Bill Clinton and Barbra Streisand at a Los Angeles fundraiser in June 2012 (David Livingston/Getty Images)Former President Bill Clinton has never hidden the fact that he adores Hollywood.
In the White House, he raised cash from and rubbed elbows with a constant stream of celebrities—including actor Kevin Spacey, who once helped Clinton film a joking video about the final days of his presidency for the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner.
But Clinton has been raising his already high profile in the entertainment industry of late. Last month, he made a surprise appearance at the Golden Globes to introduce the film “Lincoln,” directed by his friend Steven Spielberg. And he is currently the subject of a documentary being filmed by director Martin Scorsese for HBO.
Now comes word that Clinton will make an appearance at another prominent film industry event: On April 22, the former president will present Barbra Streisand with the Chaplin Award, a coveted prize presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center—a sponsor of the annual New York Film Festival.
Streisand has been a longtime friend and supporter of Clinton and his wife, Hillary—contributing thousands of dollars to their collective campaigns over the years. And the Clintons, in turn, have said they're big fans of Streisand.
Last year, Clinton and Streisand teamed up to raise money for a women’s heart center at Los Angeles’ Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he praised her for her doggedness in lobbying for causes she believes in.
“If she were a member of Congress and I were still president, she would be on what I called our 'Just Say Yes' list," Clinton had said, according to the Hollywood Reporter. "We had a very small list of congressmen—literally, fewer than 10 people—that when they call you [and ask for something] just go ahead and tell them yes, because you're gonna sooner or later. They're like a dog with a bone; they won't let you go. They'll make your life miserable. So just go ahead and tell them yes and save all the time.”