The Women's March Fotition Campaign - Connecting and Archiving ALL of The Women's Marches

The Women's March Bay Area and Fotition have created a campaign to help connect and archive the nearly 400 marches taking place in the US and abroad.

Fotition recently launched a social change platform that lets people post and share photos to raise awareness and support for the causes they care about.

The Women's March Fotition campaign is free to use and makes it easy (and fun) for people to create March-inspired images by taking or uploading photos and choosing from 25 different campaign-themed overlays. People can then use their images to change their social profile pics and share them directly to their social media pages, with a simple click. Also, every image posted to the campaign will be displayed in a campaign gallery (no need for #hashtags), where people can go to view (and share) photos posted by campaign supporters.

"We are excited to support the Women's March and help connect and archive all of the marches around the world," says Christian Johnson, co-founder and CEO of Fotition. "January 21st will be remembered as a day when the world stood together in solidarity to defend human rights and celebrate our diversity. We think this campaign will be a great way to help commemorate the Women's March and everything that it stands for."

The campaign was launched just a few days before the March and Fotition plans to keep the campaign running through February. That way people can post and share their March photos even after the March has ended.  Fotition hopes the Women's March campaign will become the largest user-generated event photo archive in history. Even people who weren't able to participate in the March can post photos to show their support and help amplify the mission and the message of the March.

• To see the Women's March Fotition campaign visit: fotition.com/womensmarch
• To learn more about the Women's March visit: womensmarch.com

(PRNewsFoto/Fotition)

About Fotition:

Fotition is a revolutionary new platform that offers users a social experience that doesn't exist with any other social sharing network or fundraising platform. Fotition lets people use their photos to raise awareness and support for the causes they care about. It also gives brands a way to convert their charitable giving into advertising, without taking any money away from the charities or causes they support. Fotition recently came out of beta and has already partnered with brands like Starbucks and Disney to launch campaigns to support good causes. They have also attracted early investment from several prominent Silicon Valley tech icons, including Scott Cook (founder of Intuit).  

SOURCE: Fotition

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The Trump Era Has Begun. How Can We Make Sense Of It?

O superman! EPA/Jim Lo Scalzo

By Liam Kennedy, University College Dublin

Donald Trump is now the 45th president of the United States.

The country he will oversee is, to him, a dark and troubled place. In his first speech as its president, he described a tragedy of “mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities, rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape”. With a promise to end this “American carnage”, he built up to his signature applause line: “Together, we will make America strong again. We will make America wealthy again. We will make America proud again. We will make America safe again. And yes, together we will make America great again.”

As Trump’s election as president in itself makes plain, America is indeed undergoing an excruciatingly painful reinvention. We cannot yet know where it will lead, and making sense of it will be no easy task. The last time America was this confused and disturbed, it spawned a whole cultural project dedicated to simply conveying the reality of what was happening.
Reflecting on the 1960 televised debates between presidential candidates Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy, the novelist Philip Roth lamented that

The American writer in the middle of the 20th century has his hands full in trying to understand, and then describe, and then make credible much of the American reality … The actuality is continually outdoing our talents, and the culture tosses up figures almost daily that are the envy of any novelist … on the TV screen, as a real public image, a political fact, my mind balked at taking [Nixon] in. Whatever else the television debates produced in me, I should like to point out, as a literary curiosity, that they also produced a type of professional envy.

This sense that reality was outrunning the capacities of writers to represent it was not new, but tellingly articulated by Roth as a challenge occasioned by the growth of televisual media and the transformation of politics into spectacle. His comments indicated something profound and shattering: an epochal shift in the “American reality.” Prescient stuff, given today’s laments about a “post-truth” society.

Superman comes to the supermarket
It is not coincidental that Roth was writing at the start of a period of intense social and political unrest in the US. As he pilloried many contemporary American writers for failing to respond to this epochal change, he noted one exception: “There is Norman Mailer. And he is an interesting example, I think, of one in whom our era has provoked such a magnificent disgust that dealing with it in fiction has almost come to seem, for him, beside the point.”
Sure enough, Mailer helped fashion a “new journalism” that could cope with the emerging society of the spectacle in the 1960s. In his 1960 essay on Kennedy’s election campaign, Superman Comes to the Supermarket, Mailer described the president-to-be as an “existential hero” who could tap into the drives that roil the national unconscious. This reflected Mailer’s very particular vision of American history:

Our history has moved on two rivers, one visible, the other underground; there has been the history of politics, which is concrete, factual, practical, and unbelievably dull … and there is a subterranean river of untapped, ferocious, lonely and romantic desires, that concentration of ecstasy and violence which is the dream life of the nation.

