Oscars 2012: Solid gold and stars at Vanity Fair after-party

Oscar winner or Oscar loser, anyone can break even at the Academy Awards' most exclusive after-party — anyone who's been invited, that is. And so another year of Vanity Fair madness came to pass, with magazine Editor Graydon Carter hosting a new crop of film honorees, luminaries from politics, art and fashion, and even some royalty.

The Sunset Tower Hotel was a glamorous war zone of barricaded fans, tinted SUVs and paparazzi Sunday evening as folks made their way to the fete from the telecast in Hollywood.

Carter had first welcomed 130 guests for dinner and the show, among them Amy Adams, Jon Hamm and Jennifer Westfeldt, Bill Maher, Les Moonves and Julie Chen, Sofia Vergara, Jason Sudeikis and Olivia Wilde, George Lucas, Tom Ford, Jane Fonda, Claire Danes and Chris Martin.

PHOTOS: Vanity Fair Oscars after-party 2012

After "The Artist" claimed best picture, dinner tables were cleared and doors opened to the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, who joined husband Martin for a cocktail. Paltrow wasn't shy about her admiration for several famous guests, at one point retrieving her smartphone and asking Steve Martin and Martin Short to take a photo with her.

Paula Patton had been telling us for weeks about her anxiety over a dress for the occasion, eventually going with a Naeem Khan mini. "I had to pull the trigger, so I went short," she said. "I love long gowns, but this just felt right."

At that precise moment, everyone stopped to appreciate Cameron Diaz and her gown, a form-fitting red-orange number.

PHOTOS: Red carpet arrivals | Quotes | Winners | Best & Worst

Thanks to their creative endeavors, some New Yorkers came to town, among them "Saturday Night Live" star and original screenplay nominee Kristen Wiig. Plenty of funny females surrounded her, including Maya Rudolph, Tina Fey and Melissa McCarthy.

Kate Hudson stepped out with fiance Matt Bellamy, both looking excited for a date night away from their new baby -- pictures of whom Hudson shared excitedly with Owen Wilson.

Super Bowl: Joe Manganiello, Chris Evans touch down for parties

Sports devotees aren't the only ones descending upon Super Bowl in Indianapolis this weekend: Hollywood has touched down to party.

Avid football fan Joe Manganiello suited up for GQ magazine's annual pre-party on Friday, the "True Blood" werewolf enjoying the company of big-name athletes, actors and personalities.

David Arquette joked around with Steelers wide receiver Hines Wards while Andy Roddick escorted his lady Brooklyn Decker through the bash, held at downtown Indy industrial space The Stultz.

"The Voice" judge and rocker Adam Levine chatted up mag publisher Chris Mitchell as Terrell Owens, Troy Aikman and Patriots player Niko Koutouvides circulated around ESPN sportscaster Erin Andrews.

"Dancing With the Stars" winner J.R. Martinez made a showing as did Mike Epps, the Roots and Peter Berg. LL Cool J served up a performance as Patron cocktails pumped through the crowd. 

Over at Indy's pop-up Bud Light Hotel, Chris Evans charmed several bunnies at Playboy's bash, sipping Ciroc and taking in a set from Ne-Yo. 

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-- Matt Donnelly
twitter.com/MattDonnelly

Top photo: Joe Manganiello flashes a sporty smile at GQ and Lacoste's pre-Super Bowl bash. Credit: Getty Images

Right photo: Chris Evans and a bunny get close at Playboy's Ciroc bash. Credit: Handout

 

Sightings: Chris Evans' animal within; Lindsay Lohan's smile woes

Chris Evans unleashed the animal inside Wednesday night when "The Avengers" actor ventured out in Hollywood with some male pals in support of a Puma charity initiative.

Enjoying his time off, Evans hit up Puma's "Riddim + Run" event, where Siren Studios was converted into a city of bamboo huts offering food and drink. DJ Diplo got other stars, including Jamie Foxx, Cee-Lo Green and Sarah Hyland of "Modern Family," dancing while guests brought used sneakers for Soles4Souls.

Photos: Chris Evans, Jamie Foxx and Cee-Lo Green at Puma presents "Riddum + Run"

The Ministry was amused to see Jason Ritter rocking some serious facial hair, growing it out for his upcoming Charles Manson pic "Dead Circus."

A bit north on Hollywood Boulevard, the video game launch for "Saints Row: The Third" went down at Supperclub, nabbing Rob Kardashian, Audrina Patridge, Carmen Electra and Sasha Grey.

