“This line is crazy,” said broadcast journalist Don Lemon as he walked toward the red carpet crush just after 7 p.m. Thursday.
He was bound for the Time 100 Gala, the annual black-tie schmoozfest in Manhattan, where a 100-person luminary – tech giants, activists, Oscar winners, pop stars, athletes and artists – was celebrated by the magazine as the most important people. used to go. of the year.
If you respect them they will come. And celebrities who were honored at the event included Colman Domingo, Taraji P. Henson, Dev Patel, Patrick Mahomes and Dua Lipa.
Mr. Lemon, who arrived with his husband, real estate broker Tim Malone, was not among the honorees. Nevertheless, he fielded questions from reporters at the barricades who wanted to know about his recent wedding and what brand of tuxedo he wore to the night’s occasion.
“Suit supplies,” Mr. Lemon said. Then corrected himself: “No, Ralph Lauren.”
Maya Rudolph Headed towards the packed elevator. She was being honored by the magazine for her role in the Apple TV+ comedy “Loot,” in which she plays the ex-wife of a tech billionaire who uses the windfall from her divorce to become a philanthropist (Think: mackenzie scott,
As the elevator car headed toward cocktails and dinner, Ms. Rudolph’s attention was focused on a small problem with her black blouse. “The thing about linen is that it attracts lint,” she said, while everyone around her watched her take out the stains.
Moments later, guests reached the 16th floor of One Columbus Circle – the building formerly known as the Time Warner Center, now called the Deutsche Bank Center – where floor-to-ceiling windows provide views of Central Park Are.
was in front of the room Da’Vine Joy Randolphwho won the academy award in march best Supporting Actress For his role in “The Holdovers”.
Nearby, comedian Alex Edelman said he found out he was on the Time 100 list just a few weeks ago, just before his one-man show. “just for us,” Debuted on Max. Speaking about the painter who was among the honorees, he said, “I’d really like to meet Jenny Holzer.” “I don’t even know what she looks like. I just love his work.”
At 8 p.m., guests were led into an atrium with three levels. Mr. Edelman mingles with fellow Time 100-ers mr domingoActor, and Kelly Robinson, the first Black woman to lead the LGBT advocacy group Human Rights Campaign.
was on a table on the upper level Lauren Blauvelt, who was honored for her work with the reproductive rights organization Planned Parenthood. was at the other table Thelma GoldenWho was honored for promoting the arts as director and chief curator of the Studio Museum in Harlem.
For the second year in a row, the ceremony was being filmed for an ABC television special. Which meant that, other than a salad with very little dressing and grilled salmon with barley, there were a lot of starts and stops during the evening.
Ms HensonAn Oscar-nominated actress who recently starred in the big screen versionpurple colour,” Was one of the first to come on stage. “Welcome to the 2024 Time 100 gala,” he said. “I’m Taraji P. Henson and we – We– The most influential people of the year. Would you believe it?”
He offered a shout-out to “visionary and thoughtful leaders” who could “come together and save the world” or at least “crush the threat game.” He then waved from the stage to his “second gentleman’s sister”, the television presenter kelly ripaAnother member of Time’s Class of ’24’.
In the Time 100 Gala tradition, honorees raise their glasses to those who have inspired them. Ms. Rudolph was the first to give a toast to Beyoncé. Michael J., winner of the Special Effects Award for his work on behalf of Parkinson’s disease. Fox paid tribute to his father, William Nelson Fox, who died in 1990.
The actor said his father didn’t have a high school degree, but he showed him how to persist despite adversity with a “master’s degree.” “It would have been his 95th birthday this weekend,” Mr Fox said. “He was 61 when he died. I am now 62 years old.”
As soon as the server cleared the tables, the wrapper 21 savage 2024 motivator introduced, mr mahomesquarterback for kansas city chiefs, He extended his standing to the entire field of women in competitive sports, plugging for the professional women’s soccer team, the Kansas City Current, in which he and his wife, Brittany Mahomes, have an ownership stake.
Shortly after 10pm, Ms Robinson, chief executive of the Human Rights Campaign, gave the final speech of the evening. He declared that he and his fellow honorees are “proof that America’s story is a story of progress, equality, and change.”
After which singer Dua Lipa came on stage to perform “Houdini” and two other songs.
“Thank you, Time 100,” she said, grabbing the microphone. “It’s an honor to spend the evening with you.”