Style and substance, in balance. Wikimedia Commons

In Kennedy, Mailer saw someone who could fuse these historical currents and potentially renew the nation: “Only a hero can capture the secret imagination of a people, and so be good for the vitality of his nation.” To be sure, he recognised the dangers in celebrating a “superman” as leader, but reckoned Kennedy struck the right balance between rational substance and romantic style.

Later, with his hero assassinated in Dallas and the decade descending into protest and chaos, Mailer became a more jaundiced witness, if no less engaged. In The Armies of the Night, his account of the 1967 march on the Pentagon by legions of protesters, he argued that the US had entered the “crazy house of history,” reflecting the growing absurdity of events in late 1960s America. Yet he was smitten by the “idea of a revolution which preceded ideology.”

In the carnivalesque figures of the protesters he saw a flicker of existential promise:

They were close to being assembled from all the intersections between history and the comic books, between legend and television, the Biblical archetypes and the movies … the aesthetic at last was in the politics – the dress ball was going into battle.

The March on the Pentagon, 1967. Wikimedia Commons

This was to be a last hurrah for a counter-cultural politics that foundered on the mediocrity of the American mainstream. The centre held, just. Mailer’s perspective may have been perversely romantic, but this was also its power as a dissenting vision, attuned to “the dream life of the nation.”

Celebrity comes to the White House
American reality now seems to be undergoing another seismic shift, again in sync with a cycle of violence and civil unrest. And once again, reality appears to be outrunning American writers as they struggle to explain it, to make it credible. Step forward another Übermensch. Is Trump an existential hero in the mode Mailer described? And if he really is someone “who reveals the character of the country to itself”, what does he reveal about the character of the US today?

Trump has channelled the discontents of the nation, and tapped into angers and resentments that are more than political. He dares to say what should not be said, shocking the political and cultural elites, speaking to and for the “real Americans” in their language, giving voice to their inarticulate anger and thwarted dreams. He eschews the discourse of decency and decorum, bragging that he has “no problem” with the size of his penis.

Trump’s call to “Make America Great Again” is in some part an articulation and legitimisation of what has been disavowed in the making of a liberal democracy. He promises national renewal, but not the progressive, forward-looking renewal promised by Kennedy. Instead, he offers a regressive, backward-looking nationalism.

For Mailer, Kennedy’s heroism was inherent in his ability to balance glamorous style with political substance. Trump displays no such ability – he displays an excess of style and a deficit of substance. His heroism, such as it is, marks a new stage in the aestheticisation of politics, in which entertainment and political life have converged as never before.

Trump’s celebrity is the lifeblood of his appeal. He astutely understands his currency as a performer – “I will be so presidential”, he promised – and as a producer – “I play to people’s fantasies … I call it truthful hyperbole”.

Trump is the superman unleashed as celebrity phantasm, a figure of libidinal enjoyment who leeringly embodies the obscene underside of liberal democracy. And as was his campaign, so his presidency will be shadowed by neo-fascist subtexts and authoritarian tendencies. Witness his convictions that “at the bedrock of our politics will be a total allegiance to the United States of America”, and that “we all bleed the same red blood of patriots”.

As in the 1960s, today’s cultural and political turmoil is playing out in struggles over identity, representation and recognition – but in a more profound sense, the American reality itself has changed. This is not identity politics as we knew it; this is the politics of “wounded attachments”, resentment and grievance, the politics of all-or-nothing.

Trump’s gift for seizing attention and peddling fantasy plugs him into the zeitgeist and bemuses those who believe lies should have consequences. For many liberal, educated Americans, Trump’s political ascension is a confusing assault on their sense of reality. For writers and intellectuals it is an affront to their abilities, à la Roth, to make credible the new American reality.

Maybe this new reality will find or produce its own Mailer. I hope whoever it is shares that writer’s “magnificent disgust.” Even as Trump was driven to his inauguration, legions of protesters gathered in the city, across the US, and beyond. Perhaps new armies of the night are stirring.


