birthname	Amy Marie Madigan
birth date	September 11, 1950
birth place	Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
spouse	Ed Harris (1983–present)
occupation	Actress
yearsactive	1981 – present }}

Amy Marie Madigan (born September 11, 1950) is an American actress who is known for her role as Annie Kinsella in the 1989 film ''Field of Dreams'' and Iris Crowe in the HBO television series ''Carnivale''.

Career

Madigan was nominated for an Oscar for her performance in the 1985 film ''Twice in a Lifetime''. From 2003 to 2005, she starred in the HBO series ''Carnivàle'' as Iris Crowe, the sister of sinister preacher Brother Justin Crowe (Clancy Brown). Madigan also played keyboard, percussion, and vocals behind Steve Goodman on tour throughout the late '70s. Later she briefly recorded with Danny Sheridan's Eli Radish Band replacing former Pure Prairie League vocalist Starr Smith. She was (with singers Fred Bliffert and Jesse Roe) one-third of the group Jelly whose only album, A True Story, was released by Asylum in 1977. At the 71st Academy Awards, Madigan was one of several performers who refused to applaud Elia Kazan, due to his controversial activities during his career.

Madigan appeared in four episodes of Season 3 of Fringe as Olivia's mother.

Personal

Madigan has been married to actor Ed Harris since Monday, November 21, 1983. The couple have one child together, a daughter, Lilly born on Monday, May 3, 1993.

Selected credits

''Love Child'' (1982)

''Victims'' (1982)

''The Day After'' (1983)

''Places in the Heart'' (1984)

''Streets of Fire'' (1984)

''Alamo Bay'' (1985)

''The Laundromat'' (1985)

''Twice in a Lifetime'' (1985)

''Nowhere to Hide'' (1987)

''Field of Dreams'' (1989)

''Uncle Buck'' (1989)

''The Prince of Pennsylvania'' (1989)

''The Dark Half'' (1993)

''And Then There was One (film)'' (1994)

''Riders of the Purple Sage'' (1996)

''Female Perversions'' (1996)

''A Bright Shining Lie (1998) (TV Film)

''Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years'' (1999)

''A Time for Dancing'' (2000)

''Pollock'' (2000)

''Just a Dream'' (2002)

''The Laramie Project'' (2002)

''Carnivàle'' (2003–2005)

''The Discontents'' (2004)

''In the Land of Milk and Money'' (2004)

''Winter Passing'' (2005)

''Gone Baby Gone'' (2007)

''Criminal Minds'' (2007)

''Living Proof'' (2008)

''Grey's Anatomy'' (2008–2009)

''ER'' (2009)

''Law & Order'' (2010)

''Fringe (TV series)'' (2010)

''That's What I Am'' (2011)

''Memphis Beat'' (2011)

Awards and nominations

{| style="font-size: 90%;" class="wikitable" |- ! Year !! Group!! Award !! Film or television show !! Result |- |1983 || Golden Globe Award || New Star of the Year in a Motion Picture - Female || ''Love Child'' || style="background: #ffdddd" | Nominated |- |1986 || Golden Globe Award || Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture || ''Twice in a Lifetime'' || style="background: #ffdddd" | Nominated |- |1990 || Golden Globe Award || Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV || ''Roe v. Wade'' || style="background: #ddffdd" | Won |- |1986 || Academy Award || Best Actress in a Supporting Role || ''Twice in a Lifetime'' || style="background: #ffdddd" | Nominated |- |1985 || CableACE Awards || Actress in a Theatrical or Dramatic Special || ''The Laundromat'' || style="background: #ddffdd" | Won |- |1995 || CableACE Awards || Actress in a Movie or Miniseries|| ''And Then There Was One'' || style="background: #ddffdd" | Won |- |1989 || Emmy Award || Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Special || ''Roe v. Wade'' || style="background: #ffdddd" | Nominated |- |1989 || Independent Spirit Awards || Best Supporting Female || ''The Prince of Pennsylvania'' || style="background: #ffdddd" | Nominated |- |1998 || Independent Spirit Awards || Best Supporting Female || ''Loved'' || style="background: #ffdddd" | Nominated |- |1999 || Satellite Awards || Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television || ''A Bright Shining Lie'' || style="background: #ffdddd" | Nominated |- |2003 || Satellite Awards || Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television || ''Just a Dream'' || style="background: #ffdddd" | Nominated |- |2004 || Satellite Awards || Best Performance by an Actress in a Series, Drama || ''Carnivàle'' || style="background: #ffdddd" | Nominated |}

