Lee and Rowlands will receive the Honorary Award while
Reynolds will be given the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award by
the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.
"We'll be celebrating their achievements with the knowledge that
the work they have accomplished – with passion, dedication and a
desire to make a positive difference – will also enrich future
generations," Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs said in a
statement.
The recipients will be celebrated at the Academy's annual
Governors Awards on Nov. 14.
Lee, 58, rose through the ranks of independent film to deliver
work such as 1989's "Do The Right Thing" and 1992's biopic
"Malcolm X," earning two Oscar nominations along the way,
including a best documentary nod for 1997's "4 Little Girls."
The African-American director is also an outspoken voice for the
black community, often exploring race relations in his films.
Rowlands, 85, has a career spanning nearly seven decades with 40
feature films including 1974's "A Woman Under the Influence" and
1980's "Gloria," both directed by her husband, John Cassavetes,
and earning her Oscar nominations.
Reynolds, 83, who rose to fame with her starring role in 1952's
"Singin' in the Rain," has campaigned for raising awareness and
treatment of mental health issues and is a founding member of
charity organization the Thalians.
She earned an Oscar nomination for 1964's "The Unsinkable Molly
Brown."
Previous recipients of the Honorary Awards include Steve Martin,
Lauren Bacall and Robert Redford, while Hollywood humanitarians
such as Angelina Jolie, Elizabeth Taylor and Oprah Winfrey have
received the Jean Hersholt award.
(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Bill
Trott)
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