Sydney Sweeney, Kate Hudson, Illuminated ‘Actors on Actors’ Party

Some of the biggest names in Hollywood weren’t afraid to perform on Friday night.

Ahead of this year’s Golden Globe awards, Variety held an invitation-only celebration on the occasion of the 23rd^rd season of the series ‘Actors on Actors’. Inside the hallowed Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel, industry players and many of the year’s most celebrated stars and filmmakers came to toast the franchise that brings together notable theater makers 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 attended 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 Aman Beverly Hills and Morgan Stanley.

Season 23 was exceptional. For the first time, Leonardo DiCaprio had a fellow A-lister in Jennifer Lawrence question him about his lawsuit. Julia Roberts let the world know how long and meaningful her friendship with Sean Penn was as she discussed her most indelible turn since “Erin Brockovich,” in Luca Guadagnino’s “After the Hunt.” Kate Hudson shared with Jeremy Allen White the small dedications that helped her achieve the most compelling dramatic performance of her career in “Song Sung Blue.” These and many more moments turned out to be worthy of a fantastic pre-Globes bash.

“There’s tremendous value in ‘Actors on Actors’ because of how intimate it is,” said Hoehne, who was in conversation with Johnson and Adrien Brody two days ahead of her organization’s big Sunday broadcast. “You discover who they are, what they like, how they work. Many of the combinations are unexpected, but it’s always worth it.”

As tuna tartar cones and mini grilled cheese circulated on passing 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 glittering 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, made the best-dressed appearance in a killer heathered gray double-breasted suit from J. Crew (the iconic clothing company he acquired in 2020).

Variety‘s co-president and publisher Dea Lawrence held court along with associate publisher Donna Pennestri, with film stars including Sony Pictures Classics heads Tom Bernard and Michael Barker. Co-editor-in-chief Cynthia Littleton mingled with “Marty Supreme” breakout star A’zion and young powerhouse Kathryn Newton (Searchlight’s “Ready or Not 2: Here I Come”).

The industry was represented by Sue Kroll, chief marketing officer at Amazon MGM; Eldridge Industries Chairman Todd Boehly; Management 360 partner Beau Swayze; Weinberg; fashion entrepreneur Natalie Bond Bloomingdale; and Prada-clad communications expert Ashley Hansen, partner at Forward Global (formerly of Archewell, Universal and Annapurna). Guests received a gift bag to celebrate the anticipated opening of the Aman Beverly Hills.

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’re trying to build the best awards season portfolio, and the franchise has become a phenomenon online. This year was our biggest ever, in partnership with CNN, and that’s something to celebrate alongside this incredible work on screen.”