References

External links

Category:1950 births Category:Living people Category:People from Chicago, Illinois Category:Actors from Chicago, Illinois Category:American film actors Category:American television actors Category:Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe (television) winners Category:Marquette University alumni Category:Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute alumni Category:Roosevelt University alumni

de:Amy Madigan fr:Amy Madigan it:Amy Madigan he:אמי מאדיגן nl:Amy Madigan ja:エイミー・マディガン no:Amy Madigan pl:Amy Madigan ru:Мэдиган, Эми sv:Amy Madigan tl:Amy Madigan

Name	Ry Cooder
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Ryland Peter Cooder
Born	March 15, 1947Los Angeles, California, USA
Attended	Santa Monica High School
Instrument	Guitar, mandolin, vocals, array mbira
Genre	Americana, roots rock, folk, blues, Tex-Mex, country, gospel, world music
Occupation	Musician, songwriter, film scorer, record producer, instructor
Years active	1967–present
Label	Warner Bros. RecordsNonesuch/Elektra Records
Associated acts	Taj Mahal, Captain Beefheart, Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, Nicky Hopkins, Gabby Pahinui, Buena Vista Social Club, Mavis Staples, Ali Farka Toure
Website	Ry Cooder }}

Ryland "Ry" Peter Cooder (born 15 March 1947) is an American guitarist, singer and composer.

He is known for his slide guitar work, his interest in blues-rock, roots music from the United States, and, more recently, for his collaborations with traditional musicians from many countries.

Cooder's solo work has been an eclectic mix, taking in dust bowl folk, blues, Tex-Mex, soul, gospel, rock, and much else. He has collaborated with many important musicians, including The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Earl Hines, Little Feat, Captain Beefheart, The Chieftains, John Lee Hooker, Pops, Mavis Staples, Gabby Pahinui, Flaco Jiménez, Ibrahim Ferrer (Buena Vista Social Club), Freddy Fender and Ali Farka Touré. He formed the Little Village supergroup with Nick Lowe, John Hiatt, and Jim Keltner.

Cooder was ranked 8th on ''Rolling Stone'' magazine's list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time." A 2010 ranking by Gibson placed him at number 32.

Career

1960s

During the 1960s, Cooder briefly attended Reed College in Portland, Oregon. Cooder first attracted attention in the 1960s, playing with Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band, after previously having worked with Taj Mahal and Ed Cassidy in the Rising Sons. He also played with Randy Newman at this time, including on ''12 Songs'' and possibly Newman's first album, ''Randy Newman''. Van Dyke Parks worked with Newman and then with Cooder during the 1960s. Parks arranged Cooder's "One Meatball" according to Parks' 1984 interview by Bob Claster.

Cooder was a guest session musician on various recording sessions with the Rolling Stones in 1968 and 1969, and his contributions appear on the Stones' ''Let It Bleed'' (mandolin on "Love in Vain"), and ''Sticky Fingers'', on which he contributed the slide guitar on "Sister Morphine". During this period, Cooder joined with Mick Jagger, Charlie Watts, Bill Wyman, and longtime Rolling Stones sideman Nicky Hopkins to record ''Jamming with Edward''. Cooder also played slide guitar for the 1970 movie ''Performance'', which contained Mick Jagger's first solo single, "Memo from Turner". The 1975 Rolling Stones compilation album ''Metamorphosis'' features an uncredited Cooder contribution on Bill Wyman's "Downtown Suzie", which is also the first Rolling Stones song played and recorded in the open G tuning.

Ry Cooder also collaborated extensively with long-time friend and like-minded individual, Lowell George of Little Feat. Cooder can be heard on the original version of Little Feat's "Willin'." He played slide guitar on that track after Lowell cut his finger whilst making model airplanes.

