Another awards contender has been added to the lineup at the Palm Springs International Film Festival's awards gala, with Michelle Williams joining the previously announced George Clooney and Glenn Close as an honoree at the event on January 7.
Williams, whose current role as Marilyn Monroe in "My Week with Marilyn" has made her a likely Best Actress nominee, will receive the Desert Palm Achievement Actress Award. Past recipients of this award include Natalie Portman, Halle Berry, Kate Winslet and Charlize Theron.
“Every generation, the cinema has a few performers who mesmerize audiences with an exceptional blend of talent, versatility and grace,” said PSIFF chairman Harold Matzner in a press release announcing the selection. “Michelle Williams epitomizes these qualities as she continues to accept challenging role after challenging role."
Directed by Simon Curtis, "My Week With Marilyn" deals with the tumultuous 1956 shooting of "The Prince and the Showgirl," during which Monroe clashed with director Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh) and escaped from the pressures of her life during a brief dalliance with young assistant Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne).
The Palm Springs International Film Festival, one of two January Southern California festivals whose full lineups of awards and tributes make them significant stops on the campaign trail, takes place from January 5 through 16 in the desert resort town east of Los Angeles.