Photos: Stars arrive for the launch of Saints Row: The Third.

But Lindsay Lohan was the guest who got tongues wagging. Wide reports are ripping the actress for showing yellowing and, we'll say, not very attractive teeth at the fete. Check 'em out here.

A much more pleasant sighting was our pal Charlize Theron, out and about supporting her eponymous Africa Outreach project. The "Snow White and the Huntsman" star hosted photographer Randall Slavin for a series of celebrity shots.

The exhibit, sponsored by Grey Goose, drew names including Michael C. Hall, Sarah Silverman, Gabrielle Union, Jamie Chung and Michelle Monaghan. 

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-- Matt Donnelly
twitter.com/MattDonnelly

Photos:  (left) Chris Evans at the Puma event. Credit: Getty Images

(right) Lindsay Lohan at the video game launch for "Saints Row: The Third." Credit: Getty Images

'What's Your Number?' premiere: Anna Faris 'terrified' by comedy

Anna Faris is continually singled out as one of Hollywood's go-to young actresses for broad comedies. While many might find that an enviable role, the 34-year-old says it's actually "terrifying."

"There's a lot of pressure to that, because I never really thought of myself as a funny person," Faris told us Monday evening on the red carpet at the premiere of her film "What's Your Number?"

Photos: 'What's Your Number?' premiere

"I always did drama growing up. I was always a serious kid and sort of fell into comedy. It wasn't intentional. So it's never really felt like completely at home."

In her new movie, out Sept. 30, Faris stars as a young woman perpetually unlucky in love and beginning to fret that she's sleeping around too much for a woman her age. Accordingly, she enlists the help of her neighbor, played by Chris Evans, to help her track down her ex-boyfriends in the hope that years later they may have become husband material.

Faris, known to many for her role as a ditzy sorority house leader in "The House Bunny," served as an executive producer on the new film.

"It's tricky, because there just aren't that many scripts out there for women in comedy. If there are, they're sort of the bounce card character — they're the character that's the straight women to the funny guy," she explained. "So I think that it sort of forced me to be a little proactive and try to find those scripts and develop them."

Evans said he signed on to the project largely because of Faris' hand in its development.

"She's not afraid to make a fool of herself — on camera and in life," he said at the Westwood event. "She's so modest. She has no ego. The first joke she'll make will be about herself. And it's pretty endearing in life, and it comes across on screen."

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— Amy Kaufman
twitter.com/AmyKinLA

Photo: Anna Faris and Chris Evans at the premiere of "What's Your Number?" in Westwood on Sept. 19. Credit: Mike Nelson / European Pressphoto Agency.

'Captain America' premiere: Chris Evans is terrified, and Robert Downey Jr. understands

When Chris Evans arrived at the premiere of "Captain America: The First Avenger" in Hollywood on Tuesday night, he looked every bit the movie star: With his tailored suit and quirky Robert Downey Jr.-esque tinted glasses, he seemed to have that whole confident swagger thing down pat.

But what was the 30-year-old really thinking as he made his way down the American-flag-themed red carpet?

"Believe me," he insisted, "right now, I'm terrified."

It's no secret that Evans was reluctant to take on the part of Steve Rodgers in the big-budget film based on the popular comic book.

For weeks, he turned down repeated offers from Marvel for the role -- fearful of all that would come along with stepping into the shoes of the iconic superhero. Things like screaming fans, he said Tuesday, looking around at all of those who had come en masse to line the streets surrounding the El Capitan.

"I was scared," he said. "If you're scared to do something, you've gotta kind push yourself into it. And if you push yourself in, it usually ends up being a good decision."

Starring in a Marvel movie ended up being quite a positive thing for Robert Downey Jr., whose career has flourished since his turn in the "Iron Man" films. But the actor, who will star alongside Evans in the upcoming film "The Avengers," said he understood Evans' anxiety.

"Evans has had just a nerve-wracking summer up to this point. Up until this night, you're starting to get the feedback and people are saying, 'Wow, this really works. And we're happy and reviews are good and it looks like the numbers are gonna be good," he said. "It's a horrible part of the job that we do. But it's nice when he's on this side of it, I would imagine."

Click the pics for more photos from the "Captain America" red carpet. The movie opens Friday.

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-- Amy Kaufman
Twitter.com/AmyKinLA

 
Photos: Robert Downey Jr., top, and Chris Evans, left, with Hayley Atwell at the "Captain America: The First Avenger" premiere in Hollywood on Tuesday. Credits: Kevin Winter / Getty Images, top; Jason Redmond / Reuters, left.