1970s

Throughout the 1970s, Cooder released a series of Warner Bros. Records albums that showcased his guitar work. Cooder, like a musicologist or treasure hunter, explored bygone musical genres and found great old-time recordings which he then, as a musician, personalized with sensitive, updated reworkings. Thus, on his breakthrough album, ''Into the Purple Valley'', he chose unusual instrumentations and performed his own arrangements of old Black blues and gospel songs, a Calypso, and white country music songs (giving a tempo change to the cowboy ballad, "Billy the Kid"). The album opened with a protest song, "How Can You Keep on Moving (Unless You Migrate Too)" by Agnes "Sis" Cunningham about the Okies who were not welcomed with open arms when they migrated to escape the Dust Bowl in the 1930s — to which Cooder gave a rousing-yet-satirical march accompaniment. His later 1970s albums (with the exception of ''Jazz'') do not fall under a single genre description, but — to generalize broadly — it might be fair to call Cooder's self-titled first album blues; ''Into the Purple Valley'', ''Boomer's Story'', and ''Paradise and Lunch'', folk and blues; ''Chicken Skin Music'' and ''Showtime'', a unique melange of Tex-Mex and Hawaiian; ''Jazz'', 1920s jazz; ''Bop Till You Drop'', 1950s' R&B;; and ''Borderline'' and ''Get Rhythm'', eclectic rock-based excursions. Cooder's 1979 album ''Bop Till You Drop'' was the first popular music album to be recorded digitally. It yielded his biggest hit, an R&B; cover version of Elvis Presley's 1960s recording "Little Sister". Ry Cooder is credited on Van Morrison's 1979 album, ''Into the Music'', for slide guitar on the song "Full Force Gale". Cooder also played guitar on Judy Collins' 1970 concert tour, and is featured on ''Living'', the 1971 live album recorded during that tour.

1980s

Cooder has worked as a studio musician and has also scored many film soundtracks including Wim Wenders film ''Paris, Texas'' (1984). Cooder based this soundtrack and title song "Paris, Texas" on Blind Willie Johnson's "Dark Was the Night (Cold Was the Ground)", which he described as "The most soulful, transcendent piece in all American music." "Dark Was the Night (Cold Was the Ground)" was also the basis for Cooder's song "Powis Square" for the movie ''Performance''. His other film work includes Walter Hill's ''The Long Riders'' (1980), ''Southern Comfort'' (1981), ''Brewster's Millions'' (1985), ''Last Man Standing'' (1996), Hill's ''Trespass'' (1992) and Mike Nichols' ''Primary Colors'' (1998). Cooder dubbed all slide guitar parts in the 1986 film ''Crossroads'', a take on blues legend Robert Johnson. In 1988, Cooder produced the album by his longtime backing vocalists Bobby King and Terry Evans on Rounder Records titled ''Live and Let Live''. He contributed his slide guitar work to every track. He also plays extensively on their 1990 self-produced Rounder release ''Rhythm, Blues, Soul & Grooves''.

1990s

In the early 1990s Cooder collaborated on two world music "crossover" albums, which blended the traditional American musical genres that Cooder has championed throughout his career with the contemporary improvised music of India and Africa. For ''A Meeting by the River'' (1993), which also featured his son Joachim on percussion, he teamed with Hindustani classical musician V.M. Bhatt, a virtuoso of the Mohan Veena, a modified 20-string archtop guitar of Bhatt's own invention. In 1995 he teamed with African multi-instrumentalist Ali Farka Toure on the album ''Talking Timbuktu'', which he also produced; the album also featured longtime Cooder collaborator Jim Keltner on drums, veteran blues guitarist Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, jazz bassist John Patitucci and African percussionists and musicians including Hamma Sankare and Oumar Toure. Both albums won the Grammy Award for 'Best World Music Album' in 1994 and 1995 respectively. Cooder also worked with Tuvan throat singers for the score to the 1993 film ''Geronimo: An American Legend''.

In 1995 he performed in ''The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True'', a musical performance of the popular story at the Lincoln Center in New York to benefit the Children's Defense Fund. The performance was originally broadcast on Turner Network Television (TNT), and was issued on CD and video in 1996.

