Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Ricky Gervais and Mark Ruffalo are celebrating after a Texas politician helped to successfully derail a controversial abortion bill on Tuesday (25Jun13).

Senator Wendy Davis spoke for 10 hours and 45 minutes on the Senate floor in Austin in a bid to filibuster the legislation, which would have resulted in the majority of Texas' abortion clinics being shut down.

The Democrat fell short of reaching her 13-hour goal of running out the clock when the chairman ruled she had gone off topic, but stars watching her marathon session were enthralled and took to Twitter.com to commend Davis' efforts.

Banks tweeted, "Truly inspiring to watch Wendy Davis standing up for women's rights in Texas," and actor Ruffalo wrote, "This is better then any movie I have seen in a long long time. Never forget. We the people have the power we have always had the power we just need to gather and take it!"

Gervais added, "Whatever the outcome, Wendy Davis' efforts entered her into the pantheon of American heroes tonight. Stand with wendy."

The special session ended in chaos over a late-night vote, but Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst declared the bill dead at 3am local time.

In a post on his Twitter page, Bell wrote, "Sb5 (Senate Bill 5) is dead. Wendy Davis & all the others who stood strong in Texas, be proud."

The victory may be short-lived as Governor Rick Perry, a former Republican presidential candidate, may now ask for another session to re-open the debate.