Temple Grandin at the Emmys Frazer Harrison/Getty Images On Sunday night's Emmy broadcast, viewers heard the same name over and over again as the awards were announced: Temple Grandin.
The HBO biopic "Temple Grandin," starring Claire Danes in the title role, was nominated for seven awards Sunday night and won five, in some categories beating out such behemoths as "The Pacific." (Including the untelevised Creative Arts Emmys, which were handed out last weekend, "Grandin" totaled 15 nominations and 7 wins.)
But for many Emmy viewers, the movie's high-profile wins were the first they'd heard of the extraordinary autistic woman named Temple Grandin, who stood up in the audience as she was thanked by those being celebrated for portraying her life story.
After multiple victories (including those for actors Danes, Julia Ormond, and David Strathairn, plus director Mick Jackson), "Grandin" took home the prize for Outstanding Made for Television Movie.
"On behalf of all the parents like myself who have a child with autism, you are our hero," said "Temple Grandin" producer Emily Gerson Saines as she began her acceptance speech, receiving a warm hug from Grandin herself onstage. It was the most heartwarming moment of the telecast, as Danes held back tears and Saines wished Grandin a happy birthday and called out Grandin's mother, Eustacia Cutler, as "our inspiration."
"Mother, stand up. I know you're nervous, but please stand up," Grandin said, pointing to the audience as the camera cut to Cutler, who stood brimming with joy as her daughter was recognized. It might have been the most high-profile moment for Grandin, but it's just the latest accomplishment in a life she's dedicated to both autism education and a better understanding of animal rights.
Grandin, who was diagnosed with autism in 1950 at the age of 2, went on to earn multiple advanced degrees, including a doctorate in animal science from the University of Illinois. She is considered one of the top advocates of both autism-spectrum understanding and animal welfare, and might be best-known for her invention of more humane slaughterhouse practices, for which she has been recognized by PETA.
The HBO movie "Temple Grandin" — for which Danes prepared by listening to audiotapes of Grandin's speaking engagements and by working with a choreographer to perfect Grandin's mannerisms — tells the story of Grandin's struggles during a time when autism was a mystery even to doctors.
Photos: More Moments with Claire Danes
Grandin is the author of several books and papers about autism and animal welfare, and has been featured in Time magazine, the New York Times, and an amazing mini-documentary by Oscar-winning filmmaker Errol Morris. She was also the subject of a three-hour interview on C-SPAN in November 2009 titled "In Depth With Temple Grandin."
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In addition to her work as an advocate for autism, Grandin is a professor at Colorado State University and a consultant to the livestock industry. She maintains a website detailing her many projects at Templegrandin.com.
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