Cicely Tyson Amonm Governors’ honorees
Kennedy becomes first female Thalberg winner
LOS ANGELES — Steven Spielberg teased Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall about the beginnings of their relationship. Actress Cicely Tyson brought more than a few people to tears while clutching her Oscar, and publicist Marvin Levy sang a few lines from “Hamilton” to an audience that included Lin-manuel Miranda at a lively Governors Awards Sunday night in Los Angeles.
The event honoring the careers of Tyson, Levy and composer Lalo Schifrin brought some of Hollywood’s biggest names to the Ray Dolby Ballroom to reminisce, laugh and schmooze.
The Governors Awards celebrate the careers of entertainment veterans who have not yet won an Academy Award by bestowing them with an honorary Oscar statuette. Recipients are voted on by the board of governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
For the 93-year-old Tyson, it was a half lifetime coming. It had been 45 years since her first and only nomination, for “Sounder” in 1972.
“This is a culmination of all those years of haves and have nots,” Tyson said.
Levy became the first member of the public relations branch of the film academy to win an honorary Oscar, while Kennedy became the first woman to win the prestigious Irving G. Thalberg Memorial award — an honor she shared with her husband and partner Marshall.
The Thalberg award is given to creative producers in recognition of their high-quality body of work. The last Thalberg award recipient was Francis Ford Coppola in 2010.
“I’m incredibly honored to be the first woman to receive this award,” Kennedy said. “I’m not the first to deserve it, and I’m 100 percent sure I won’t be the last.”
Schifrin, who composed the themes to “Mission: Impossible” and “Dirty Harry,” had to have a little humor in accepting his award from Clint Eastwood. Eastwood, who said he couldn’t read the teleprompter, called Schifrin up to the stage early because he wanted to ask him some questions.
On stage, Schifrin and Eastwood talked about jazz and how many movies they’d worked on together.
Schifrin took hold of his moment of glory after going home from the Oscars empty handed six times in his long career.
“Receiving this honorary Oscar is the culmination of a dream,” Schifrin, 86, said. “It is mission accomplished.”
And Levy, who has been Spielberg’s publicist for over 40 years, said his job has always been a little hard for people outside the business to understand. “At least now they know I got an Oscar for it,” he laughed.