BOOKED for the evening, The Westport Library’s annual fundraiser, is proud to welcome award-winning theatre, film, and television actress Laura Linney as its guest of honor for 2023.
Linney will be appearing in person for the event, in the Library’s Trefz Forum, on Thursday evening, July 13. Tickets for the event will go on sale in May.
Now in its 24th year, BOOKED for the evening is the Library’s signature fundraising event, honoring an individual whose work reflects the purpose of the Library: to nurture a love of learning and to enhance our understanding of the world.
“Laura Linney is not only one of the great actresses of her generation, she is also a lifelong supporter of the power of the arts and creativity, a humanitarian lauded for her work on behalf of cancer patients and their families, and a champion for women in film,” said Bill Harmer, Westport Library executive director. “For all those reasons and more, we are honored to have her as our guest for the 24th annual BOOKED for the evening celebration.”
Linney has enjoyed remarkable success across stage and screen during her brilliant career.
Her film credits include Genius, Nocturnal Animals, Mr. Holmes, Kinsey, You Can Count on Me, Mystic River, Love Actually, and The Truman Show.Among her prominent Broadway productions are The Crucible, Time Stands Still, Sight Unseen, and Six Degrees of Separation. And on television, she has starred in the Showtime series The Big C and the HBO mini-series John Adams, as well as Tales of the City and Frasier. She currently features as Wendy Byrde in Ozark, a role for which she has earned Emmy and SAG Award nominations.
In all, Linney has been nominated three times for an Academy Award, five times for a Tony Award, once for a BAFTA Award, and eight times for a Golden Globe. She has won one SAG Award, one National Board of Review Award, two Golden Globes, and four Emmys.
Linney holds honorary doctorates from her alma maters, Brown University and The Julliard School. She has been honored for her work in cancer advocacy and is a sought-after speaker focusing on reconsidering the arts as essential for success, easing the pain of cancer and finding beauty in tragedy, and navigating gender inequality in the film industry. She also delivers master classes on acting and theatre.
Previous BOOKED for the evening award recipients include 2022 guest of honor Shonda Rhimes, CEO of the global media company Shondaland, as well as luminaries such as Tom Brokaw, E.L. Doctorow, Calvin Trillin, Wendy Wasserstein, Pete Hamill, Martin Scorsese, Arthur Mitchell, Doris Kearns Goodwin, David Halberstam, Oscar Hijuelos, Adam Gopnik, Will Shortz, Patti Smith, Barry Levinson, Jon Meacham, Nile Rodgers, Lynsey Addario, Ron Chernow, Alan Alda, Justin Paul, Frederic Chiu, and Itzhak Perlman.