About Today's Contributor: 
Liam Kennedy, Professor of American Studies, University College Dublin

This article was originally published on The Conversation. 

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The Hasty Pudding Theatricals Announces Octavia Spencer as 2017 Woman of the Year

The Hasty Pudding Theatricals, the oldest theatrical organization in the United States, announces Oscar winning actress, OCTAVIA SPENCER as the recipient of its 2017 Woman of the Year Award. The Pudding is proud to honor an actress whose depth of talent has captivated audiences with her comedic wit and her graceful portrayals of the underrepresented.

The Woman of the Year Award is the Hasty Pudding Theatricals oldest honor, bestowed annually on performers who have made lasting and impressive contributions to the world of entertainment. Established in 1951, the Woman of the Year Award has been given to many notable and talented entertainers, including Meryl Streep, Debbie Reynolds, Katharine Hepburn, Julia Roberts, Jodie Foster, Dame Helen Mirren and most recently Kerry Washington.

The Woman of the Year festivities, presented by the Related Companies, will begin at 3:00p.m. on January 26, 2017, when Ms Spencer will lead a parade through the streets of Cambridge. Following the parade, the Hasty Pudding Theatricals will host a celebratory roast for the actress. At 4:00 p.m., Ms Spencer will be presented with her Pudding Pot at Farkas Hall, the Hasty Pudding's historic home in the heart of Harvard Square since 1888. A press conference will follow the presentation.

For the first time ever, the press conferences for Hasty Pudding's Man and Woman of the Year will be live-streamed and available to the public free-of-charge. More information will be available on the Hasty Pudding's social media channels soon via Facebook www.facebook.com/thehastypudding, Twitter @thehastypudding and Instagram @thehastypudding. Afterward, the Hasty Pudding will give a preview of their 169th production, Casino Evil.

"We could not be more excited to offer Ms Spencer our Woman of the Year award. We are humbled by her talent and are so honored that our little Pudding pot will be sitting alongside Ms Spencer's Oscar and Golden Globe on her mantle," said Hasty Pudding Theatricals' Co-producer Adam Chiavacci. 

"Everyone here is really looking forward to meeting her – as long as she doesn't prove as difficult as her character on 30 Rock!" added Pudding Co-producer Natalie Kim.

OCTAVIA SPENCER, a veteran character actress and one of Hollywood's most sought-after talents, has become a familiar fixture on both television and the silver screen. Her critically acclaimed performance as Minny in DreamWork's feature film The Help won her the 2012 Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award, SAG Award, and Broadcast Film Critic's Choice Award among numerous other accolades.

Octavia can currently be seen in the highly acclaimed drama Hidden Figures alongside Taraji P. Henson, Janelle Monáe, and Kevin Costner. The film tells the true story of several African-American women who provide NASA with critical information needed to launch the program's early successful space missions. Octavia's performance as Dorothy Vaughan has earned her SAG, Golden Globe, and NAACP Image Award nominations to date. Later this year, she will be seen starring in The Shack, a film based off of the best-selling novel of the same title. The film follows a man, whose daughter is abducted during a family vacation, with evidence found in an abandoned shack leading authorities to believe she was murdered. Octavia also co-stars in Marc Webb's drama Gifted alongside Chris Evans and Jenny Slate. The film tells the story of Rank Adler, a deliberate underachiever who is raising his niece in rural Florida.

Octavia recently wrapped production on Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water, in which she stars alongside Michael Shannon, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Sally Hopkins. The film is an otherworldly love story set against the backdrop of the Cold War. She also recently finished filming Small Town Crime with John Hawkes and Anthony Anderson, a film about an alcoholic ex-cop who, through an act of self-redemption, becomes hell-bent on bringing a killer to justice.

Last year, Octavia reprised her role as Johanna in Allegiant, the third installment of Lionsgate's The Divergent Series franchise. She also voiced the character of Mrs. Otterton in the Disney animated film Zootopia, one of fastest worldwide grossing films of the year. Last fall, she co-starred alongside Elisabeth Moss and Boyd Holbrook in The Free World, a drama focusing on a recently released former convict who becomes involved with a married woman with an abusive husband that premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival; the drama Fathers and Daughters with Quvenzhane Wallis, Diane Kruger, Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfried, and Aaron Paul; and The Great Gilly Hopkins, the adaptation of Katherine Peterson's young adult Newberry Award winning novel. Octavia also reprised her role as Opal in Mark Waters' Bad Santa 2, along with Billy Bob Thornton and Kathy Bates.