In the late 1990s Cooder played a significant role in the increased appreciation of traditional Cuban music, due to his collaboration as producer of the ''Buena Vista Social Club'' (1997) recording, which became a worldwide hit and revived the careers of some of the greatest surviving exponents of 20th century Cuban music. Wim Wenders, who had previously directed 1984's ''Paris Texas'', directed a documentary film of the musicians involved, ''Buena Vista Social Club'' (1999), which was nominated for an Academy Award in 2000.

2000s

Cooder's 2005 album ''Chávez Ravine'' was touted by his record label as being "a post-World War II-era American narrative of 'cool cats', radios, UFO sightings, J. Edgar Hoover, red scares, and baseball" — the record is a tribute to the long-gone Los Angeles Latino enclave known as Chávez Ravine. Using real and imagined historical characters, Cooder and friends created an album that recollects various aspects of the poor but vibrant hillside Chicano community which no longer exists. Cooder says, "Here is some music for a place you don’t know, up a road you don’t go. Chávez Ravine, where the sidewalk ends." Drawing from the various musical strains of Los Angeles, including conjunto, corrido, R&B;, Latin pop, and jazz, Cooder and friends conjure the ghosts of Chávez Ravine and Los Angeles at mid-century. On this fifteen-track album, sung in Spanish and English, Cooder is joined by East L.A. legends like Chicano music patriarch Lalo Guerrero, Pachuco boogie king Don Tosti, Thee Midniters front man Little Willie G, and Ersi Arvizu, of The Sisters and El Chicano.

Cooder's next record was released in 2007. Entitled ''My Name Is Buddy'', it tells the story of Buddy Red Cat, who travels and sees the world in the company of his like-minded friends, Lefty Mouse and Rev. Tom Toad. The entire recording is a parable of the working class progressivism of the first half of the American twentieth century, and even has a song featuring executed unionist Joe Hill. ''My Name Is Buddy'' was accompanied by a booklet featuring a story and illustration (by Vincent Valdez) for each track, providing additional context to Buddy's adventures.

Cooder produced and performed on an album for Mavis Staples entitled ''We'll Never Turn Back'', which was released on April 24, 2007. The concept album focused on Gospel songs of the civil rights movement and also included two new original songs by Cooder.

Ry Cooder's album ''I, Flathead'' was released on June 24, 2008. It is the completion of his California trilogy. Based on the drag racing culture of the early 1960s, the album is set on the desert salt flats in southern California. The disc was also released as a deluxe edition with stories written by Cooder to accompany the music.

In late 2009, Cooder toured Japan, New Zealand and Australia with Nick Lowe, performing some of Lowe's songs and a selection of Cooder's own material, mainly from the 1970s. Joaquim Cooder (Ry's son) provided percussion, and Juliette Commagere and Alex Lilly contributed backing vocals.

The song "Diaraby", which Cooder recorded with Ali Farka Touré, is used as the theme to ''The World's'' Geoquiz. ''The World'' is a radio show distributed by Public Radio International.

In 2009, Cooder performed in ''The People Speak'', a documentary feature film that uses dramatic and musical performances of the letters, diaries, and speeches of everyday Americans, based on historian Howard Zinn's ''A People's History of the United States''. Cooder performed with Bob Dylan and Van Dyke Parks on the documentary broadcast on December 13, 2009 on the ''History Channel''. They played "Do Re Mi" and reportedly a couple of other Guthrie songs that were excluded from the final edit. He also traveled with the band Los Tigres del Norte and recorded the 2010 album ''San Patricio'' with the Chieftains, Lila Downs, Liam Neeson, Linda Ronstadt, Van Dyke Parks, Los Cenzontles, and Los Tigres.

2010s

In June 2010, responding to the passage of Arizona SB 1070, he released the single "Quicksand", which tells the story of Mexicans attempting to emigrate to Arizona through the desert. Cooder's new album ''Pull Up Some Dust And Sit Down'', released on 30 August 2011, contains politically charged songs such as "No Banker Left Behind" which was inspired by a Robert Scheer column.

