Tag Archives: Robert Redford

Hollywood Stars Rally For Oil Spill Telethon

by admin on 19. Jun, 2010 in Celebrity Gossip

Cameron Diaz

Cameron Diaz, Robert Redford, Sting and Lenny Kravitz are lending their support to a star-studded TV telethon to raise funds for the state of Louisiana following the devastating BP oil spill in April (10).

TV bosses at CNN have answered actor Ian Somerhalder’s call for action to help boost donations to the areas in the Gulf of Mexico worst affected by the huge catastrophe, which has been ruled the worst environmental disaster in American history.

The Vampire Diaries star, who hails from Covington, near to the coastline where oil is washing up daily, issued the plea to his Hollywood pals earlier this week (begs14Jun10) after seeing the huge success of George Clooney’s Hope for Haiti Now telethon in January (10). Clooney’s event raised a massive $57 million to help rebuild the earthquake-ravaged country.

Somerhalder told E! Online, “Coming from the entertainment world, I’m really shaken by how quiet Hollywood is. And I say that out of respect for my peers and colleagues, but I’m really bummed that no one is really coming up to help the situation. I think a telethon is a good way to funnel money into these channels. We need to set one of those things up to really paint a picture of exactly how much devastation is here.

“This is ground zero right now. I’m looking at this slick of oil. I’ve been watching pelicans die. This place is going to need money, that is the bottom line – money in the right hands to replant these marshes. (It) really breaks my heart…”

The Disaster in the Gulf: How You Can Help telethon for oil spill victims will take place during a special two-hour edition of Larry King Live on Monday (21Jun10), with appearances from a slew of additional celebrities, including Ted Danson, Tim McGraw, Alyssa Milano, Justin Bieber, Jenny McCarthy and Pete Wentz, while Sting is scheduled to perform.

American Idol host Ryan Seacrest will also front a special online edition for fans to watch on the internet.

The charity event will raise funds for a variety of relief organisations, such as the United Way, the National Wildlife Federation and the Nature Conservancy.

News of the telethon follows BP bosses’ pledge on Wednesday (16Jun10) to invest $20 billion into the clean-up effort and to help put unemployed fishermen and restaurant staff back to work after the disaster.



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Redford Slams Politicians & Oil Chiefs Over Slick

by admin on 07. Jun, 2010 in Celebrity Gossip

Robert Redford,

Veteran actor Robert Redford has accused politicians of blindly supporting oil chiefs in the aftermath of the massive spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Indecent Proposal star, who worked on oilfields as a teenager, has filmed a five-minute video for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) to highlight the crisis, which is threatening the Gulf Coast.

The clip features photos and TV footage of the oil leak, which was triggered when a BP rig collapsed in April (10) and has since been branded one of the worst environmental disasters in the country’s history.

Redford is angry that so little appears to be being done by officials as BP chiefs are spearheading the clean-up process – and he is calling on politicians to monitor the situation closely.

In the clip, Redford says, “Stop listening to the self-interested propaganda of the oil companies and their parrots in Congress.

“Even at the age of 16, it bothered me because I could see what was happening up there (was) that the propaganda of oil companies, and the lobbyists they hire, were selling the idea that it was going to be great for the economy, great for everybody. And I saw it differently.”

And Redford has also urged his fellow countrymen to move away from their dependence on oil and pursue alternate energy sources, such as wind and solar power.

He adds, “I think it is time for the American people to take charge of their own livelihood and say, let’s stop this and let’s move to a clean energy policy.”



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De Niro, Redford And Spielberg Lead Petition For Jailed Panahi

by admin on 03. May, 2010 in Celebrity Gossip

Robert De Niro

Stars including Robert De Niro, Robert Redford and Steven Spielberg have joined forces in a bid to persuade the Iranian government to released jailed filmmaker Jafar Panahi.

The Iranian director, a vocal supporter of the country’s opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi, was arrested following a police raid on his home in Tehran in March (10) and has since allegedly been held in the city’s Evin prison.

A group of Hollywood’s most high-profile stars have now come together to fight for the filmmaker’s freedom, signing a petition calling for Panahi’s release.

The document reads, “We… stand in solidarity with a fellow filmmaker, condemn this detention, and strongly urge the Iranian government to release Mr. Panahi immediately. Like artists everywhere, Iran’s filmmakers should be celebrated, not censored, repressed and imprisoned.”

The petition has also been signed by Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Joel and Ethan Coen, Ang Lee, Oliver Stone and documentary maker Michael Moore.

The director, whose movies include The White Balloon and The Circle, backed Mousavi last year (09) during the country’s controversial election which saw President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad retain power.

He was briefly detained in the summer of 2009 after attending a memorial for a slain protester, and was allegedly banned from travelling abroad after he was photographed wearing green – the color of opposition supporters – at the Montreal film festival in Canada.



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Redford Against Dvd Extras

by admin on 05. Apr, 2010 in Celebrity Gossip

Robert Redford

Robert Redford is not a fan of behind-the-scene DVD features – because giving fans access to cinema secrets ruins "the magic" of the movie.

The Way We Were star insists film lovers don’t need accompanying documentaries detailing a project’s creation because it detracts from their enjoyment.

He says, “I’m just a purist. I never ascribed that you should have a documentary about the making of a film. Films were meant to be a kind of magic that transplants you somewhere else because you can use your imagination and not have everything spelled out about this trick.”

Redford is reported to have made the comments while promoting the Blu-ray launch of his 1984 movie The Natural, which boasts interesting facts about the making of the film.



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Duvall To Receive San Francisco Film Prize

by admin on 19. Mar, 2010 in Celebrity Gossip

Robert Duvall

Robert Duvall is to be honoured with the Peter J. Owens Award at the San Francisco International Film Festival for his "incomparable acting career".

The movie star will be feted with an onstage tribute at the Castro Theatre on 29 April (10).

The Owens Award, named for the longtime San Francisco benefactor of arts and charitable organisations and Film Society board member, honours an actor whose work exemplifies brilliance, independence and integrity.

Past recipients include Robert Redford, Maria Bello, Robin Williams, Ed Harris, Sean Penn and Nicolas Cage.



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