Three nights before the Oscars, the pre-parties are getting serious. On Thursday night (Feb. 23), Zach Quinto and Sarah Paulson put the “wild” in the Oscar Wilde awards down in Santa Monica.
As Jon Hamm and J.J. Abrams (who emceed and hosted the shindig on the roof of his Bad Robot production company) toasted Hollywood’s “Irish … and those Irish for a night.”
Abrams opened the night with some heartfelt remarks about his late friend Carrie Fisher.
Over at the No Name in West Hollywood, Jackson Browne and Jeff Bridges rocked out on stage. Oscar nominee Bridges sang “Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darling” from “High Noon” and “Fallin’ and Flyin’” from “Crazy Heart.”
Browne curated the musical lineup for the first ever “Songs From the Cinema” benefit put on by Paul Haggis’ Artists for Peace and Justice and Bovet 1822.
“Hi, I’m Jeremy Renner and I’ll be taking care of you tonight.”
In the spirit of “social justice and activism,” Haggis asked celebrities in attendance to serve the meal. They did.
Sighting: A model near food.
Petra Nemcova, at your service.
Haggis and co-host Maxwell.
Someone could hand “The Dude” an Oscar on Sunday for his smoky performance in “Hell or High Water,” but first…
…a guy known as “Adventurer Johan Ernst Nilson” handed him some guitar-rocking fuel.
Jack Black belted out the title tune from “School of Rock.”
Also on the bill: Rita Wilson and Jenny Lewis. Jackson Browne came up with the concept for “Songs From the Cinema” to perform the best music from film while toasting this year’s Oscar nominees.
It worked.
Nacho Libre gets a seal of approval from the dean of music, Quincy Jones…
Who also doled out a frighteningly Trump-ish salute to Maxwell and Jimmy Jean-Louis.
Over at the Chateau Marmont on Thursday night, Cadillac’s second-ever Oscar party caused a traffic jam heading west on Sunset Boulevard.
Inside, Naomi Watts and regular Christoph Waltz perched up as alums of the Oscar circuit (“The Impossible,” “Inglourious Basterds,” “Django Unchained”) who have been out of the awards season gauntlet this cycle.
“Avengers: Infinity War” star Pom Klementieff and Zoe Saldana gather in the courtyard, which was packed shoulder-to-shoulder with guests of Michael Patrick.
The Party Report heard about one talent publicist who feared they might be fired if they could not get their client into this bash.
Michelle Pesce kept the library rocking beyond 11 p.m. (when they had to turn off the outside tunes) with beats by Michael Jackson.
Jenny Slate, Liv Hewson (from Drew Barrymore’s new Netflix series “Santa Clarita Diet”), and Abigail Spencer were three of the stars rolling in to the Chateau in CT6’s, which as the official ride of the Oscars will be delivering nominees to the Dolby on Sunday night.
Two awards seasons fly by fast.
Back in 2015, Patricia Arquette (at Cadillac, with artist Eric White) was a winner-in-waiting for “Boyhood” on Oscar weekend.
Back in Santa Monica, Oscar nominee Lin-Manuel Miranda (with J.J. Abrams and Katie McGrath) had fans waiting for his autograph out on the street outside Bad Robot. While the autograph pack swarms around West Hollywood and Hollywood, they rarely migrate west of the 405 freeway.
The class of the U.S.-Ireland Alliance Oscar Wilde Awards of 2017: Martin Short, Caitriona Balfe, Ruth Negga, Zachary Quinto, and Glen Hansard, with the lord of the “Star Wars” and “Star Trek” franchises.
“I will say there is something special about seeing black women win,” Janelle Monáe said while seeing her cover of Los Angeles Confidential Magazine on Wednesday night at Hollywood’s Palihouse. “I’m so happy and I’m so proud. Monae, who starred in two Best Picture nominees (“Hidden Figures” and “Moonlight”) nabbed the cover of their issue and showed up to “drop-the-mic”/”drop-the-sharpie” at the party.
Monáe, who stars in “Hidden Figures” and “Moonlight,” celebrated the both films’ Oscar nominations by signing a giant cover of Los Angeles Confidential Magazine. Guests in attendance toasted the magazine’s new issue and Monáe’s accomplishments with the CÎROC French 75, an official cocktail of the 2017 Governor’s Ball.
“I have traveled through indian country for 50 years,” Jane Fonda (with Jeff Bridges) said at Global Green’s Pre-Oscar gala at the new Tao Los Angeles. “My first act of activism was in 1970 when I joined indigenous people when they occupied Alcatraz.”
The event honored Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Council Chairman David Archambault II.
This is the not the only trophy Jeff Bridges wants to touch this weekend.
“The plastic bag will soon be nearly obsolete in the state of California. Yeah!” Bridges touted while introducing honoree Dianna Cohen (right), a visual artist who works with plastics and activist who works against plastic pollution.
Global Green’s Les McCabe with Orlando Bloom. Taylor Dayne performed “Tell It to My Heart” and Estelle sang the “See L.A.” song the Wednesday night dinner gala.
Gifting group Madison & Mulholland tells The Party Report that they delivered this $25,000 gift bag to nominees Emma Stone, Nicole Kidman, Viola Davis, Ruth Negga, Octavia Spencer and more.
Top swag includes a trip to Baron’s Cove Sag Harbor, a 3D camera system from A-1 Array, and a “spiked” sparkling water that is like regular sparkling water, but with alcohol. (It’s called “Truly Spiked & Sparkling.” Don’t drink it at the gym.)
For more on the Oscar parties to come, check out TheWrap’s Guide to the hottest invites.
“This Is Us” co-stars Parker Bates, Logan Shroyer and Lonnie Chavis reunited at Debbie Durkin’s EcoLuxe Lounge sponsored by Chariot Travelware and Un Joyau Majestueux at The Beverly Hills Hotel on Friday.
“Brothers and Sisters” actor Gilles Marini signed his name in support of Autism Changes at Debbie Durkin’s EcoLuxe Lounge.
