“Evening Before” Party: MPTF Celebration Hosts Nominees Anya Taylor-Joy, Michaela Coel, Rege-Jean Page and Billy Porter (original) (raw)
Anya-Taylor Joy hugged Regé-Jean Page, Cynthia Erivo caught up with good friend Michaela Coel alongside Lena Waithe and Jurnee Smollett, and Kathryn Hahn posed for photos with onetime Transparent colleagues Bradley Whitford and Amy Landecker.
Those are just a few of the interactions snapped by photographers during a star-packed celebration Saturday night in Century City where Emmy nominees, past winners, executives and Hollywood luminaries gathered on behalf of the Motion Picture & Television Fund for the org’s 15th annual “Evening Before” party. The event raised funds to benefit MPTF’s programs and services such as financial assistance, crisis counseling, caregiving, and the Woodland Hills “home” to TV and film professionals.
“A moment for all of us to remember,” is how MPTF president and CEO Bob Beitcher described it, adding, “What a fabulous night to celebrate MPTF’s 100th anniversary and the resiliency of our industry’s creative spirit.”
On the latter point, all guests were required to show proof of vaccination and a negative COVID-19 test for admittance. The safe gathering, held in the courtyard behind CAA headquarters, was designed by Silver Birches Event Design + Production to mirror a relaxed town square in the park. L.A. star chefs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo’s catering company, Carmelized Productions, handled the menu while celebrity DJ Michelle Pesce oversaw the music. The pandemic put a dent in Emmy weekend party plans, making MPTF’s “Evening Before” the standout gathering heading into Sunday’s telecast.
Among the Emmy nominees in attendance were Erivo, Taylor-Joy, Page, Coel, Hahn, Whitford, Billy Porter, Sterling K. Brown, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Yvette Nicole Brown, Stephen Colbert, Paapa Essiedu, Brett Goldstein, Lorne Michaels, Max Minghella, Julianne Nicholson, Josh O’Connor, Juno Temple, Bowen Yang, Jurnee Smollett, Evan Peters, Madeline Brewer, and others. Additional guests (some of whom representing Emmy nominated shows or past wins) included Phil Dunster, Jack Quaid, Justin Hartley, Taika Waititi, Rita Ora, Tessa Thompson, Amy Poehler, Mindy Kaling, Dan Levy, Natasha Lyonne, Annie Murphy, Ariana DeBose, Zooey Deschanel, Fortune Feimster, Cristo Fernández, Lukas Gage, January Jones, Tony Hale, Christina Hendricks, Anders Holm, Sarah Hyland, Joel McHale, Matthew Morrison, Ego Nwodim, Lauren Ash, Vanessa Bayer, and others.
The “Evening Before” host committee consisted of Uzo Aduba, Anthony Anderson, Paul Bettany, Aidy Bryant, Olivia Colman and Ed Sinclair, Michael Douglas, Erivo, Jonathan Groff, Hahn and Ethan Sandler, William H. Macy, Page, Peters, Porter, Rodriguez, Jean Smart, Smollett, Taylor-Joy, Kenan Thompson, Hannah Waddingham, and Whitford and Landecker.
The executive committee included Bela Bajaria, Bob Bakish, Greg Berlanti and Robbie Rogers, Frances Berwick, Casey Bloys, Michelle and Paul Buccieri, George Cheeks, Nicole Clemens and Vaun Wilmott, Charlie Collier, Roma Downey and Mark Burnett, Channing Dungey, Jamie Erlicht, Craig Erwich, Ann and Jim Gianopulos, Pearlena Igbokwe, Jason Kilar, Katie McGrath and J.J. Abrams, Steve Mosko, Andrea and David Nevins, Megan and Peter Rice, Susan Rovner, Jennifer Salke, Ann Sarnoff, Zack Van Amburg, Tony Vinciquerra, Dana and Matt Walden, and Ally Walker and John Landgraf.
This year’s presenting sponsors were Penske Media Corporation (with brands including Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter and Variety represented) and retailer Target with additional support from diamond sponsors Netflix, the Walt Disney Company and WarnerMedia.
Scroll down for more images from inside the event.
Jurnee Smollett, Cynthia Erivo, Lena Waithe and Michaela Coel catch up during the event. Michael Kovac/Getty Images for MPTF
Host committee members Bradley Whitford, Kathryn Hahn, Ethan Sandler and Amy Landecker. Michael Kovac/Getty Images for MPTF