Awards

1988 Grammy Award – ''Pecos Bill'' (Rabbit Ears Productions)

1993 Grammy Award – ''Meeting by the River''

1995 Grammy Award – ''Talking Timbuktu with Ali Farka Toure''

1998 Grammy Award – ''Buena Vista Social Club''

2000 – Ry Cooder received an honorary doctorate from Queen's University, Canada

2001 - Ry Cooder received an honorary doctorate from the California Institute of the Arts

2003 – ''Rolling Stone'' magazine named Ry Cooder the 8th Greatest Guitarist of All Time in their "100 Greatest Guitarists" list, p. 8

Discography

Singles

"Little Sister" (1979; Warner Records)

"Crazy 'Bout An Automobile (Every Woman I Know)" Recorded live, October 25, 1980 at Victoria Apollo, London / "If Walls Could Talk" Recorded live, February 26, 1981 at Old Waldorf, San Francisco, California / "The Very Thing That Makes You Rich (Makes Me Poor)" Recorded live, February 26, 1981 at Old Waldorf, San Francisco, California/ "Look At Granny Run Run" Recorded live, February 26, 1981 at Old Waldorf, San Francisco, California (1981; Warner Records)

"Gypsy Woman"/ "Alimony" (1982; Nonesuch Records)

"Get Rhythm"/ "Get Your Lies Straight/ "Down In Hollywood" (1988)

"Come Down" / "Get Rhythm" / "Little Sister" (1994)

"Quicksand" (June 2010)

Solo albums

''Ry Cooder'' (December 1970)

''Into the Purple Valley'' (February 1972)

''Boomer's Story'' (November 1972)

''Paradise and Lunch'' (May 1974)

''Chicken Skin Music'' (October 1976)

''Showtime'' (August 1977)

''Jazz'' (June 1978)

''Bop Till You Drop'' (August 1979)

''Borderline'' (October 1980)

''The Slide Area'' (April 1982)

''Get Rhythm'' (November 1987)

''Chávez Ravine'' (May 2005)

''My Name Is Buddy'' (March 2007)

''I, Flathead'' (June 2008)

''Pull Up Some Dust and Sit Down'' (August 2011)

Compilations

''Why Don't You Try Me Tonight'' (1986)

''River Rescue - The Very Best Of Ry Cooder'' (1994)

''Music by Ry Cooder'' (1995) (two-disc set of film music)

''The Ry Cooder Anthology: The UFO Has Landed (October 2008)

Collaborations

''Tanyet'' (1967) (with The Ceyleib People)

''Rising Sons featuring Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder'' (recorded 1965/66, released 1992)

''Little Village'' (1992)

''A Meeting by the River'' (1993) (with Vishwa Mohan Bhatt)

''Talking Timbuktu'' (1994) (with Ali Farka Touré)

''Buena Vista Social Club'' (September 1997)

''Hollow Bamboo'' with Jon Hassell and Ronu Majumdar (bansuri) (2000)

''Mambo Sinuendo'' (January 2003) (with Manuel Galbán)

''San Patricio'' (March 2010) (with The Chieftains)

Soundtracks

''Performance'' (1970)

''The Long Riders'' (June 1980)

''Southern Comfort'' (1981)

''The Border'' (1982)

''Paris, Texas'' (February 1985)

''Music from Alamo Bay'' (August 1985)

''Blue City'' (July 1986)

''Crossroads'' (July 1986)

''Cocktail (1988)

''Johnny Handsome'' (October 1989)

''Trespass'' (January 1993)

''Geronimo: An American Legend'' (1993)

''Last Man Standing'' (1996)

''The End of Violence'' (1997)

''Primary Colors'' (1998)

Performs on:

''Safe as Milk'' (1967) with Captain Beefheart

''Neil Young (album)'' (1968) with Neil Young

''The Candlestickmaker'' (1970) with Ron Elliott

''Washington County'' (1970) with Arlo Guthrie

''Living'' (1971) with Judy Collins

''Money and Cigarettes'' (February 1983) with Eric Clapton

''Midnight Mission'' (1984) Carla Olson & The Textones (featured on two songs)

