{"id":218273,"date":"2020-02-11T12:35:13","date_gmt":"2020-02-11T18:35:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=218273"},"modified":"2020-02-11T00:34:02","modified_gmt":"2020-02-11T06:34:02","slug":"actor-syndrome-makes-history-academy-awards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/actor-syndrome-makes-history-academy-awards\/","title":{"rendered":"Actor with Down syndrome makes history at the Academy Awards"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Last year, “Peanut Butter Falcon” became a breakout hit. The film, starring veteran actor Shia LeBeouf and newcomer Zack Gottsagen, was notable because Gottsagen has Down syndrome. LeBeouf and Gottsagen became close during filming, with LeBeouf notably saying that Gottsagen saved his life<\/a>, and that bond paid off. “Peanut Butter Falcon” was a hit in theaters, and garnered almost universal acclaim<\/a> from critics. It also led to a history-making moment at the Oscars this weekend.<\/p>\n

The annual Academy Awards are an important night for Hollywood, attended by A-list celebrities and watched on television by millions. Yet actors with disabilities have largely been left out of the ceremony until now. Gottsagen and LeBeouf walked the red carpet together and then presented the Oscar for best live-action short film. It’s the first time someone with a disability has ever presented an Academy award.<\/p>\n