Debra Messing Among 2015 Pell Award Recipients
GoLocalProv Lifestyle Team
Debra Messing Among 2015 Pell Award Recipients
Messing, best known for her roles on “Will and Grace,” “Smash,” and “The Mysteries of Laura,” will be awarded the Pell Award for Distinguished Achievement in the Arts.
Other honorees this year include John Chan, jazz promoter and owner of Chan’s Fine Oriental Dining in Woonsocket, who will receive the Rhode Island Pell Award for Excellence in the Arts, Michael Gennaro, Executive Director of Goodspeed Musicals, who will receive the Pell Award for Outstanding Leadership in the Arts, and Julie Strandberg, Dancer/Choreographer and Founding Director of Dance at Brown University, who will receive the Charles Sullivan Award for Distinguished Service in the Arts.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTPrevious Pell Award Nominees include Robert Redford, Liza Minnelli, Viola Davis, and Kevin Spacey.
The ceremony will be held Monday, June 15, 2015 at Trinity Rep's Chace Theater, with a reception to follow at the Providence Public Library. Individual tickets to the full event are $500; a limited number of individual tickets to the ceremony and post-show reception are $250. Proceeds from the event benefit Trinity Rep’s artistic programs. For more information call (401) 453-9237. Tickets are also available online.
25 Hollywood Stars from New England
Mark Wahlberg
Hometown: Boston, MA
Wahlberg got his start as a rapper with his group "Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch" in 1991, but transititioned to acting in the nineties. He's gone on to star in such hits as "Boogie Nights," "The Fighter," "The Departed, and "Ted".
His brothers operate the popular "Wahlburger" restaurant in Hingham, MA.
Amy Poelher
Hometown: Burlington, MA
Born in Newton and raised in Burlington, MA, Amy Poelher came to national prominance as "Weekend Update" co-host on Saturday Night Live, before launching her own popular series, Parks and Recreation.
She attended Burlington High School and Boston College.
Viola Davis
Hometown: Central Falls, RI
Viola Davis was raised in Central Falls, RI. She stars in the popular TV series How To Get Away With Murder, and was nominated for Academy Awards for her work in The Help and Doubt.
When Central Falls seemed to be at its lowest ebb, Davis stepped forward with donations, appearances and helped to bring the involvement and donations of other high profile Hollywood stars such as Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin.
Chris Evans
Hometown: Sudbury, MA
Evans, who stars as Steve Rogers/Captain America in several Marvel fims including The Avengers, also starred on the popular TV show Boston Public.
Evans was born in Boston and raised in newarby Sudbury, MA where he attended Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School.
Linda Lavin
Hometown: Portland, ME
Best known for her titular role in the popular TV series "Alice", which aired from 1976-1984, Lavin has also won 6 Tonys for her work on Broadway.
Lavin was born and raised in Portland, ME, and attended Deering High School.
Richard Belzer
Hometown: Bridgeport, CT
The star of the popular Law and Order franchises is a graduate of Bridgeport's Central High School, and had a successful career as a standup comic before appearing as Detective John Munch on several TV series.
His portrayal of Munch was the only fictional character to appear on ten different television shows, including Homicide: Life on the Street, Law and Order: SVU, The X-Files, The Wire, and Arrested Development.
John Krasinski
Hometown: Newton, MA
Best known for his role as Jim Halper on The Office, Krasinski was born and raised in Newton, MA, graduating from Newton High School in 1997.
Charlie Day
Hometown: Middletown, RI
The star of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" and "Horrible Bosses" spent most of his childhood in Middletown, RI. His mother, Mary, was a piano teacher at The Pennfield School in Portsmouth. His father, Dr. Thomas Charles Day, is retired and was a professor of Music History and Music Theory at Salve Regina University in Newport.
Sarah Silverman
Hometown: Manchester, NH
This SNL alum, actress, and stand up comedian was born in Bedford, New Hampshire and raised in Manchester.
Her first stand up comedy appearance occured in Boston when she was 17, and described her appearance as "awful."
Seth MacFarlane
Hometown: Kent, CT
The "Family Guy" voice artist and creator was born and raised in Connecticut, and attended and graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence.
MacFarlane regularly performed stand up comedy while attending RISD in Providence.
Dylan McDermott
Hometown: Waterbury, MA
Best known for his roles on American Horror Story, The Practice, and Stalker, McDermott was born and raised in Waterbury, CT, where he attended and graduated from Holy Cross High School.
Anna Kendrick
Hometown: Portland, ME
The star of Up in the Air and Pitch Perfect was born and raised in Portland, ME, where she attended Deering High School.
Damon Wayans, Jr
Born in: Huntington, VT
The son of comedian Damon Wayans, most widely known for starring in the series Happy Endings and New Girl was born at his grandfather's home in Huntington, VT.
Seth Meyers
Hometown: Bedford, NH
The Host of NBC's Late Night and former Saturday Night Live head writer and "Weekend Update" anchor was raised in Bedford, NH, where he attended Manchester High School West.
His parents, who he refers to often on his program, still reside in New Hampshire.
James Spader
Hometown: Boston, MA
The Blacklist star was born in Boston and attended the Pike School and the Brooks School in North Andover, where his parents both taught.
Justin Long
Hometown: Fairfield, CT
The star of TV's Ed, and of the movies Jeepers Creepers, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and of course the popular "I'm a Mac" commercials was born and raised in Fairfield, CT, where he attended Fairfield College Preparatory School.
Michaela McManus
Hometown: Warwick, RI
Best known for her roles on One Tree Hill and Law and Order SVU, McManus is a native of Warwick, RI.
Robert Capron
Hometown: Scituate, RI
Best known for his role as the best friend in the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series, Capron was born in Providence, RI, and currently resides in Scituate, RI.
James Woods
Hometown: Warwick, RI
The star of Nixon and Ghosts of Mississippi, Woods grew up in Warwick, Rhode Island, where he attended Pilgrim High School.
He is an active dealer of antiques in Rhode Island.
Ben Affleck
Hometown: Cambridge, MA
Affleck moved to Falmouth, MA when he was two, and his father is a native of Rhode Island. The family eventually moved to Cambridge.
Affleck won the Best Original Screenplay award in 1997 for cowriting "Good Will Hunting" with Matt Damon. He received an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from Brown University in 2013.
Mandy Moore
Born in: Nashua, NH
Singer and actress Mandy Moore, most famous for her role in A Walk To Remember, was born in Nashua, NH.
Joanna ‘JoJo’ Levesque
Hometown: Foxborough, MA
Born in Brattleborough, MA, the "Too Little Too Late" singer was raised in Keene, NH, and Foxborough, MA.
Sam Lloyd
Hometown: Weston, VT
This Weston, VT native is perhaps best known for his role as beaten down lawyer Ted Buckland on the comedy series Scrubs.
Matt Damon
Hometown: Boston, MA
Born in Cambridge, this Harvard University grad is best known for his roles in Good Will Hunting and the Bourne series. He was voted People's "Sexiest Man Alive" in 2007.
Glenn Close
Hometown: Greenwich, CT
Emmy and Tony Award winner and 6 time Academy Award nominee Glenn Close, most famous for her roles in The Big Chill and Fatal Attraction, was born and raised in Greenwich, CT, where she was raised in a stone cottage and attended Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford.
