With the Academy inviting 176 new members, it is interesting to note that being nominated or winning an Oscar may be the easiest way to gain entrance.
A total of 47 of the new members announced today were nominated for or won the elusive statuette at the 84th Academy Awards this year — eight actors, including nominees Berenice Bejo, Demian Bichir, Jessica Chastain, Jonah Hill, Melissa McCarthy, Janet McTeer and winners Jean Dujardin and Octavia Spencer, made the roster. The Artist Best Director winner Michel Hazanavicius and Best Picture winner Thomas Langmann and Best Foreign Language Film director Asghar Farhadi (A Separation) were among other 2011 winners invited.
Local residents among those being offered the membership include actor– “The Lincoln Lawyer,” “A Time to Kill” writer and director Lisa Cholodenko – "The Kids Are All Right," "Laurel Canyon," actor Sam Rockwell – “Cowboys & Aliens,” “Noon,” director Gregg Araki, publicists Susan Ciccone, actress Kerry Washington – “Django Unchained,” “Ray" and Gregory Silverman among others.
Mathew McConaughey finally became a member (he’s not been a nominee yet, though); and in the writers branch, author Stephen King made the list even though his most recent actual screenwriting credits go back more than two decades for the likes of Pet Sematary and Creepshow – the two credits the Academy lists for him on its press release. Obviously his novels and short stories account for a lot of movies getting made. Also of note is the fact that elusive director Terrence Malick (The Tree Of Life) is among last year’s nominees to gain admittance even though his first two Oscar nominations came 14 years ago for writing and directing The Thin Red Line. Congratulations to all.
Click here for the complete list.
