Barnard Board of Trustees Chair Anna Quindlen announced Thursday evening that Meryl Streep will be the speaker at Barnard’s 118th Commencement ceremony. “On February 2nd, 2010, Meryl Streep was nominated for her 16th Oscar,” Quindlen said. “On May 17th, she will play a role she has never played before.” Streep will be speaking a year after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave her speech. “It was a challenge to follow Hillary, but I think we’ve met the challenge,” Quindlen said. “She’s a trustee at Vassar, so she walks our walk and talks our talk,” she added. Streep received her B.A. in drama from Vassar College in 1971, attended Dartmouth College as an exchange student for a semester before it became coed, and received her Master of Fine Arts from Yale School of Drama.

Meryl has attended yesterday’s amfAR New York Gala honoring Natasha Richardson. Pictures can be found in the Image Library.

Last night stars of stage, screen and song came out to celebrate the late, great Natasha Richardson as amfAR (an organization Natasha did so much good on behalf of) dedicated their annual New York Fashion Week kick off gala to the star. Joely Richardson, Vanessa Redgrave, Meryl Streep, Brooke Shields, Heidi Klum, Julianna Margulies, Zoe Saldana and Sigourney Weaver were just a few of tasha’s friends who opened their hearts and wallets to continue the actresses quest to find a cure for AIDS. And while Lady GaGa’s performance was a hot ticket, an impromptu one drew a much bigger crowd reaction. During her tribute, Meryl dedicated an Irish song “to Tash, and to everybody else who isn’t here tonight.”

Edit: A video clip of Meryl performing the Irish song “The Parting Glass” in tribute to Natasha Richardson, has been added to the video archive.

George Clooney has rallied a few mates for a telethon today to raise money for earthquake-ravaged communities in Haiti. Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief is set to become the most widely distributed telethon in history, reaching 640 million viewers. Foxtel viewers can see the benefit from 11am today on MTV, VH! and CNN, with repeats throughout the day. The two-hour commercial-free telecast will feature performances from Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, Sting, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, Stevie Wonder and Taylor Swift. Caboolture boy Keith Urban will perform a group act with Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow, while Coldplay, Beyonce, Jay-Z, Bono and The Edge will collaborate from London. There’ll be a star-studded team working off stage too, with Nicole Kidman, Brad Pitt, Robert Pattinson, Meryl Streep and former US president Bill Clinton giving testimonials and manning the phones. Funds raised will be split evenly between relief organisations in Haiti.

According to People Magazine, George Clooney, Alec Baldwin and Meryl Streep will be among the stars presenting at the Jan. 23 Screen Actors Guild Awards, it was announced Thursday. Clooney, a four-time SAG Award best actor winner, was nominated for his performance in Up in the Air. Baldwin, who will co-host the Oscars in March with Steve Martin, got a SAG Award nod again this year for the NBC hit show 30 Rock. Streep is up for leading actress for her role in Julie & Julia. Sandra Bullock, who is nominated for leading actress for The Blind Side, will present the Life Achievement Award to Betty White, her costar in The Proposal.

The American Foundation for AIDS Research will hold a special gala in New York on February 10 in memory of actress Natasha Richardson, a trustee of the organization who died in a skiing accident last year. Among the leadership committee are Liam Neeson, Vanessa Redgrave, Joely Richardson, Sharon Stone, Stanley Tucci and Kenneth Cole. Meryl Streep will also attend and will assist in presenting the tribute to Natasha Richardson. This black-tie gala benefit at Cipriani 42nd Street honors those who have made outstanding efforts to raise awareness about the HIV/AIDS epidemic and to raise dollars for AIDS research. The gala, held on the eve of New York Fashion Week, will begin with cocktails, followed by dinner, a live auction of luxury items, and a special tribute to the honorees. More information can be found here.

Congratulations to Meryl for winning a Best Actress nomination for “Julie & Julia” for the Screen Actors Guild Award. The awards will be handed out in a live ceremony January 23, 2010.

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role

Sandra Bullock as Leigh Anne Tuohy – “The Blind Side”
Helen Mirren as Sofya – “The Last Station”
Carey Mulligan as Jenny – “An Education”
Gabourey Sidibe as Precious – “Precious”
Meryl Streep as Julia Child – “Julie & Julia”

Meryl has won the Boston Society of Film Critics as Best Actress for “Julie & Julia”. More and more award winners and nominations will be announced in the coming days – the Los Angeles and New York Film Critics as well as the Critics Choice Awards tomorrow and the Golden Globe Award nominations on Wednesday. The calendar has been updated with all important award dates, with many thanks to Stephanie for creating this list, so have a look at what to look forward to in the coming weeks.

Though the U.S. is a young nation – just 233 years old if you trace it back to the Declaration of Independence in 1776 – the settling of the continent goes back four centuries or more. With that in mind, the History Channel will premiere ‘America: The Story of Us’ in 2010, an epic 12-part series examining how this nation of average citizens, not royalty, have determined its course from the very beginning.

According to Variety, Meryl Streep and Michael Douglas are among a starry list of narrators confirmed for the series, which draws talent from Hollywood and politics. Other narrators will include former Secretary of State Colin Powell and NBC anchor Brian Williams. The aim of the series, said Nancy Dubuc, general manager of the History Channel, is not to revisit pivotal moments in the American experience for their own sake. It’s to point up the enduring notion that “…American history truly belongs to the people and causes us to reflect on who we are and how we will shape the future of the country.” Beyond Streep and Douglas – and owing to the documentary’s extraordinary sweep – the History Channel has engaged a deep pool of talent for on-camera commentary as well. Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, Gen. Tommy Franks, Donald Trump and Stevie Wonder are among the notables who’ll appear. Many thanks to Jayzhelle for the heads-up on this one!

Added pictures and a clip of Meryl’s speech, honoring her “Julie & Julia” co-star Stanley Tucci with a Career Lifetime Achievement Award.

According to Variety, the 19th Annual Independent Film Award ceremony is shaping up to be a starry evening. Presenters include Meryl Streep, Joel and Ethan Coen, Willem Dafoe, Ellen Burstyn, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Anthony Mackie, Oliver Platt, Jim Sheridan and Brooke Shields. The event will be hosted by Comedian Kumail Nanjiani at the ceremony, which will take place at Cipriani Wall Street in Manhattan. The ceremony will take place on November 30. Thanks to Jessica for the heads-up!