Hollywood couple coming to rural Illinois for college commencement speech

MONMOUTH – Actress Sigourney Weaver and her husband, writer/director Jim Simpson, will deliver the commencement address at Monmouth College on May 19. 

Married for nearly 40 years, the pair will speak on the subject of "creative partnership."

Simpson, who has directed more than 70 works for theater and for film and television, is the brother of Monmouth College trustee and alumna Gail Simpson Owen. He has twice won the Obie Award, which honors off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City.

Weaver got her breakthrough in acting in 1979 when she played Lt. Ellen Ripley in the film "Alien." For that role, she was nominated for an Academy Award and for best actress in the Golden Globe awards. They were the first of many awards and nominations over her career.  

In addition to her professional career, Weaver has supported charitable causes. Sparked by her role in "Gorillas in the Mist," Weaver became an active supporter and honorary chair of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. She has also worked to protect deep-sea habitats and has been involved with the Trickle Up Program, which focuses on issues of extreme poverty, especially among women and disabled people. 

Simpson and Weaver together founded The Flea Theater, an experimental theater based in New York City, where Simpson served as artistic director until 2015.

Simpson and Weaver will each receive the honorary degree Doctor of Humane Letters as part of the commencement exercises. 

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