It was a big night for Texas Film and Austin Studios as they celebrated the 13th Annual Texas Film Hall of Fame Awards. Honoree’s included Robin Wright, Stephen Tobolowsky, Henry Tomas and Annette O’Toole, who was excited about her first trip to Austin.
Celebrities talk Austin at the Texas Film Hall of Fame Awards!
“I’ve never been to Austin before, I’ve been to a lot of cities in Texas, but never Austin. I love it! Out of all the cities in Texas, this may be the city I could live in,” O’Toole said.
Since it was a packed house, I fought off the urge to scream, “Ned…Ryerson!” as Stephen Tobolowsky headed my way. I couldn’t have been more excited to find out that he’s as kind and easy to talk to as I imagined. After talking about his infamous audition with Harold Ramis for the iconic role in Groundhog Day, we talked about his idea of relaxing in Austin.
“Austin is not your ordinary city. I mean, for me, what I would do is walk by the lake, listen to rock and roll endlessly at different clubs and see how far I could go on a non-meat-diet while trying BBQ places, which I did today! I went to Lamberts and had the smoked trout. I almost died it was so good,” Tobolowsky said.
Rob Reiner came to induct Robin Wright into the Hall of Fame and touched on why an evening like this is so important for Texas Film.
“This, plus the SXSW festival, is quickly becoming the biggest and most important festival in the country. It really highlights the Texas Film industry, which is terrific! We don’t make films in Hollywood anymore,” Reiner said. “We go all over the country looking for the best places to make movies, so it will be interesting to see what the Texas legislature does to bring films to Texas.”
Besides being pleased to be honored for her career, Wright told us that her favorite thing about Austin is the food trucks.
Individual Texas filmmakers weren’t the only ones being honored. Dazed and Confused received the Star of Texas Award. Richard Linklater’s iconic Austin film might have been watched hundreds of times by most, but not by Joey Lauren Adams. The actress/director confessed that the reunion screening was only her 3rd time seeing the film.
“I always say I’m torn…if I wasn’t in it I would have seen it a hundred times. I just can’t watch a film I’m in that much,” Adams told us.
Happy to be back in Austin, she filled us in on her favorite haunts.
“I love the Broken Spoke, the Continental Club. It’s always great to be in Austin. I’ve shot lots of movies here now. Dazed and Confused was the first film I ever did and to be in Austin shooting your first film is pretty incredible,” Adams said.
Missing from the Dazed entourage was Austinite Matthew McConaughey, who is no stranger to the Texas Film Hall of Fame Awards. We’re guessing he’s currently shooting elsewhere. We know he’ll be back in the ATX this weekend. Our hometown hottie is premiering his new flick Mud at the Paramount on Sunday.
