SIR JOHN GIELGUD’S LAST TV PROJECT SET TO DEBUT JUST WEEKS AFTER HIS DEATH

For Immediate Release:
June 5, 2000

Contact:
Rose Kane757-622-7382

New York — In memory of the late Sir John Gielgud, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has rushed to release a recently produced television commercial, starring the Oscar-winning actor, that exposes the force feeding of geese and ducks for the production of the “delicacy” foie gras. Shortly before his death, Sir John starred in the 30-second TV spot that will air throughout the U.S. and Canada and will be launched this week in New York and San Francisco, where only two remaining U.S. foie gras farms exist.

Sir John received PETA’s Humanitarian of the Year Award twice, once in 1994 and again in 1999, and was one of PETA’s most prolific allies, writing letters and speaking in behalf of animal rights both in the U.S. and in his native England. In one of his last actions, Gielgud successfully lobbied for the Smithsonian Institute to cancel a foie gras cooking demonstration it was hosting. Just this year, he joined PETA’s campaign to recognize health charities that use donated funds for clinical studies on humans, computer and test tube research, hospice, and preventative education rather than experiments on animals.

Gielgud was best known in the entertainment world for his many performances in plays by Shakespeare, Chekhov, and Shaw, as well as his comedic film roles, such as his Academy Award-winning performance in Arthur, and his work in television dramas, such as Brideshead Revisited.