Oscar®-Nominated Actors Step "Out of Character" for Academy Portrait Exhibition

Beverly Hills, CA (February 9, 2012)– The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present "Out of Character," a new exhibition featuring portraits of this year's acting nominees by photographer Douglas Kirkland. The exclusive new photos of 2011's Oscar-nominated performers will be on display starting Saturday, February 11, in the Academy's Grand Lobby Gallery in Beverly Hills.

Kirkland photographed all 20 of the Best Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress nominees in the two weeks since the January 24 nominations announcement. His distinctive, large-format portraits will be on display through March 18. An online gallery of these portraits, along with behind the scenes shots, will be spotlighted atwww.oscar.combeginning today.

Following the exhibition, the portraits will become part of the Academy's Margaret Herrick Library photograph collection.

Kirkland has been capturing iconic images of motion picture luminaries for more than five decades, revealing as well as immortalizing such legends as Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, Orson Welles, Audrey Hepburn and Paul Newman. Also well known as a set photographer, he has worked on more than 100 films, including "The Sound of Music," "Out of Africa," "Titanic" and "Moulin Rouge."  He recently traveled to Australia to serve as special set photographer on Baz Luhrmann's "The Great Gatsby," scheduled for release in 2012.

"Out of Character" will be open Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and weekends from noon to 6 p.m. Admission is free. The Grand Lobby Gallery is located at the Academy's headquarters at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills.

Academy Awards®for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.