Fires off letter to City Councilwoman Quinn demanding change
Actress Anjelica Huston has urged City Councilwoman Christine Quinn to put horse-drawn carriages out to pasture.
Huston, who's lived in the Big Apple while filming the NBC series "Smash," wrote to Quinn on behalf of PETA in support of Intro 86A, legislation to gradually phase-out horse carriages in New York City and replace them with environmentally-sound classic cars.
"It's surprising to me," Huston wrote in the March 1 missive, "that a city known for its progressive spirit still allows this cruel and dangerous tourist trap.
"Several accidents over the past few months highlight the immense safety hazard and lack of regulation of this industry," the letter continued. "At the end of 2011, within just a couple of weeks, two horses collapsed in the middle of traffic and one nearly hit several taxis on 59th Street."
Huston plays a Broadway producer on the nighttime soap opera and told the Daily News earlier this year that she has been "very happy working and shooting all over the city."
In the letter signed "Sincerely, Anjelica," the "Prizzi's Honor" Oscar winner noted that "Trading in horse-drawn carriages for eco-friendly cars is a responsible way to modernize the industry while keeping that Old World New York charm and creating alternate jobs for horse-drawn carriage operators."
Huston joins a number of other celebrities who support the equine initiative, including "Glee" star Lea Michele and ex-"Baywatch" bombshell Pamela Anderson.
By Joe Dziemianowicz