The Academy Invites 134 To Membership, Hathaway, Jackman, Rahman and Telsey Among Invitees
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is extending invitations to join the organization to 134 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures. Those who accept the invitation will be the only additions in 2009 to the Academy's roster of voting members. "These filmmakers have, over the course of their careers, captured the imagination of audiences around the world," said Academy President Sid Ganis. "It's this kind of talent and creativity that make up the Academy, and I welcome each of them to our ranks." The Academy's membership would have allowed a maximum of 166 new members in 2009, but as in the previous years, the several branch committees endorsed fewer candidates than were proposed to them. Voting membership in the organization has now held steady at just under 6,000 members since 2003. New members will be welcomed into the Academy at an invitation-only reception at the Academy's Fairbanks Center for Motion Picture Study in Beverly Hills in September. The 2009 invitees are: Actors Casey Affleck Emily Blunt Michael Cera Viola Davis James Franco Brendan Gleeson Anne Hathaway Taraji P. Henson Emile Hirsch Hugh Jackman Melissa Leo Jane Lynch Eddie Marsan James McAvoy Seth Rogen Paul Rudd Amy Ryan Michael Shannon Michelle Williams Jeffrey Wright ' ' ' Music Jeff Danna Andrew Dorfman Peter Gabriel Clint Mansell A.R. Rahman http://broadwayworld.com/article/The_Academy_Invites_134_To_Membership_Hathaway_Jackman_Rahman_and_Telsey_Among_Invitees_20090630