Clooney and Pitt star in play on gay-marriage rights

Washington, Mar 5 (ANI): George Clooney and Brad Pitt joined forces on Saturday night in Los Angeles for a play about California's ban on same-sex marriage.

The two joined a cast of Hollywood heavyweights for the West Coast premiere of 8, a play about the Proposition 8 legislation which overturned the legalisation of gay unions in the state.

The one night only stage reading, held at Los Angeles' Wilshire Ebell Theatre, featured Pitt as U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker, who ruled that Prop 8 violated the U.S. Constitution.

The 50-year-old Academy Award winner and veteran actor Martin Sheen read the parts of David Boies and Theodore B. Olson, respectively, who were the attorneys arguing against the ban.

More than 200,000 fans logged on to YouTube.com to watch the show online, and it has now been revealed that over 2 millon dollars was raised for the American Foundation for Equal Rights.

Speaking about his decision to star in the play, 'The Descendants' star said that he wanted to clarify his stance on the issue.

"It's important to be on the right side of history. In 20 years, I don't want anyone to wonder where I stood. At some point people are going to look back and wonder why this was ever an issue," Contactmusic quoted The Hollywood Reporter as saying. (ANI)