In 2014, Spencer co-starred alongside Kevin Costner in the drama Black or White, which premiered at the 2014 Toronto Film Festival to rave reviews. Previously, Octavia co-starred in Tate Taylor's Get On Up, a chronicle of musician James Brown's rise to fame that also starred Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman and the sci-fi, action-adventure Snowpiercer opposite Tilda Swinton and Chris Evans. Directed by Bong Joon-ho, the film followed a train that holds all remaining inhabitants on earth after a climate-change experiment wipes out the rest of the population, and the class system that emerges. In 2013, Spencer was seen in the indie-drama Fruitvale Station which follows the final hours of Oscar Grant's life, a young man whose death sparked national outrage after video footage of his shooting was released to the public on New Year's Eve 2009.  Fruitvale Station won several prestigious awards including both the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award for US Dramatic films at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, the Un Certain Regard Award for Prix de l'avenir at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, and was named one of AFI's Films of the Year and received nominations for the 2014 Spirit Awards and NAACP Image Awards. Octavia was awarded "Best Supporting Actress" from the National Board of Review for her performance in the film and received an individual nomination from the NAACP Image Awards. She also served as a producer on the film.

Additional film credits include Diablo Cody's directorial debut Paradise alongside Russell Brand and Julianne Hough; Smashed, an independent film which premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival; Bryce Dallas Howard's directed segment of Call Me Crazy; A Five Film, an anthology of five short films focused on various stories of mental illness; Blues for Willadean, Fly Paper, Peep World, Dinner For Schmucks, Small Town Saturday Night, Herpes Boy, Halloween II, The Soloist, Drag Me To Hell, Seven Pounds, Pretty Ugly People, Coach Carter, Charm School, Win A Date With Tad Hamilton, Bad Santa, Spiderman, Big Momma's House, Being John Malkovich, Never Been Kissed and A Time to Kill.  In 2009, Octavia directed and produced a short film entitled The Captain, which was a finalist for the coveted Poetry Foundation Prize at the Chicago International Children's Film Festival.    

Among her many other professional achievements, Octavia has co-authored an interactive mystery series for children called Randi Rhodes, Ninja Detective. The first title in the series, Randi Rhodes, Ninja Detective: The Case of the Time-Capsule Bandit was published by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing in Fall 2013 and the second book, Randi Rhodes, Ninja Detective: Sweetest Heist in History, is currently in bookstores.   

ABOUT THE HASTY PUDDING INSTITUTE OF 1770

The Hasty Pudding Institute of 1770's philanthropic mission is to provide educational and developmental support in all aspects of the performing arts for the underprivileged, to encourage satire and comedy, and to cultivate young talent around the world. The Institute is comprises the Hasty Pudding Club (the oldest social club in the United States), the Hasty Pudding Theatricals (the third oldest theater group in the world, after the Comédie-Française and the Oberammergau Passion Players) and the Harvard Krokodiloes (the foremost collegiate a cappella group in the United States). Over the last two centuries, it has grown into a premiere performing arts organization, a patron of the arts and comedy, and an advocate for satire and discourse as tools for change worldwide.

SOURCE: Hasty Pudding Theatricals

Martin Luther King III, Vanessa Bell Calloway, David Mann, Lou Gossett, Jr., Bill Withers, Ed Gordon & More Added To 25th Annual Trumpet Awards

Martin Luther King III

Bounce will world premiere the 25th Annual Trumpet Awards, the prestigious annual event celebrating African-American achievements and contributions, on Sunday, January 29 at 9:00pm ET.

Bounce recently acquired all assets of The Trumpet Awards and now owns, produces and exclusively premieres the star-studded ceremony.

Black-ish, Angie Tribeca star and two-time EMMY nominated writer and actor Deon Cole and Rosewood, The Real Husbands of Hollywood and seven-time NAACP Image Award nominated actress Nicole Ari Parker will host the black-tie ceremony, to be held at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta, Georgia on Saturday, January 21, 2017.

Updates announced today:

• Martin Luther King III will be presented with the Impact Trumpet Award.
• An all-star Gospel Tribute featuring Shirley Caesar, Erica Campbell, Jekalyn Carr, Le'Andria Johnson, Travis Greene and Derek Minor.
• Previously announced honoree iconic musical group New Edition will be saluted in a medley performed by R&B bands Jagged Edge and Silk.
• Vanessa Bell Calloway, Ed Gordon, Lou Gossett, Jr., David Mann, Willie Moore, Jr., Gary Owen and Bill Withers have been added to the line-up of presenters.
• Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed is set to open the ceremony.

Tamela Mann, Regina Belle, BJ the Chicago Kid, Lalah Hathaway, Kenny Lattimore and Keke Wyatt will also be performing throughout the evening.

Honorees at this year's silver anniversary ceremony include television host and Daytime EMMY nominee Wendy Williams who will be presented with the Trumpet Award for Entertainment, former NBA great Dikembe Mutombo who will be recognized with the Humanitarian Trumpet Award, New Edition receiving the Lifetime Achievement Trumpet, GRAMMY-winning soul singer Peabo Bryson accepting the Legend Trumpet and fashion blogger Gabi Gregg being given the Trailblazer Trumpet Award.

In a very special tribute, civil rights icon and founder of the Trumpet Awards Xernona Clayton will be presented with the distinguished "Golden Trumpet Award" in recognition of her unparalleled leadership, affecting change, and steadfast work in building the legacy of the awards.   

Black-ish, Angie Tribeca and two-time EMMY(R) nominated actor Deon Cole and Rosewood, The Real Husbands of Hollywood and seven-time NAACP Image Award nominated actress Nicole Ari Parker host  the 25th Annual Trumpet Awards...

ABOUT BOUNCE

Bounce (@BounceTV) airs on the broadcast signals of local television stations and corresponding cable carriage and features a programming mix of original and off-network series, theatrical motion pictures, specials, live sports and more.  

Bounce has grown to be available in more than 94 million homes across the United States and 93% of all African-American (AA) television homes, including all the top AA television markets. Among the founders of Bounce are iconic American figures Ambassador Andrew Young and Martin Luther King, III.

SOURCE: Bounce

Protect Public Education - Stop Betsy DeVos! [Video Included]

Image via www.bravenewfilms.org

The following is an email I've received from our friends at Brave New Films and, as usual, I'm very happy to share it with you

If you live in the US and are concerned about the future of the country's public education, this is definitely worth reading/watching... 

Stay safe!

Loup Dargent

Image via www.bravenewfilms.org

The Email: 

Loup,

Yesterday, the U.S. Senate held their hearing on Trump’s Secretary of Education nominee, Betsy DeVos. And it was terrifying. 

We saw on full display a woman with no previous education experience other than trying to destroy Michigan's public school system and replace it with failing for-profit charter schools. 

A woman who is out to destroy public education as we know it and spent millions of dollars to do so.

That’s why Brave New Films has partnered with groups throughout the country to launch our new video exposing her for what she really is – and drive thousands of calls into the Senate to voice our unified opposition to her nomination!               

Call your Senator: 202-224-3121

Education can be the building block of a just and equal America – or it can be the feeder of an unequal, segregated America. 

Stand up today and share this video to protect free, public education for all! 

In solidarity, 
Robert Greenwald, President"

The Video:

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Tell The White House Press Corps: Stand Up To Donald Trump's Blacklist! [Petition]

The following is a very topical email (it has to do with Trump's behaviour towards the Press... as you've probably already guessed from the title of this post) I've recently received from Media Matters for America... 

Feel free to read it and act accordingly.

Stay safe!

Loup Dargent

Image via Media Matters For America

The Email: 
"Loup -- 

​At Donald Trump's first press conference as president-elect, Trump berated and blackballed CNN reporter Jim Acosta for daring to ask questions about his network's bombshell reporting on Trump's relationship with Russia. Even worse, the incoming White House press secretary threatened to throw Acosta out for doing his job and ask questions, and another Trump adviser attacked him. 

You would expect that the press would be outraged at such behavior from the administration. You would be wrong. The press pretended like none of this ever happened. They ignored that their colleague was being punished and shut out right in the middle of the press conference and continued engaging with Trump as if nothing out of the ordinary was going on. 

