President Obama Calls Ryan Murphy, Says He Was 'Moved' by THE NORMAL HEART

According to Deadline, President Barack Obama called Ryan Murphy today to congratulate him on his adaptation of Larry Kramer's The Normal Heart for HBO.

"The whole movie is about Larry trying to get the attention of Washington and 30 years later, to get a call from the President is a full-circle moment," Murphy told Deadline.

The President reportedly "loved the film and found it incredibly moving"; he also asked for details on how the project came together.

Murphy hosted a fundraiser for Obama back in 2012 but hadn't realized the President had seen The Normal Heart before he called.

Just announced today, TV and film screenwriter, director and producer Murphy will receive the Critics' Choice LOUIS XIII Genius Award at the 4th annual Critics' Choice Television Awards on June 19. The Normal Heart is nominated for five CCTAs including "Best Movie".

The HBO Films presentation of The Normal Heart debuted on May 25. Directed by Murphy and written by Kramer, adapting his groundbreaking Tony Award-winning play of the same name, THE NORMAL HEART, tells the story of the onset of the HIV-AIDS Crisis in New York City in the early 1980s, taking an unflinching look at the nation's sexual politics as gay activists and their allies in the medical community fight to expose the truth about the burgeoning epidemic to a city and nation in denial.

Kramer's play debuted at New York's Public Theatre in 1985 and was revived in Los Angeles and London, and off-Broadway. The 2011 Broadway revival garnered five Tony nominations, winning for Best Revival, Best Featured Actor and Best Featured Actress.

The film stars Academy Award nominee Mark Ruffalo ("The Kids Are All Right"), Matt Bomer ("White Collar"), Taylor Kitsch ("Lone Survivor"), Emmy(R) winner Jim Parsons ("The Big Bang Theory") and Academy Award winner Julia Roberts, as well as Alfred Molina ("An Education"), Tony Award winner Joe Mantello ("Law & Order"), Jonathan Groff (HBO's "Looking"), Denis O'Hare (HBO's "True Blood"), Stephen Spinella ("Milk"), Corey Stoll ("House of Cards"), Finn Wittrock ("Unbroken"), and BD Wong (HBO's "Oz").

The talented behind-the-scenes team includes production designer Shane Valentino ("Beginners"), director of photography Danny Moder ("Jesus Henry Christ"), editor Adam Penn ("American Horror Story"), costume designer Daniel Orlandi (HBO's "Game Change"), composer Cliff Martinez ("Drive") and casting directors Amanda Mackey ("The Proposal") and Cathy Sandrich Gelfond ("Ronin").

Pictured: President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and Yo-Yo Ma at The Kennedy Center Honors in 2011. Photo by John Paul Filo, Jeffrey R. Staab/CBS.