Inside the 2024 National Board of Review Gala

AdminJanuary 14, 2024

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(Left to right) Laura Linney, Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain. Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for the National Board of Review

Awards season is just getting started for Da’Vine Joy Randolph, the fresh face in Hollywood everyone has been talking about since winning a Golden Globe for her role as Mary Lamb in Leftovers.

But she handles everything thrown at her like a pro. On the long red carpet at the National Board of Review Gala, she graciously spoke to every media outlet, even when it was time to take her seat at dinner. Randolph ended up going barefoot while her publicist held her black suede shoes.

Presenting Randolph with the award for Best Supporting Actress was her Only murders in the building co-star Noma Dumezweni, who played theater critic Maxine in season three.

“I knew about her and admired her from afar,” Randolph, who plays Detective Dee Williams on the hit Hulu show, told the Observer of Dumezweni. “And the first day on set she was so warm and welcoming. We just admired each other and became fast friends from then on.”

“We have a wonderful history of theater stories,” chimed in Dumezweni, adding more details about their friendship. “We met at some point in time, a long time ago. “So she asked me to eat tonight.”

It was the first time they both attended the gala, held at Cipriani 42nd Street.

“This is huge! “I didn’t realize how big of a deal it was,” Dumezweni added of the event, seeing stars including Michael J. Fox, Jessica Chastain, Elizabeth Olsen, Laura Linney, Bradley Cooper, Paul Giamatti and Anne Hathaway walk the carpet.

NBC host Willie Geist hosted the ceremony to celebrate the art of filmmaking, recognizing excellence in stuntmanry for the first time. Other 2024 honorees include Cooper, Foxx and Giamatti, as well as Martin Scorsese, Mark Ruffalo and Lily Gladstone.

Willie Geist. Getty Images for the National Council

“They say the Golden Globes are the biggest party, but it’s on TV, so people are a little reticent,” Geist told the Observer when asked about hosting. “There are no rules here. People let it go broke. They are having fun with their friends. Some of their best friends present them with awards. “This is the best night of awards season.”

Anne Hathaway introduced Bradley Cooper (Teacher) with an Icon Award. They became friends during the pandemic when Cooper invited Hathaway’s family over for pizza, which she said he made himself. “As I watched Bradley make pizza for twenty adults and countless screaming children—without ever breaking his rhythm, his focus, or his connection with whoever he was ever talking to—I was struck by what a rare creature Bradley is.” , she told the crowd.

National Board of Review Awards Gala — Bradley Cooper and Anne Hathaway. Photo by Nina Westervelt/WWD via Getty Images

According to him, the food is the best part of the evening. Past Lives actor John Magaro, who previously won best ensemble for The Big Short. But hanging out with some of Hollywood’s biggest names is another gem. “I never had the courage to talk to Marty Scorsese. And I always say I don’t know what I would say to him, but maybe it will happen tonight,” he told the Observer.

Then there was Mark Ruffalo, who was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Duncan Wedderburn in Poor things opposite Emma Stone. He told us on the carpet that he “can’t wait for (awards season) to end.”

As for Randolph, who was also nominated for a SAG Award this week, it was clear from her reception at the NBR Gala that people were paying attention to her. Geist confirmed this before heading into the ballroom: “She’s blown up right now and she deserves it all.”

Here’s a rundown of some of the luminaries we saw that night: