Hot Toronto party with Downey, Redmayne, Cumberbatch, Tatum
FROM right: Gael Garcia Bernal, Salma Hayek and Jon Stewart at the bash. PHOTOS BY RUBEN V. NEPALES
FASHION-FORWARD Robert Downey Jr.
LOS ANGELES— Robert Downey Jr. wore a really “fashion-forward” suit with floral prints, Eddie Redmayne came with his fiancée Hannah Bagshawe, Channing Tatum was his usual affable self, Benedict Cumberbatch wore a jaunty newsboy cap backwards and Hailee Steinfeld looked radiant and ready to boogie, 1940s style, in a Gucci army girl-inspired dress.
But at the InStyle/Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) party during the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), nothing could top the sweet and fun sight of Miles Teller, brilliant in “Whiplash,” boogie-ing down with his grandmother. Miles, the other half of the terrific acting pair (J.K. Simmons) in “Whiplash,” introduced guests to his sprightly grandma, grandpa and parents.
The annual party at the posh Windsor Arms Hotel, usually held toward the later part of TIFF, was moved to Saturday, when the festival is at its peak.
The move made the bash even hotter and more star-studded. It was the hottest ticket in town.
Theo Kingma, president of HFPA, which supports and donates to TIFF’s Talent Lab, a program for the new generation of filmmakers, welcomed the guests.
Filipino-American actress Hailee Steinfeld also brought her grandma. It’s cool to see this new generation of actors proudly bringing their elders to these events.
Hailee, in Toronto for “The Keeping Room,” posed for photos with other young actors, including Elena Kampouris, fetching in a short dress by Fil-Am designer Monique Lhuillier.
Also huddled for pictures was a group of even younger actors, led by Quvenzhané Wallis, lovely in a black pantsuit. She was a sensation in “Beasts of the Southern Wild” and plays the title role in the coming musical film “Annie.”
CHRIS Evans. PHOTO by George Pimentel
“You saw the other night—I try and bring [my family] to as much stuff as I can,” Miles later told us in an interview for “Whiplash,” where he plays a student jazz drummer who crosses paths with J.K.’s “terror” college band instructor. “As a young man, it would be nice to just move and groove around a party … but I’ve realized how much it means to be a part of this stuff. So I always try to bring them, also to the set.”
Not embarrassed
Miles added, “I’m comfortable enough on the set now, where I can have my mother or grandmother there and I’m not embarrassed by it.”
Eddie Redmayne, looking sharp in a gray glen plaid Alexander McQueen suit, brought his fiancée, Hannah Bagshawe. He fielded congratulations for his performance in “The Theory of Everything.” Also in a gray suit was Jake Gyllenhaal, outstanding in “Nightcrawler.”
Benedict Cumberbatch wore a jaunty newsboy cap backwards. Benedict’s “The Imitation Game” costars Keira Knightley and Matthew Goode also graced the occasion.
JAKE Gyllenhaal
Channing Tatum was ever-gracious as guests trooped to his corner. Also mixing with the crowd was his “Foxcatcher” costar Mark Ruffalo.
When Iron Man and Captain America met, the camera flashes lit up the room. Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans, who both star in “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” happily obliged for a photo op.
Jon Stewart, who accepted kudos for his directorial debut, “Rosewater,” arrived with his actor, Gael Garcia Bernal. We teased Jon about his festival “uniform”: black jacket, T-shirt and chino pants. “I’ve been wearing them for days,” he admitted with a laugh.
When Gael bumped into Salma Hayek, they chatted animatedly.
Sarah Rafferty, who plays Donna in the hit TV series “Suits,” said she wanted to visit the Philippines, probably inspired by the stories of her costar Gabriel Macht who visited Ormoc, Leyte, to help raise financial aid for Typhoon “Haiyan” victims.
The party lasted way past midnight. Talents continued arriving: Ben Stiller, Naomi Watts, Juliette Binoche, Jessica Chastain, Chloë Grace Moretz, Felicity Jones, Ansel Elgort, Kaitlyn Dever, Anna Kendrick, Kevin Costner, Madeleine Stowe, Timothy Spall, Zachary Levi, Anthony Mackie, Jeremy Irvine, Asa Butterfield, Ben Vereen, directors Jason Reitman and Shawn Levy, and many more.
(E-mail the columnist at [email protected]. Follow him at https://twitter.com/nepalesruben.)
KEIRA Knightley. PHOTO by George Pimentel
HFPA president Theo Kingma and Benedict Cumberbatch. PHOTO by George Pimentel
“SUITS” actress Sarah Rafferty
KEVIN Costner and wife Christine Baumgartner
ANTHONY Mackie and Mark Ruffalo. PHOTO by George Pimentel
ELENA Kampouris in a Monique Lhuillier dress
