Will and Kate reign over Hollywood at BAFTA’s ‘Brits to Watch’
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Prince William and Catherine, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, expanded their domain to include Hollywood, sweeping some of its biggest movie stars off their feet Saturday evening in downtown Los Angeles.
BAFTA, the British film academy over which Prince William presides, hosted its uber-hyped ‘Brits to Watch’ fete, welcoming emerging British artists and some of America’s most treasured talent.
The duchess, in McQueen, made a simple and stunning entrance with her husband on their first Hollywood red carpet. Crowds swelled outside the Belasco Theater for the event, which followed a successful day of polo for the pair.
Nicole Kidman, Barbra Streisand, Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Garner, Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks were just a few of Tinseltown’s royalty present for the occasion.
Photos: Will and Kate, Day Two
Younger celebs including Chris Evans, Blake Lively, Ed Westwick, Juno Temple, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Jessica Chastain were counted, as well as funnymen Paul Rudd and Judd Apatow, with wife Leslie Mann.
Though the two may be a bit conservative by Hollywood standards, they passed the shmoozing litmus test with flying colors. The duke had many a close conversation, including chats with Streisand and husband James Brolin, as well as Lopez. Kate warmed to Kidman and Garner, enjoying solo conversations while California wine and Grey Goose flowed.
Piers Morgan, an anchor from the newlyweds’ homeland, summed it well: ‘In terms of pure star quality, William and Kate are the biggest stars in the world,’ he said.
Agreed.
‘The impact they’ve had on Hollywood, which houses the biggest stars in the world, shows you that they are,’ Morgan added.
One tidbit for the Ministry’s devoted followers of Fabulous Parties: Kate and William sat at a well-appointed table with Kidman, Streisand and Brolin.
Also spotted: Mary-Louise Parker, Jonah Hill, Elizabeth Banks, Jason Bateman, Jack Black and Kristin Chenoweth.
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-- Matt Donnelly
twitter.com/MattDonnelly
Photos, from top: Jennifer Lopez with Prince William and Catherine, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge; the newlyweds storm their first-ever Tinseltown red carpet. Credits: Matt Baron/ Associated Press; WireImage