20th Century Fox, Bruno Calvo/Picturehouse, MiramaxThey'd like to thank the Academy for letting them in. We'd like to thank the Academy for making Oscar voting a little more interesting.
The decreasingly staid Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has extended invitations to 105 stars, among them Sacha Baron Cohen, Judd Apatow, Marion Cotillard, Jet Li and Diablo Cody, to join the gilded class of 2008 as full-fledged voting members.
The invitees were selected for their "distinguished contributions to theatrical motion pictures," and while most have either won or been nominated for Oscars, possession of a little golden man is not a prerequisite for an invite.
Being able to craft a timeless getting-laid joke, however, seems to be.
"These individuals are all incredibly talented and a credit to the world of filmmaking," quotable AMPAS prez Sid Ganis said. "They exemplify the high standards of the Academy, and I welcome each and every one of them to our ranks."
In addition to Borat & Co., second-generation thesp Josh Brolin, industry vet Ruby Dee, Allison Janney and Ray Winstone were among the actors passing Academy muster.
Directors Doug Liman, Kimberly Peirce, Walter Salles and Gore Verbinski rounded out the helming heavyweights, while screenwriters David Benioff, responsible for such disparate films as The Kite Runner and X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Lars and the Real Girl's Nancy Oliver and The Savages' Tamara Jenkins joined the big-name pen-wielders on the list.
All who accept the honor and choose to become new Academy members will be welcomed at a reception in Beverly Hills come September.