The AFI Lifetime Achievement Awards on Thursday night in Los Angeles honored legendary film director Mike Nichols and brought out a cavalcade of Hollywood's brightest stars who feted the man who made such films like The Graduate, Closer, and Charlie Wilson's War.

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"This is one of our great talents, this is long overdue, this award for him. You don't have anybody really who has done the breadth of work that Mike Nichols has," Michael Douglas, who walked the carpet solo because wife Catherine Zeta-Jones was busy with a production in NYC, told RadarOnline.com.

Looking beautiful as always, Dame Helen Mirren was effusive with her praise as well: "He's the most prestigious, most amazing talent and it's incredible to applaud him tonight."

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