''Bring the Family'' (1987) with John Hiatt

''Live and Let Live'' (1988) with Bobby King & Terry Evans

''King Cake Party'' (1994) with The Zydeco Party Band

Written works

''Los Angeles Stories'' (City Lights Publishers, 2011)

References

External links

Ry Cooder (Nonesuch Records)

Easy Guitar Chords Homepage

http://articles.latimes.com/2009/dec/12/entertainment/la-et-people-speak12-2009dec12

Category:Living people Category:Lead guitarists Category:1947 births Category:American film score composers Category:American blues guitarists Category:American folk guitarists Category:American rock guitarists Category:American male singers Category:Buena Vista Social Club Category:Contemporary blues musicians Category:People from Los Angeles, California Category:Musicians from California Category:Reed College alumni Category:Slide guitarists Category:Warner Bros. Records artists Category:Nonesuch Records artists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:American musicologists Category:Captain Beefheart Category:The Magic Band members

br:Ry Cooder cs:Ry Cooder da:Ry Cooder de:Ry Cooder es:Ry Cooder fr:Ry Cooder fy:Ry Cooder it:Ry Cooder hu:Ry Cooder nl:Ry Cooder ja:ライ・クーダー no:Ry Cooder pl:Ry Cooder pt:Ry Cooder ru:Кудер, Рай sr:Raj Kuder fi:Ry Cooder sv:Ry Cooder tr:Ry Cooder uk:Рай Кудер

name	Dustin Lance Black
birth date	June 10, 1974
birth place	Sacramento, California
occupation	Screenwriter, film director, film producer
nationality	American
alma mater	UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television '96
notableworks	''Big Love'' (2006 – present)''Milk'' (2008)
awards	Academy AwardsBest Original Screenplay2008 ''Milk'' }}

Dustin Lance Black (born June 10, 1974) is an American screenwriter, director, film and television producer, and LGBT rights activist. He has won two Writers Guild of America Awards for his work on the television series ''Big Love'' and an Academy Award for the 2008 film ''Milk''.

Early life

Black was born in Sacramento, California and grew up in a Mormon household, in San Antonio, Texas and later moved to Salinas, California when his mother remarried. His father had been the Mormon missionary who had baptized Black's mother earlier.

Growing up surrounded by Mormon culture and military bases, Black worried about his sexuality. He told himself, "I'm going to hell. And if I ever admit it, I'll be hurt, and I'll be brought down" when he found himself attracted to a boy in his neighborhood at the age of six or seven. He says that his "acute awareness" of his sexuality made him dark, shy and at times suicidal, and he came out in his senior year of college.

While attending North Salinas High School, Black began to work in theater at The Western Stage in Salinas-Monterey, California, and later worked on productions including ''Bare'' at Hollywood's Hudson Main Stage Theater. Black attended the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Theater, Film, and Television (UCLA) while apprenticing with stage directors, taking acting jobs and working on theater lighting crews. He graduated with honors from UCLA's School of Theater, Film and Television in 1996.

Career

In 2000, he wrote and directed ''The Journey of Jared Price'', a gay romance film, and ''Something Close to Heaven'', a gay coming-of-age short film. In 2001, he directed and was a subject in the documentary ''On the Bus'' about a Nevada road trip and adventure at Burning Man taken by six gay men. Raised as Mormon, he was hired as the only such writer on the HBO drama series ''Big Love'' about a polygamistic family. He has written for all seasons, serving on season one as a staff writer, executive story editor in season two, and was promoted again, to co-producer, for season three.

Black had first visited San Francisco in the early 1990s, while AIDS was devastating the city's gay community. Black said that, "Hearing about Harvey was about the only hopeful story there was at the time." He had first viewed Rob Epstein's documentary ''The Times of Harvey Milk'' when he was in college, and thought, "I just want to do something with this, why hasn't someone done something with this?" Researching Milk's life for three years, Black met with Milk's former aides Cleve Jones and Anne Kronenberg, as well as former San Francisco Mayor Art Agnos, and began to write a feature film screenplay encompassing the events of Milk's life. The screenplay was written on spec, but Black showed the script to Jones, who passed it on to his friend Gus Van Sant, who signed on to direct the feature. Black is an old friend of ''Milk'' producer Dan Jinks, who signed on to the biopic after he called Black to congratulate him and discovered that the project did not have a confirmed producer.

