DEBBIE REYNOLDS, CARRIE FISHER AND TODD FISHER 

RECEIVE AFI ASSOCIATES PLATINUM CIRCLE AWARD  

CNN

September 17, 1998

The AFI Associates a major support group of the American Film Institute (AFI) today presented the second annual AFI Platinum Circle Award to the show business family of actress Debbie Reynolds, actress/writer Carrie Fisher and filmmaker Todd Fisher at a star-studded luncheon/show in Beverly Hills. The award, given last year to the family of Walter Matthau, pays tribute to an entire family whose creative contributions have enhanced the entertainment community.

Candice Bergen presented the award to the family at the conclusion of the luncheon/show that was hosted by Debbie Allen. Other stars and friends of the family who attended today's event included: Meg Ryan, Penny Marshall, Janet Leigh, Ann Miller, Roddy McDowall, Ed Begley, Piper Laurie, Suzanne Pleshette, Beverly D'Angelo, Connie Sellecca, Tom Smothers, Carlton Carpenter and Carroll Baker.

Honorary co-chairs of the Platinum Circle Award luncheon were Penny Marshall, Rene Russo and Ruta Lee. Dolly Gillin and Helene Tobias of the AFI Associates we event co-chairs. The AFI Associates are a major support group of the American Film Institute (AFI) and have raised more than $2.5 million to support AFI's programs.

AFI Associates President Bunny Stivers said: "We are very pleased to honor a family with such a long and distinguished record in entertainment. Equally important, the proceeds raised today benefit the AFI, whose work in film training and preservation is a cause that we proudly support."

Reynolds and Fisher are the only mother-daughter combination to each have movies on AFI's list of the 100 greatest American movies of all time. Reynolds' SINGIN' IN THE RAIN was number 10 on the list; Fisher's STAR WARS was voted number 15.

For half a century, Debbie Reynolds has been one of America's most endearing entertainers. She made her screen debut in the 1950 film THE DAUGHTER OF ROSIE O'GRADY. Her big break came later that year in THREE LITTLE WORDS, in which she portrayed Helen Kane, the "Boop-boop-a-doop" girl of the late 1930's. Two years later she wowed audiences with her dancing ability, starring with Gene Kelly in the immortal SINGIN' IN THE RAIN. Over a 10-year period, Debbie made more than 25 films, including HOW THE WEST WAS WON, TAMMY AND THE BACHELOR and THE UNSINKABLE MOLLY BROWN, for which she received an Academy Award Nomination. She received another Academy Award Nomination in 1996 for her role in the Albert Brooks film "Mother." Off screen, she founded the Thalians, a charitable organization which has raised millions of dollars for emotionally disturbed children. She also established "The Debbie Reynolds Hollywood Hotel and Casino" in Las Vegas, which housed the largest individual collection of Hollywood memorabilia.

Carrie Fisher, the daughter of Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher, has had a multifaceted career in the entertainment business as both an acclaimed actress and writer. She made her feature debut opposite Warren Beatty in the 1975 film SHAMPOO, but is probably best known for playing Princess Leia in the 1977 blockbuster film STAR WARS, which led to her reprising the role in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and RETURN OF THE JEDI. She has made guest appearances on such television shows as "Ellen," "Frasier" and "Saturday Night Live." She also became a sensation in the literary world with her best-selling novel "Postcards from the Edge," which won her a Los Angeles Pen Award. She later adapted the book into a hit movie starring Meryl Streep and Shirley Maclaine, "Surrender the Pink," and "Delusions of Grandma." She was recently seen on the screen in the hit movie AUSTIN POWERS: INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY and continues to be one of the most sought-after "script doctors" in Hollywood.

The son of Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher, Todd Fisher developed an early interest in the technical aspects of filmmaking. While still a teenager, he began shooting short film, documentaries and commercials, becoming one of the youngest members of the IATSE union. His talents include cinematography, lighting and films. He wrote, produced and directed the nationally-syndicated cable show "Nightlight," which aired from 1981-1984. Todd's first foray into feature film producing was in 1991 with the film TWOGETHER which starred Nick Cassavetes and Brenda Bakke. Soon after, he moved to Las Vegas to design and build a state-of-the-art 500 seat theater at the "Debbie Reynolds Hotel and Casino." He produced and directed showroom entertainment and later became CEO of the entire hotel property. He's currently writing an autobiographical screenplay about his coming-of-age in Hollywood. He plans to produce and direct the picture early next year.

The American Film Institute is the preeminent national organization dedicated to advancing and preserving the art of film, television and other forms of the moving image. AFI's programs promote innovation and excellence through teaching, presenting, preserving and redefining the moving image.