Celebs, but no Gervais, at Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. luncheon

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Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Wahlberg, Jessica Chastain, Lea Michele, Jim Sturgess, Elisabeth Moss and Taylor Lautner were among the actors and actresses who turned up Thursday for the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn.’s annual luncheon, where the group that gives out the Golden Globes installs new officers and hands out grants to charity.

The HFPA awarded $1.5 million in grants to groups including the American Cinematheque, the American Film Institute, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Chapman University, UCLA, the Film Foundation and the Ghetto Film School. The funds come from the proceeds the HFPA earns from the Globes telecast.

DiCaprio said that among the projects funded by this year’s grants will be the restoration of three films, including ‘Death of a Salesman.’

Various celebrities came to the stage as the awards were announced. At one point, Wahlberg, 40, and DiCaprio, 36, remarked a bit wistfully that the 19-year-old Lautner, who was seated at their table, was better looking and in better shape than they were.

Well, Wahlberg quipped, eliciting laughs from the audience: ‘ ‘Boogie Nights’ and ‘Titanic’ were a long time ago.’

The one person who wasn’t invited was Ricky Gervais, who hosted the past two Golden Globe telecasts. Gervais’ performance this year may have roiled the HFPA -- he made acerbic comments about the integrity of the organization, as well as Scientology and other sensitive topics -- but he was nominated for an Emmy for his performance nonetheless. Members of the HFPA are apparently still miffed at Gervais; at Thursday’s lunch, several members refused to even discuss him.

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-- Susan King