Academy Award-winning Actress Geena Davis opens up San Joaquin Valley Town Hall with humor: “How to be a movie star: Step one: land big role in a movie,” Feb 21. Davis’s speech was full of entertainment and kept the audience laughing.
Davis’s career began when she landed the role of April Page in “Tootsie.” She is most known for her roles in “A League of Their Own,” “Thelma and Louise,” Beetlejuice,” and “The Long Kiss Goodnight.” She shared with the audience that the characters she has played have made her bolder and have been an encouragement to young girls.
In 2004, Davis founded the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media dedicated to researching and fostering equality in entertainment and media. The institute works to mitigate unconscious bias and reduce negative stereotypes. During the session on Wednesday, Davis explained how she hadn’t noticed the gender imbalance until she began watching kid shows with her daughter. She said that 20 years ago only 11% of all characters in kids’ TV and movies were female.
The establishment strives to fix the problem that the entertainment industry has created through the on-screen media. 21st Century Fox had the institute carry out a study on the character of Dana Scully, played by Gillian Anderson, from the X-Files. This study found that 68% of women went into STEM because of the inspiring female character. This is a direct result of the institute’s motto, “If they see it, they can be it.”
Davis’s new memoir “Dying of Politeness” shares her life stories as a Hollywood actress. The book showcases how her childhood roles gave her the strength to become a Hollywood icon and powerhouse. It is currently available where books are sold.
Before the lecture, the scholars could enter their names in a raffle. Throughout Davis’s interview, she would pull out the name of a lucky person who would receive a scholarship award. A&E Editor Meilani Gilmore-Young’s name was drawn, earning her the $500 scholarship award.
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