Some of the biggest names in Hollywood weren’t afraid to act up on Friday night.
Ahead of this year’s Golden Globe awards, Variety held an invite-only celebration marking the 23rd season of its “Actors on Actors” series. At the hallowed Polo Lounge inside the Beverly Hills Hotel, industry players and many of the year’s most celebrated stars and filmmakers came to toast the franchise that pairs notable thespians for uncensored conversations about the craft.
Sydney Sweeney, Kate Hudson, Teyana Taylor, Dwayne Johnson, Adam Sandler, Jesse Plemons, Ethan Hawke, Tonatiuh, Connor Storrie, Odessa A’zion, Kumail Nanjiani and many more showed to the event hosted by Variety’s co-president and co-editor-in-chief Ramin Setoodeh and Golden Globes president Helen Hoehne. The evening was sponsored by the Aman Beverly Hills and Morgan Stanley.
Season 23 was exceptional. For the first time, Leonardo DiCaprio allowed a fellow A-lister in Jennifer Lawrence to quiz him about his process. Julia Roberts let the world know how long and meaningful her friendship was with Sean Penn, while discussing her most indelible turn since “Erin Brockovich,” in Luca Guadagnino’s “After the Hunt.” Kate Hudson shared with Jeremy Allen White the small devotions that helped her achieve the most compelling dramatic performance of her career in “Song Sung Blue.” These moments and many more proved worthy of a fabulous pre-Globes bash.
Hikari, Ethan Hawke and Odessa A’zion at the Variety & Golden Globes Pre-Golden Globes Party presented by Aman Beverly Hills and Morgan Stanley.
Michael Buckner
“There’s tremendous value in ‘Actors on Actors’ because of how intimate it is,” said, Hoehne, who was seen chatting with Johnson and Adrien Brody two days prior to her organization’s big Sunday telecast. “You find out who they are, what they love, how they work. So many of the pairings are unexpected, but it’s always rewarding.”
As tuna tartare cones and mini grilled cheese circulated on passed plates, Hudson and her power manager Jason Weinberg delighted the crowd. Eva Victor, the breakout writer-director-star of “Sorry, Baby,” met the town’s obsession Storrie (of “Heated Rivalry” fame). Sweeney cut a glamorous figure in a shimmering black dress as Sandler (“Jay Kelly”) took a victory lap for what many have called a career-defining role. Billionaire Kevin Ulrich, who sold MGM to Amazon, gave a best-dressed effort in a killer double-breasted heather grey suit from J. Crew (the iconic apparel company he acquired in 2020).
Connor Storrie and Eva Victor at the Variety & Golden Globes Pre-Golden Globes Party presented by Aman Beverly Hills and Morgan Stanley.
Michael Buckner
Variety’s co-president and publisher Dea Lawrence held court alongside associate publisher Donna Pennestri, with film luminaries like Sony Pictures Classics heads Tom Bernard and Michael Barker. Co-editor-in-chief Cynthia Littleton mixed with “Marty Supreme” breakout star A’zion and powerhouse young star Kathryn Newton (Searchlight’s “Ready or Not 2: Here I Come”).
The industry was represented by Sue Kroll, head of marketing for Amazon MGM; Eldridge Industries chair Todd Boehly; Management 360 partner Beau Swayze; Weinberg; fashion entrepreneur Natalie Bond Bloomingdale; and the Prada-clad communications whiz Ashley Hansen, partner at Forward Global (formerly of Archewell, Universal and Annapurna ). Guests received a gift bag marking the anticipated opening of the Aman Beverly Hills.
Tonatiuh and Jesse Plemons at the Variety & Golden Globes Pre-Golden Globes Party, presented by Aman Beverly Hills and Morgan Stanley.
Michael Buckner
Setoodeh, another dressed in Prada, spent his night at the door greeting actors (the point of the evening, after all).
“With ‘Actors on Actors’ we try to curate the best portfolio of awards season, and the franchise has become a phenomenon online. This year was our biggest ever, in partnership with CNN, and that’s something to celebrate in addition to this incredible work on screen.”
