At 11:30 p.m., Daniel Kwan was ready for a late dinner. The film he co-directed – ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ – won the 95th Annual Academy Awards, earn seven historical statues, including Best Picture and Best Director. But he hadn’t eaten a bite for hours. So at vanity loungeis annual Oscars party, he grabbed an In-N-Out burger from a tray to refuel.
But before he could dig in, he was greeted by one of his many fans, named Steven Spielberg. The man who watched his cinematic memoir, “The Fabelmans,” get crushed by the Daniels (as Kwan and his collaborator Daniel Scheinert are called) didn’t seem the least bit upset.
Instead, Spielberg talked animatedly to Kwan for a long time, beyond the normal chatter length at an Oscars after-party. Was Spielberg giving him advice? Express his admiration? Talking about butt plugs (a key plot device in “Everything Everywhere”)? It was too strong to tell, but Kwan nodded and smiled, as he held the uneaten burger – the melted cheese that was turning gooey – in his hand.
It was an Oscars year that marked the changing of the guard, and the cast of indie film A24 that became a pop culture juggernaut were among Vanity Fair’s most popular stars, hosted by the magazine’s editor. Radika Jones. The glitzy celebration is always the last hurray for everyone in Hollywood — from David Zaslav to Donna Langley to The Rock — to say good riddance to awards season.
michelle yeofresh off of her historic Oscar win as first Asian woman to win Best Actress, was surrounded by a mosh pit of groupies. After snapping photos on the 125-foot-long carpet, she hit the dance floor and rocked her statue to the ’90s banger beat “Jump Around.” Ke Huy Quan, the Best Supporting Actor winner and prize darling, chatted enthusiastically with the guests (and made a point of telling us that he had read Variety online every morning).
At 11:30 p.m. Sunday, the line to enter the event at the Wallis Annenberg Center was overflowing with so many VIPs that a member of Cara Delevingne’s entourage had to part with her out of breath because he could not enter. (Mescal and Dano) waited yards from Ariana DeBose to walk the blue carpet at the entrance — a podium packed with photographers and press (also on the final leg of an endless journey to the Oscars).
Yes, Mescal was a hot commodity in the room as one of the stars of the season with his performance in “Aftersun”. Inside, he hung out with Austin Butler and Laverne Cox, and later, Billie Eilish. Andrew Garfield parked by the bar and exchanged pleasantries with Elizabeth Olsen. Sharon Stone, who donned a dress with a yellow cape, found herself in the middle of a friendly exchange with two very hot TV stars — we mean that in terms of professional success, of course —: Pedro Pascal and Brett Goldstein.
It’s hard to imagine a better place to people watch. Tony-winning playwright Jeremy O. Harris was looking for a lighter. Ronan Farrow wore a sparkling top under his jacket. Hugh Grant chatted with his “Dungeons & Dragons” co-star Rege-Jean Page. Cate Blanchett burst out laughing at a Sarah Paulson joke and then tangled with Ava DuVernay. J. Smith Cameron of “Succession” took a solo selfie while seated at the party – with no entourage. Zachary Levi pulled up his tuxedo pants as he chatted with James Corden. Alan Cumming escaped from the bar with two glasses of white wine…and a water, for good measure. Joe Jonas was spotted texting outside the men’s bathroom.
At 2 a.m., Jimmy Kimmel was ready to call it a night. But even an Oscar host can’t make a quick escape to Hollywood. As he waited near the curb, he was on the phone, giving a driver directions on where to pick him up.