Black's film ''Pedro'', profiling the life of AIDS activist and reality television personality Pedro Zamora, premiered at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival. Coming up, Paris Barclay is slated to direct his screenplay ''A Life Like Mine'' and Gus van Sant is set to direct his film adaptation of Tom Wolfe's book ''The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test''. Black is set to direct his own script ''What's Wrong with Virginia'', to star Jennifer Connelly. He has also written the screenplay for the biopic Hoover to be released in 2012 directed by Clint Eastwood.

On February 22, 2009, Black won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for ''Milk'' at the 81st Academy Awards. He wore a White Knot to the ceremony as a symbol of solidarity with the marriage equality movement. In his acceptance speech at the Oscar ceremony, he said:

Black marched in the National Equality March and delivered a speech in front of the Congress Building to an estimated crowd of 200,000 LGBT rights activists on October 11, 2009.

In 2010, Black narrated ''8: The Mormon Proposition'', a documentary about the involvement of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in California's Proposition 8. Black accepted the award for best documentary for 8:The Mormon Proposition at the GLAAD Media awards in San Francisco and spoke out very poignantly on discrimination in the Mormon church and meeting with the church to make it more LGBT-inclusive.

Personal life

Black told the ''Daily Bruin'' that "You hear people say, 'This is my reason for being here. This is my compass.' For me, that's 'Milk.' I wanted to maybe inspire the younger generation to start becoming activists in a grassroots way. There's a lot of stuff that still needs changing — not just gay rights." Black was the top entry on a list of openly gay influential people in ''The Advocate'''''s'' "Forty under 40" issue of June/July 2009. He was featured on the cover of the magazine. He was one of the Official Grand Marshals in the 2009 NYC LGBT Pride March, produced by Heritage of Pride joining Anne Kronenberg and Cleve Jones.

In June 2009, photographs of Black engaging in unprotected sex were published by Internet gossip columnist Perez Hilton. Black released a statement saying: "It is unfortunate that individuals and other outside parties are trying to profit from material which is clearly private." His statement also emphasized the importance of responsible sexual practices. On 23 July 2009, Black filed a lawsuit against photo agency Starzlife, alleging the organization illegally obtained the pictures and distributed them without his permission. He is claiming invasion of privacy and copyright infringement and asking for $3 million in damages, as well as any profit the company made from the photos.

Awards

Academy Awards, Best Original Screenplay, 2009, ''Milk''

Writers Guild of America, Best Original Screenplay, 2009, ''Milk''

Writers Guild of America, Paul Selwin Civil Rights Award, 2009, "to the member whose script best embodies the spirit of constitutional and civil rights and liberties"

American Film Institute (AFI) Awards 2008, ''Milk''

Film Independent's Spirit Awards, best first screenplay, 2009, ''Milk''

UCLA's Distinguished Achievement in Screenwriting award, "UCLA Festival 2009: New Creative Work," School of Theater, Film and Television, June 10, 2009, Freud Playhouse "Distinguished Service to the LGBT Community by a UCLA Alumnus" Award, 2009 UCLA LGBT Graduation Ceremony, June 13, 2009

References

External links

Category:American film directors Category:American film editors Category:American film producers Category:American screenwriters Category:American television producers Category:American television writers Category:Best Original Screenplay Academy Award winners Category:Former Latter Day Saints Category:Independent Spirit Award winners Category:LGBT directors Category:LGBT screenwriters Category:LGBT writers from the United States Category:LGBT rights activists from the United States Category:People from San Antonio, Texas Category:University of California, Los Angeles alumni Category:Writers Guild of America Award winners Category:Gay writers Category:1974 births Category:Living people

de:Dustin Lance Black fr:Dustin Lance Black it:Dustin Lance Black ja:ダスティン・ランス・ブラック pl:Dustin Lance Black pt:Dustin Lance Black ru:Блэк, Дастин Лэнс sv:Dustin Lance Black zh:達斯汀·蘭斯·布雷克