Melissa McCarthy to receive award at Palm Springs International Film Festival
Melissa McCarthy will be receiving the Spotlight Award at the 30th Palm Springs International Film Festival this year.
McCarthy will be receiving the honor for her portrayal of Lee Israel in “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”. The award will be presented to her by her co-star Richard E-Grant.
“Melissa McCarthy delivers a heartbreaking performance as author Lee Israel, perfectly portraying Israel’s loneliness as she struggles with her own relevance in society,” said Festival Chairman Harold Matzner. “McCarthy’s dramatic turn is truly captivating and deserving of awards recognition. It is our honor to present this year’s Spotlight Award to Melissa McCarthy.”
McCarthy, well-known for her comedic roles, has received extensive praise for her portrayal as Lee Israel in the biographical drama.
“In Fox Searchlight’s Can You Ever Forgive Me? Melissa McCarthy stars as Lee Israel, the best-selling celebrity biographer, and cat lover, who made her living in the 70s and 80s profiling the likes of Katharine Hepburn, Tallulah Bankhead, Estee Lauder and Dorothy Kilgallen,” reads a description of the film in festival’s release. “When Lee found herself unable to get published because she had fallen out of step with the marketplace, she turned her art form to deception, abetted by her loyal friend Jack (Richard E. Grant).”
McCarthy and other award recipients will receive their honors at the Film Awards Gala, which is being held at the Palm Springs Convention Center on January 3. The full festival runs from January 3 through January 14.
McCarthy joins a good company as a Spotlight Award recipient; past honorees include Allison Janney, Julia Roberts, J.K. Simmons, Bryan Cranston, Helen Hunt, and Amy Adams. All Spotlight award recipients went on to receive Academy Award nomination the year that they were honored.
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