PARTY ON, STARS
Post-Oscars merriment: making the rounds at the Governors Ball and Vanity Fair’s bash.
“Hey,” Jordan Horowitz said Sunday at the 89th Academy Awards’ Governors Ball. The “La La Land” producer had found himself trending after the best-picture flub that shocked Hollywood. “At least I’m a meme now.”
Horowitz kept a good-natured smile on his face late into the Governors Ball after-party as guests and strangers kept coming up to commend him for swiftly and gracefully taking the mike to announce that “Moonlight,” not “La La Land,” had won best picture.
The biggest gesture came from “Moonlight” director Barry Jenkins, who made a beeline, Oscar in hand, for Horowitz, sharing a hug and his own bewildered reaction to the crazy moment.
Servers with trays of braised beef, truffle mac ’n’ cheese and caviar-topped baked potatoes greeted guests at the official Oscars after-party, everyone’s first social stop of the night.
Most people, however, made a dash for the booze first — the better to gossip excitedly, Champagne in hand, about the biggest screw-up in Oscars history.
Lionsgate’s tables were noticeably — and understandably — absent of “La La Land” stars Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling and the film’s key crew, including director Damien Chazelle.
Elsewhere in the cavernous Governors Ball, Netf lix’s Ted Sarandos mingled with Vince Vaughn, and Andrew Garfield had his own meme-able moment with honorary Oscar winner Jackie Chan, who was toting two stuffed pandas.
“Manchester by the Sea” supporting actor nominee Lucas Hedges seemed blithely unruffled by the Oscars flub, hitting the dance floor with Dominic Cooper, Grammy-winning singer Cynthia Erivo and “Moonlight’s” Trevante Rhodes as a circle of onlookers formed.
In the 11 o’clock hour, the Vanity Fair party was in full swing at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills. For a hard-core movie fan, the storied Oscar party feels like the best dream ever, one in which every huge star you’ve ever heard of is in the same room, and you’re all eating hamburgers and doughnuts together.
Amy Adams and Patricia Clarkson jamming together to Lauryn Hill’s “Doo Wop (That Thing)”? Obviously! Jennifer Aniston grabbing LL Cool J by the arm? Of course! New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft posing for photos with Mariah Carey? Old pals!
Heidi Klum, Demi Lovato and Nick and Joe Jonas were all getting down to Blackstreet’s “No Diggity.” Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake were engaged in rather frisky PDA against a wall.
“I knew what Mindy Kaling stood for from your books and your shows,” “Quantico” star Priyanka Chopra gushed to Kaling. “But seeing it in person? You’re everything and more.”
“Are you kidding me?” Kaling replied in disbelief, engulfing Chopra in a hug.
Some stars hanging together made sense, such as comedians Bill Hader, Adam Scott and Seth Rogen. But other mixes baffled the mind — Kate Hudson, for instance, hanging with the two Jonas brothers, Sarah Silverman, Martin Short, Kate Beckinsale, Isla Fisher and Sacha Baron Cohen. What could a cigarpuffing Nick Jonas possibly be whispering into Short’s ear on the smoking deck?
Elton John, meanwhile, sat on a couch with spouse David Furnish, fielding endless questions about why he was at the Vanity Fair party instead of his own legendary Oscar-night bash.
“Because it’s finished!” he insisted, over and over again.