>> Tell the White House Press Corps: Stand up to Trump's blacklist

Trump has literally banned the Des Moines Register from covering his events. He banned Univsion from attending his events. He revoked The Washington Post’s credentials for a period in retaliation for a headline that he didn’t like. He revoked Politico’s credentials for a while to punish them for an article he didn’t like. BuzzFeed--which Trump called "a pathetic pile of garbage" during the press conference--has been on a blacklist since June of 2015. The Daily Beast is on the blacklist and is almost always denied credentials as a result. This list isn’t exhaustive, either. 

But journalists covering Trump don’t learn. Time and time again, as one outlet after another is frozen out, reporters continue to go about their interactions with Trump and his people as if nothing is wrong. 

>> Add Your Name: Tell the White House Press Corps to stand up to Trump's blacklist 

Enough is enough. Some principles are more important than competition among news outlets. 

When Trump does this, journalists must refuse to engage until he removes that person/outlet from the blacklist. Instead of ignoring Trump's bad behavior and going about their business, they must close ranks and stand up for journalism.

If a free press has any hope of surviving the next 4 years, we need the journalists covering Trump to nip this in the bud and send a clear message.

Anyone could be next.

John Whitehouse
Digital Director
Media Matters for America
@existentialfish "

Related Link:

• Trump Wants To Flood White House Press Briefings With Sycophants And Propagandists

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The Hasty Pudding Theatricals Announces Ryan Reynolds as The 2017 Man of The Year

Ryan Reynolds (PRNewsFoto/Hasty Pudding Institute of 1770)

The Hasty Pudding Theatricals, the oldest theatrical organization in the United States, announces producer and Golden Globe nominated actor, Ryan Reynolds as the recipient of its 2017 Man of the Year Award. The Pudding is proud to honor such a talented and diverse actor, whose seamless transition across multiple genres captures audiences and keeps them coming back to see what's next.

The Hasty Pudding Theatricals' Man and Woman of the Year Awards are presented annually to performers who have made lasting and impressive contributions to the world of entertainment. The Man of the Year award was established in 1963. Its past recipients include, among others, Clint Eastwood, Tom Hanks, Robert De Niro, Harrison Ford, Justin Timberlake, Robert Downey Jr, Chris Pratt and most recently, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who was the 50th Man of the Year.

The Man of the Year festivities, presented by the Related Companies, will take place on Friday, February 3rd, 2017. The Hasty Pudding Theatricals will host a celebratory roast for Mr. Reynolds and present him with his Pudding Pot at Farkas Hall, which has been the Pudding's historic home in the heart of Harvard Square since 1888. A press conference will follow the roast at 8:40 p.m.

For the first time ever, the press conferences for Hasty Pudding's Man and Woman of the Year will be live-streamed and available to the public free-of-charge. More information will be available on the Hasty Pudding's social media channels soon via Facebook www.facebook.com/thehastypudding, Twitter @thehastypudding and Instagram @thehastypudding. 

After the press conference, Mr. Reynolds will attend the opening night performance of the Pudding's 169th production, Casino Evil.

"We're thrilled to present Mr. Reynolds with our Man of the Year award, especially after he proved his ability to simultaneously break box-offices records and the fourth wall in 2015," said Guan Chen, President of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals. "And if his headline-stealing kiss with Andrew Garfield at the Golden Globes is any indication, it looks like he's getting ready for his roast."

Deadpool

Ryan Reynolds is one of Hollywood's most diverse leading men seamlessly transitioning through varied genres of drama, action and comedy in his rich and ever evolving career.

Reynolds is the Golden Globe nominated star of the 20th Century Fox record-breaking film DEADPOOL. The movie opened in February 2016 and shattered expectations, opening to $152.2-million over the four-day Presidents' Day weekend making it the biggest R-rated opening of all time and the biggest February opening in box office history. The superhero juggernaut also replaced "Matrix Reloaded" as the highest-grossing R-rated film in history with more than $750- million globally. The film continues to break records with 2 Golden Globe nominations. A "Best Actor" nod for Reynolds and Best Picture nomination for the film, making it the first live-action superhero movie to pick up a Golden Globe nomination in the Comedy or Musical category. The film also received a Writers Guild of America nomination for "Best Adapted Screenplay" and a PGA Award nomination for "Best Picture." Reynolds, who is a producer on the film, will begin shooting DEADPOOL 2 later this year.

