Free Women's Blog

Horseman and famous country musician Willie Nelson is asking fans to help him in his efforts to save the wild horses of America.

Nelson currently has 68 horses of his own and has joined forces with the Animal Welfare Institute – a non-profit organization for animal rights – to increase consciousness for the cause.

The legend of country music claims efforts must be done to stop the animal cruelty. He states in an open letter, “I got involved eight years ago when AWI first made me aware that American horses are being slaughtered and shipped overseas for human consumption.

“There are more wild horses in holding pens than in the wild. Something is wrong with that, so we must act now before the Bureau of Land Management has managed these magnificent animals into extinction.”

Linda Hunt (born on April 2, 1945) is an American film, theatre and television actress, most famous probably for her role in “The Year of Living Dangerously” that earned her an Academy Ward. Presently she is playing in the NCIS spin-off, NCIS: Los Angeles. Hunt is playing the recurring role of a technical expert and supervisor alongside Chris O’Donnell, LL Cool J, Peter Cambor, Daniela Ruah and Adam Jamal Craig.

Hunt was born in Morristown, New Jersey, growing up in Westport, Connecticut as the daughter of piano teacher Elsie and vice president of Harper Fuel Oil, Raymond Davy Hunt, having a sister, Marcia. She attended the impressive Interlochen Arts Academy. Hunt had several health problems since birth. At the age of only 6 month, she was misdiagnosed with cretinism and later on as a teen she was diagnosed with a condition of the pituitary gland not releasing enough growth hormone. Hunt moved to New York in the mid 1960s where she worked in summer stock theatre. As she was concerned about the success in acting career, Hunt originally planned of becoming a stage director. However, as acting was a big temptation, she returned to Westport studying acting with dramatic coach Robert Lewis.

Hunt debuted in a film in 1980, in the musical comedy, Popeye. A couple of years later Hunt was the co-star of The Year of Living Dangerously, playing the role of Billy Kwan. The role as a male, earned her an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 1983, being the first actor to receive an Oscar for playing the role of a male as a woman.

Hunt is well known on the stage too, winning two Obie Awards and a Tony Award nomination for her work on the stage. Most recently she played Sister Aloysius in the Tony Award play, Doubt. She also had several television appearances such as in the series The Practice or in Without a Trace. Hunt also narrated numerous installments of The American Experience.

Hunt is not just an actress with small stature; she has a rich resonant, authoritative voice, used in several documentaries, cartoons, commercials and video games. Hunt is the host for radio program City Arts & Lectures and being selected by Walt Disney Feature Animation to be the voice of Grandmother Willow in the film Pocahontas.

She is also the voice of “Management” in Carnivale and of Gaia the narrator in the God of War video games series. Hunt was the narrator of the introductory film at the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C.

Hunt returned to the big screen in 2005 with the comedy “Yours, Mine, and Ours” playing alongside Dennis Quaid and Rene Russo. She next appeared in the twisted comedy “Stranger than Fiction” (2006) starring with Will Ferrell and Emma Thompson.

Linda Hunt is a lesbian, having Karen Kline as partner from about 1987.
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