Notes from the annual BAFTA Tea at the Four Seasons Hotel in LA:
Even if you play the tough Arya Stark on “Game of Thrones,” the soon to be 21 Maisie Williams is not too old to have a crush, and as she told me, “it was heavenly,” when I asked her how it felt to be in a corner with Andrew Garfield and Justin Timberlake.
Her “GOT” sister Sansa Stark, played by Sophie Turner, was also there, with boyfriend Joe Jonas, the pop star whose “Cake by the Ocean” should have been playing in the room. (The pair had dined the previous night at hotspot Craig’s on Melrose.) But when Sophie saw Maisie chatting with the fellows, she elbowed them aside and joked, “make room for me.”
“Rogue One” stars Diego Luna and Riz Ahmed were hanging together. Riz had to explain to “Manchester” director Kenny Lonergan that he was also in “Rogue One,” and in fact christens his space ship with the movie’s title. (Lonergan and his wife actress J. Cameron Smith have not had a chance to see the “Star Wars” movie yet.)
Bryce Dallas Howard was escorted by her parents Ron and Chery Howard, who gave her a ride, she said, over to the Four Seasons hotel. “How did you get here?” someone asked Bryce, and she matter-of-factly told this story. Bryce is getting ready to film her Jurassic World sequel with Chris Pratt.
Also seen: “Toni Erdmann” star Sandra Huller, eating Welsh rarebit at the buffet and talking to a fan who asked if he could go to the next infamous naked birthday party scene. (Huller is naked in this funny scene.) “I’ll never do that again!” she said. Huller has only been to Los Angeles once before, when she was exorcised in a horror film. “This is much better,” she said.
Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling made a quick drive by appearance before going to their own “La La Land” at Cecconi’s later. Amy Adams was searching for her husband Darren, all the while posing for photos and being gracious; she found Darren hanging with Justin Timberlake and “Captain Fantastic” director.
John Lithgow was accepting kudos from literally everyone in the room, including Octavia Spencer and Peter Fonda ,for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in Netflix’s “The Crown.”
When I told Michelle Williams that her performance in “Manchester By The Sea,” literally allowed me to see how this woman got up everyday after an unspeakable tragedy, she was lovely and said, “that’s all I wanted to do. Just that. Just to show how she did endure and move on.”
Keegan- Michael Key was being congratulated for his farewell video as the angry translator for
President Obama, which he and his comedy partner shared with “The Daily Show”‘s Trevor Noah. He told me that he’s soon to be in Vancouver for three months shooting Shane
Black’s “The Predator.”
Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga were working the room for their “Loving.” Viggo Mortensen was a bit taken aback by the crowd (it seems like a thousand people, most of them famous, are smushed into a ballroom for two overheated hours) and told me, “this is not my thing, but hell, glad to be here!”
The most popular person to take a picture with? Adorable 8 year old Sunny Pawer, from “Lion” who was working the room like a true pro.
with added reporting from RF
