Jimmy Stewart Museum to honor Caviezel

Actor Jim Caviezel, best known for “The Passion of the Christ” but also a fixture on CBS with “Person of Interest,” will receive the Harvey Award from the Jimmy Stewart Museum at summer’s end.

On “The View” a week ago, Mr. Caviezel recalled working as a waiter at a party in his earliest days in Hollywood and being cautioned by his boss that he would be fired immediately if he talked to any celebrity guests. Mr. Stewart, who was at the event, spoke to him and the actor could see someone making a throatslashing sign across the room, indicating he was fired.

“Young man, whatever you do, you make good movies,” the Oscar winner counseled, and the pair became friends. “On the day I got ‘The Thin Red Line,’ I went to his house and said, ‘I finally made it, sir,’ ” he said, adding that on his mantel at home is a film he highly recommends called “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

In addition to playing an ex-CIA agent on the TV show and Jesus in “Passion,” Mr. Caviezel recently appeared in “When the Game Stands Tall” as a high school football coach whose 151-game winning streak came to an end. The real-life man he portrayed was more concerned that his players demonstrate the perfect effort than rack up a string of victories.

Mr. Caviezel will be honored Aug. 29 at the Chestnut Ridge Ballroom in Blairsville. Ticket information will be released shortly through the museum’s website at www.jimmy.org.

The Indiana, Pa., attraction in Mr. Stewart’s hometown is marking its 20th anniversary. The museum opened May 20, 1995, and has welcomed more than 160,000 visitors. A public event will be held at the museum, 835 Philadelphia St., at noon May 20 with details to come.

It also has reinstated its scholarship program and added a new educational grant program for teachers.