Actor and musician Dudley Moore was joined Monday night by close friends Bo Derek, Eric Idle, Lauren Bacall, Mary Tyler Moore and Sir Paul McCartney at a gala celebration to mark both his career achievements and his 66th birthday. Many believe the event, held at New York’s Carnegie Hall, will be one of Dudley’s last public appearances, as a Parkinson’s-like disease continues to weaken him.
After a video montage of Dudley’s hits, including Arthur and Bedazzled, several celebrities feted the 5ft 2in actor. Bo Derek, his 10 co-star, brought tears to his eyes when from the podium she said, “I have known you and had your friendship for 22 years and I love you, Dudley.”
Others chose to celebrate the diminutive man with humour. Via video-link, Monty Python’s John Cleese joked about the four-times married star, saying: “Dudley is one of the few men who makes me look good because he has been married more times than I have!”. Robin Williams also appeared on screen, saying of Dudley’s music prowess: “I am impressed with the way you play…I have pianist envy.” Even US President George W Bush contributed praise, sending a letter to be read aloud.
Dudley has been suffering from Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) since 1997, a debilitating illness that has confined him to a wheelchair and rendered his hands too shaky to play the piano, one of his first loves.
“I understand that one person in 100,000 suffers from the disease and I am also aware that there are 100,000 members of my union, the Screen Actors Guild, who are working every day,” he joked at the event. “I think, therefore, it is in some way considerate of me that I have taken on the disease for myself, thus protecting the remaining 99,999 members.”
Proceeds from the event, which included a pre-gala coctail party and a post-show dinner, will benefit two charities founded by the actor – Music For All Seasons and the Dudley Research Fund for PSP.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
