BEVERLY HILLS – There was a roar of cheers when Steve McQueen entered the FOX/Fox Searchlight Golden Globes party Sunday night. I know because I was standing right behind McQueen and his cast as they tried to walk into the packed Globes after party. The “12 Years a Slave” win for Best Picture – Drama and the surprising wins for FOX’s “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” Andy Samberg in the TV Series – Comedy or Musical categories made it (initially) the place to be.
Having attended the FOX party after past Golden Globes, it was clear there was an energy in the room that previous wins had not delivered. Movie and TV executives were beaming over the night’s big wins and stars such as Michael Fassbender and Lupita Nyong’o couldn’t stop smiling. And as the music got more energetic Mr. Benedict Cumberbatch seemed to be having a private dance party, but more on that later. There are five parties at the Beverly Hilton following the awards show every year including the FOX bash, HBO’s tough TV ticket party (almost for TV industry only), the NBC Universal Party, the annual Weinstein Company event which partnered with NetFlix this year and, the one and only Warner Bros./InStyle soiree which celebrated its 15th year.
Before making our way to the WB/In Style space, we stopped by NBC Universal’s party. We passed Best Actor in a Drama winner Matthew McConaughey in the hallway who was exiting the event, but caught Anthony Mackie and Jessica Chastain still enjoying the festivities. Amy Poehler and Tina Fey were already nowhere to be found and while the party itself was just a tad too E! for our tastes, the photo setups and former Olympians on hand made the event more interactive than one might expect.
The hottest ticket of the night (at least on the movie side) has always been the Warner Bros./In Style party, and that didn’t change this year. Word was Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan christened the dance floor before we got there, but other notables on hand included Ben Affleck, “Her” and “American Hustle” producer Megan Ellison, Idris Elba (sadly looking bored when we caught him), Taylor Swift, a euphoric Amy Adams, Jared Leto, Kerry Washington, Olivia Wilde, Uma Thurman, Sofia Vergara, Kate Mara, Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain, Diane Kruger (who mostly hung out on a couch in the smoking area), Orlando Bloom, Bryce Dallas Howard, Vanessa Hudgens, Michelle Dockery (seemingly everywhere this weekend), Heidi Klum and Julianna Margulies, among others.
Only at the WB/In Style party can you hit the most crowded dance floor, turn and see Cumberbatch dancing on one side of you (notice a recurring theme here?), Kelly Osborne moving her body in the same vicinity and “Modern Family’s” Eric Stonestreet getting up and at it for some old school “Motownphilly” behind you. The only thing missing was the “Glee” cast, who used to dominate the In Style dance floor every year. Unfortunately, it appears no nominations meant no party for that crew.
And if you’re wondering where Best Actress in a Drama winner Cate Blanchett was, well we caught her less than 30 minutes after the show leaving the press room, taking some photos with hotel security guards and making her way out of the Hilton. No celebrations — on site, at least — for the talented Aussie. She did, however, have her party in her hand, a Golden Globe that will likely soon be joined by a SAG Award, BAFTA statue and Oscar.