Oct 5, 2007, 13:00 GMT
Warren Beatty is set to receive the prestigious American Film Institute (AFI) Life Achievement Award.
Warren Beatty - Los Angeles, CA, USA © Lee Roth / RothStock / PR Photos
The legendary actor will be given the accolade - one of Hollywood's highest honours - next year, following in the footsteps of Elizabeth Taylor, Steven Spielberg, Clint Eastwood, Sean Connery and Al Pacino.
Howard Stringer, chair of the AFI Board of Trustees, said: "Warren Beatty has charmed moviegoers as a dynamic leading man from his first moment on screen and continues to do so today. He is also a master filmmaker, a writer, producer and director of such artistry and influence that his movies — from 'Bonnie and Clyde' to 'Reds' — have left an indelible mark on the cultural legacy of American film."
According to the board's criteria, the honour should go to "one whose talent has in a fundamental way advanced the film art - whose accomplishment has been acknowledged by scholars, critics, professional peers and the general public and whose work has stood the test of time."
The 70-year-old actor - who will receive the award in a glitzy Los Angeles ceremony next June - has starred in several Hollywood classics including, 'Heaven Can Wait', 'Bugsy', 'Shampoo' and 'Dick Tracey'.
Beatty - who has four children with wife Annette Bening - also won a Best Director Oscar for 'Reds'.
(C) BANG Media International
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