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| Patricia Clarkson in Karlovy Vary: Indy films “keep our industry on its toes.” Photo: Film Servis Karlovy Vary |
American Indy stalwart Patricia Clarkson tonight (6 July) received a Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema during the closing prize-giving ceremony of the 54th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
After establishing herself as a gifted character actress, Clarkson made the leap to leading lady, fuelling a long and varied career in film, television and theatre. In Karlovy Vary, she presented Learning To Drive, a feel-good drama directed by Isabel Coixet.
She believes that indie cinema is "the blood, heart and soul of our industry. As you see, many indy films go on to win the Academy Awards. They keep our industry on its toes, they remind us where we should be."
A New Orleans native, Clarkson graduated from Yale drama school before honing her skills on stage in New York. She made her film début in Brian De Palma’s The Untouchables (1987) but landed her breakthrough role a decade later, as a heroin addict in High Art (1998).
Her virtuoso turn as a terminal cancer patient in Pieces Of April (2003) led to Oscar and Golden Globe nominations.
A versatile performer who earned a Tony nod acting alongside Bradley Cooper in Scott Ellis’ Broadway revival of The Elephant Man, Clarkson is increasingly showcasing her talents on TV, winning two Emmys for the HBO series Six Feet Under and a Golden Globe this year for HBO’s Sharp Objects.
