive the in the audience in mind."
Jean Hersholt Humanitar- It led her to "A League of
ian Award at this year's Their Own," which not only
Governors Awards for start- bolstered her own self-es-
ing the Geena Davis Insti- teem in learning to play a
tute on Gender in Media. sport but seemed to have
On Sunday, she'll join the an effect on young girls
ranks of past honorees like who would tell her that they
Audrey Hepburn, Gregory played sports because of
Peck and Oprah Winfrey at her.
the 11th installment of the The ultimate push, howev-
awards. Honorary Oscars er, came when she started
will also be given to David watching kids' television
Lynch, Wes Studi and Lina This Jan. 23, 2017 file photo shows actress Geena Davis posing for a portrait to promote the film, and movies with her then-
Wertmüller. "Marjorie Prime" during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. toddler daughter and real-
Unlike her fellow honorees, Associated Press ized "profound gender in-
however, Davis, 63, has ac- with towels and sat down and as they go down the she said. "It took a little bit of equality" started there and,
tually won an Academy and I put on the TV," she line, each reviewer says in a shine off of going at first." she theorized, was inadver-
Award - for her supporting said. "The Oprah Show" one way or another, abso- Mercifully, she didn't have tently teaching children to
performance in "The Acci- was on and a few movie lutely zero chance." to wait that much longer. have unconscious bias. She
dental Tourist." Although it's critics were talking about One said she was too Her category was first up at started informal conversa-
now 30 years ago, she re- who would win that night. pretty for the role. Anoth- the ceremony and she won tions with executives in the
members that day vividly. As luck would have it, they er said she was too ugly. out over Sigourney Weaver industry, pointing out what
It was her first Oscars and were just about to start talk- And Davis just sat there, in and Joan Cusack ("Work- she had noticed.
she was pretty nervous. ing about her category. her towel-covered gown, ing Girl"), Frances McDor- "I would say, 'Have you ever
She'd gotten made up and "I thought: Oh, this will be in- mouth open and a fork full mand ("Mississippi Burning") noticed how few female
put on her evening gown teresting," Davis said. "One of spaghetti in hand. As if and Michelle Pfeiffer ("Dan- characters are in movies
very early in the day. As by one, they're talking she wasn't nervous enough gerous Liaisons"). and TV made for kids?'" Da-
she waited, she thought: I about the nominees and already. "I thought, well, The award Sunday, howev- vis said. "And every single
should have a snack. saying various nice things ok. I mean, I'm all dressed. er, is not for acting, but for person said, 'Oh, no, that's
"So, I got a plate of spa- about everybody. And I might as well still go. But her work as an advocate not true anymore. That's
ghetti. I covered myself up then they get to me last it was incredibly sobering," for gender equality, which been fixed.'" q

Ginsburg to receive $1 million Berggruen Prize

By MARK SHERMAN tice, but maintains an ac- thropist Nicolas Berggruen
Associated Press tive public speaking sched- to honor those who have
WASHINGTON (AP) — Su- ule that took her to the San "profoundly shaped human
preme Court Justice Ruth Francisco Bay Area ear- self-understanding and ad-
Bader Ginsburg is the win- lier this week. Ginsburg has vancement."
ner of this year's $1 million been treated for cancer Berggruen said in an inter-
Berggruen Prize for philoso- twice in the past 10 months. view that Ginsburg played
phy and culture. Before joining the high a leading role in gender
The award announced court, she served 13 years equality.
Wednesday by the Los An- as a federal appeals court "She has done a lot to pro-
geles-based Berggruen In- judge in Washington, D.C. tect and further civil liber-
stitute honors Ginsburg for Ginsburg spent the early ties. She has done a lot for
her pioneering legal work part of her career as a pro- women. That's especially
for gender equality and her fessor at the Rutgers Uni- important in these times,"
support for the rule of law. versity law school in New he said.
The institute says Ginsburg Jersey and at Columbia Ginsburg will receive the In this Oct. 3, 2019 photo, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader
will direct the money to University law school. She award on Dec. 16 at a cer- Ginsburg claps after listening to students sing opera at Amherst
charity. started the American Civil emony at the New York College in Amherst, Mass.
The 86-year-old Ginsburg Liberties Union's Women's Public Library. Associated Press
has been on the Supreme Rights Project in the 1970s. When she received a differ- rected the money to more civil rights organizations,
Court since 1993. The Berggruen Prize was es- ent foundation's $100,000 than a dozen schools, per- according to her financial
She is the court's oldest jus- tablished in 2016 by philan- award in 1996, Ginsburg di- forming arts groups and disclosure report.q