Ava DuVernay, Mark Ruffalo Selected for SAG-AFTRA Foundation Honors
By Dave McNary
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Ava DuVernay and Mark Ruffalo have been selected by the SAG-AFTRA Foundation for its fourth Annual Patron of the Artists Awards.
The awards will be presented on Nov. 7 at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills. The show benefits the nonprofit and is not televised.
Previous SAG-AFTRA Foundation Patron of the Artists Award honorees include Ted Sarandos, Spike Lee, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Lee Daniels, Kathryn Bigelow, Judd Apatow, Megan Ellison and Rob Marshall. Previous SAG-AFTRA Foundation Artists Inspiration Award honorees include Lady Gaga, Harrison Ford, Kate Winslet, Lionel Richie and Leonardo DiCaprio.
JoBeth Williams, SAG-AFTRA Foundation Board President, said, “As a director, producer and writer, Ava is a true patron of artists. Her ensemble-based films and series have launched the careers of countless actors, and created exceptional opportunities for artists, both above and belowthe line. She has simultaneously ushered in greater diversity and new narratives in entertainment.”
DuVernay directed “Selma,” the Oscar-nominated criminal justice documentary “13th” and Disney’s “A Wrinkle in Time.” Her most recent project is the multi Emmy-nominated “When They See Us.” Currently, DuVernay is overseeing production on her TV series “Queen Sugar” and her upcoming OWN series “Cherish the Day.”
“And, as an active advocate for renewable energy, Mark’s tireless work on behalf of the environment is without question making an impact and an inspiration to his fellow artists,” Williams added. “Not only has he raised significant awareness and resources to promote clean energy, but he consistently uses his platform to stand up for human rights, equal rights and causes that promote equity and justice for everyone.”
Ruffalo has been nominated for Academy Awards for “The Kids Are All Right,” “Foxcatcher” and “Spotlight.” He is currently in production on “I Know This Much Is True” on HBO. He recently wrapped Focus Features’ “Dark Waters,” directed by Todd Haynes, and starred in “Avengers: Endgame.” He received the Global Green Millennium Award for Environmental Leadership and the Meera Gandhi Giving Back Foundation Award.
