Winner: Entertainment Weekly, ‘It’s Hard Out There for a Chimp’
“Me Tarzan, you Jane, he Cheeta.” The perennial third banana of the legendary Tarzan films becomes the center of one of the most intriguing and well-crafted celebrity profiles of the year.
Senior Entertainment Weekly writer Josh Rottenberg delved into the life and times of the 76-year-old chimp who also co-starred with Ronald Reagan, as he enjoys an actor’s retirement in Palm Springs, no less. He traces the roots of one of Hollywood’s most sought-after animal actors to Liberia and through a filmography that would be the envy of any working actor.
The beloved primate avoided the often sad fate of animal actors because of the generosity of his original owner’s family, who protect Cheeta and his public image. The piece illuminates the unique position of animal actors in the Hollywood star system and maintains its sense of humor throughout. Cheeta is a national treasure, and a bit of genetic code away from being human, but he loves to paint and got to McDonalds for fries. Rottenberg made the portrait both revealing and touching.
Learn more about this winner.
Honorable Mentions
BusinessWeek – “What Have You Done to My Company?”: BW goes against the grain in revealing how private equity firms that buy out companies in order to “fix” them often do more harm than good and ruin a firm’s chances for survival.
Entertainment Weekly – “True Believer”: In portraying the background and personality of author Nicholas Sparks, Karen Valby gets beneath an author’s famous egotism to reveal a complex psychological ambition.
Harper’s Bazaar – “Susan Boyle”: Harper’s Bazaar’s world exclusive of England’s Got Talent phenom Susan Boyle not only gave us a widely covered makeover of the unlikely star but revealed the true humility of a woman who now is thankful she came in second.
|
|
