from left: Viola Davis, Jessica Chastain, Octavia Spencer, Emma Stone and Bryce Dallas Howard
*The cast of DreamWorks film “The Help” has been chosen to receive this year’s Hollywood Ensemble Acting Award at the 15th annual Hollywood Film Festival and Hollywood Film Awards, presented by Starz, the first awards show of the Oscar season.
Carlos de Abreu, the Founder and Executive Director of the event, says that no fewer than a dozen of the film’s actors — including all of those who play its principal characters — have indicated that they will collect the award in-person at a gala ceremony on October 24, 2011, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
They include: 2009 best supporting actress Oscar nominee Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Jessica Chastain, Bryce Dallas Howard, Allison Janney, Chris Lowell, Ahna O’Reilly, Emma Stone, 1981 best actress Oscar winner Sissy Spacek, 1981 best supporting actress Oscar winner Mary Steenburgen, 1973 Oscar nominee Cicely Tyson, and Mike Vogel.
Previous casts honored with this award include Crash (2005), which went on to win the best picture Oscar, as well as Bobby (2006), Hairspray (2007), The Secret Life of Bees (2008), and best picture Oscar nominee The Social Network (2010).
“The Help,” an adaptation of Kathryn Stockett’s best-selling novel, topped the box-office charts each of its first three weekends in release and has earned more than $150 million worldwide, thus far.