Next up Reynolds can be seen opposite Jake Gyllenhaal and Rebecca Ferguson in Sony Pictures' LIFE. Teaming up once again with Reese & Wernick and director Daniel Espinosa for the space thriller out March 2017. He also has THE HITMAN'S BODYGUARD with Samuel L. Jackson coming out August 2017.

Reynolds body of work continues to be extremely diverse. In 2015 he starred in a variety of feature roles including MISSISSIPPI GRIND, WOMAN IN GOLD, THE VOICES and SELFLESS. MISSISSIPPI GRIND directed by Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden premiered at Sundance to rave reviews. In The Weinstein Company's WOMAN IN GOLD, Reynolds starred alongside Helen Mirren to tell the story of Maria Altmann (Mirren), a Jewish refugee who is forced to flee Vienna during World War II and her personal mission to reclaim a painting the Nazis stole from her family: the famous Lady In Gold. In Lionsgate's serial killer comedy THE VOICES by famed French director Marjane Satrapi, Reynolds stars as a troubled, med-addicted factory worker driven to murder by his talking pets, a psychopathic cat called Mr. Whiskers and Bosco, his peace-loving dog. Reynolds also voices both of the animals. He also starred opposite Sir Ben Kingsley in the independent feature SELFLESS, directed by Tarsem Singh.

Reynolds voiced two DreamWorks Animation films in 2013. TURBO, in which Reynolds voices a snail named 'Turbo' who has dreams of winning the Indy 500. The movie also features the voices of Samuel L. Jackson, Maya Rudolph, Snoop Lion and Michelle Rodriguez. Prior to that, Reynolds had his animated film debut as the voice of 'Guy' in DreamWorks Animation's, THE CROODS. The movie also featured the voices of Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone and Catherine Keener and earned over $508 million worldwide. Reynolds has signed onto the sequel, which is already in development.

His other film credits include; the Universal action thriller, SAFE HOUSE opposite Denzel Washington. The film opened to $40 million domestically in its first weekend and went onto earn $208 million worldwide. The Universal comedy, THE CHANGE UP, opposite Jason Bateman, the Warner Brothers adaptation of the popular DC Comic, GREEN LANTERN and the mystery/thriller BURIED. In the acclaimed and cinematically challenging film, Reynolds is the only actor to appear on camera for the duration of the piece.

In 2009, Reynolds served as Disney's romantic comedy lead in THE PROPOSAL, opposite Sandra Bullock. The film opened at #1 at the box office and grossed $315 million worldwide. Reynolds was also seen as 'Deadpool' in the X-MEN spin-off, X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE. He starred opposite an all-star cast including Hugh Jackman and the film grossed $365 million worldwide. Additionally that year, Reynolds starred in ADVENTURELAND opposite Kristen Stewart, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was nominated in the "Ensemble Performance" category at the 2009 Gotham Awards.

Some of Reynolds other film credits include; PAPERMAN and the Working Title film DEFINITELY, MAYBE for Universal Pictures, writer/director John August's THE NINES, director Joe Carnahan's SMOKIN' ACES for Working Title and Universal Pictures and THE AMITYVILLE HORROR, a remake of the classic cult film which opened #1 at the box office and made $107 million worldwide. As well as cult favorites WAITING and VAN WILDER.

DarkFire, Reynolds' TV production company, recently sold its first two projects, the live action comedy "Guidance" and the animated comedy, "And Then There Was Gordon" to 20th Century Fox TV. Reynolds will executive produce alongside Allan Loeb, Jonathon Komack Martin, Tim Dowling and Steven Pearl.

In addition to his numerous leading roles, Reynolds also serves on the board of directors for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. In November of 2007, Reynolds ran the New York City Marathon in honor of his father - who has long suffered from ravages of Parkinson's disease. Reynolds marathon run raised over $100,000 for the Michael J Fox Foundation.

TO LIVE STREAM the Hasty Pudding Theatricals' Man of Year press conference, viewers can tune in at 8:40 p.m. ET via the Hasty Pudding's Facebook www.facebook.com/thehastypudding

SOURCE: Hasty Pudding Institute of 1770