Inside the 2023 Time 100 Gala With Jennifer Coolidge, Austin Butler, and More
You never know who you might run into at the Time 100 gala: An Oscar-winning actor? A leading glacial scientist, or maybe the physicist who led a recent nuclear fusion breakthrough? There was even a recently ousted news anchor (Don Lemon) in the room at Jazz at Lincoln Center on Wednesday night, where Time was celebrating its 2023 cohort of “most influential” figures.
Time 100 cover star and dinner host Jennifer Coolidge was surprised when she turned around during cocktail hour and found herself suddenly face-to-face with Judy Blume.
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“It’s incredible to meet you, honey,” enthused Coolidge, trading rapid compliments with her fellow honoree as they both queued up to walk the red carpet. “I love your work. I didn’t expect to turn around and—”
Molly Ringwald, who penned Blume’s tribute for Time magazine, soon joined them in the VIP lineup, offering the author a hearty congratulations and double air kiss. Blume’s had a particularly notable month, with the release of a documentary about her life and film adaptation of her book “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.” Her reaction to adding the Time 100 list to her list of accomplishments? “I said, what? Are you kidding me?” said Blume. “It’s a lot to take in. I am proud to be here.”
Padma Lakshmi had a similar reaction to the news. “I was shocked and stunned and so elated. I called everyone on my crew on ‘Taste of the Nation’ to tell them, because I know that they helped me get here,” said Lakshmi. “This is my favorite event of the whole year. I’ve been a few times because I’ve written for Time magazine, but I’ve never been on the list, so I’m hugely honored. It’s great company to be in.”
Other guests included Thom Browne, who made his way down the carpet with Lindsay Vonn, mother-and-son pair Ronan Farrow and Mia Farrow (“don’t leave me,” she instructed Ronan, as reporters called out for her attention), Drew Barrymore, Aubrey Plaza, Ali Wong, and Kaia Gerber and Austin Butler — the media crowd was particularly enthused to get a shot of the pair together.
“I think I had an easier time with the train at my wedding,” joked Lea Michele of her vintage Mugler gown. The “Funny Girl” actress later performed “Don’t Rain on My Parade” onstage for the gala dinner crowd.
Salma Hayek Pinault caught up with Kim Kardashian, the pair ensconced by photographers, as they made their way toward dinner. They joined other guests including Jon Batiste and Tiffany Haddish, who was collecting autographs in a small book and was spotted asking Angela Bassett for her signature.
During the dinner ceremony, which was taped for a Sunday night broadcast on ABC, Coolidge tasked the crowd with putting their influence to work. “Let’s just be honest: some of our work is more urgent than others,” she said. Case in point: the “fake fart video” she made with J.Lo, which brought in 2 million followers.
“Meanwhile, we’ve got Peter and Britney, they’re trying to save the planet,” said Coolidge of the two leading glacial researchers in the room. “You’re the guys that should have followers,” she added. “I think we should all pair up. All of the famous people here, I want you to get a buddy, a nerdy buddy, and get the message out there. Ed Reynolds, I want you to meet Austin Butler. He could play you in a movie — a movie about a guy who likes asteroids and stuff,” she said, addressing the man who heads up NASA’s first planetary defense system. “Annie Kritcher, I don’t know what the controlled fusion power thing is, but if you team up with Steven Spielberg, I’m sure you could explain it in a compelling way.”
Later, Spielberg took the stage — introduced by Ke Huy Quan and Drew Barrymore, who both starred in his films as child actors — to accept the inaugural Time 100 Impact Award. The magazine is celebrating its centennial year, and the director called attention to one of the film reviews that ran in the very first issue, for “Down to the Sea in Ships.” “Wow: a big fish eating a boat,” said the director. “I wish I’d thought of that.”
Launch Gallery: Inside the Time 100 Gala 2023
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