Mike Nichols to be honoured with lifetime achievement award
Story by Jack Foley
ACCLAIMED director Mike Nichols is to be honoured with the American Film Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
The filmmaker first broke onto the scene via the stage with Tony winners Barefoot in the Park, The Odd Couple, Plaza Suite and The Prisoner of Second Avenue.
But his first feature film came in 1966 with Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and he won a directing Oscar for his next film, The Graduate, which made a household name of Dustin Hoffman.
Since then, Nichols has gone on to direct films such as Carnal Knowledge, Silkwood, Working Girl, Primary Colors and, most recently, Charlie Wilson’s War.
He is one of the few artists to have received the Oscar, the Emmy, the Tony and the Grammy.
Announcing the accolade, Sir Howard Stringer, chairman of the AFI board, said: “His artistry has spanned the mediums of modern storytelling – movies, television and the stage – and his gifts across five decades continue to inspire artists and audiences alike.
“It is AFI’s honour to present him with its 38th Life Achievement Award.”
The accolade will be presented at a tribute in Los Angeles next summer.
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