Emmys: Inside A-List Parties With Stars of ‘Succession,’ ‘The White Lotus’ and ‘Ted Lasso’ (Updating)

Step behind the velvet ropes to see how the stars are celebrating television’s biggest night. Though not quite back to pre-pandemic levels, Hollywood is back on the party circuit with a slate of events leading up to Monday night’s milestone ceremony, with Netflix, Disney, HBO, Apple, UTA and more all hosting celebrations.

Succession Creator Jesse Armstrong and UTA Toast HBO Hit

The team from Succession has a lot to celebrate this weekend. Though the critically acclaimed HBO hit bid adieu last May after four seasons, it topped the small screen field with a total of 27 Emmy nominations for its final season. Creator Jesse Armstrong partnered with his reps at UTA to toast the run ahead of the Emmys with an exclusive bash at Spago in Beverly Hills on Friday night. Joining their boss were stars Brian Cox, Sarah Snook, Matthew Macfadyen, Nicholas Braun, Kieran Culkin, Justin Kirk, Justine Lupe, Zoe Winters, J. Smith-Cameron, Alan Ruck and Arian Moayed, along with scribes Tony Roche, Jon Brown, Miriam Battye and Ted Cohen. Armstrong’s UTA agents, Dan Erli and Gregory McKnight, also worked the room as did agency boss Jeremy Zimmer. (UTA also reps Snook, Macfadyen, Braun, Kirk, Moayed, Roche, Brown, Battye, Cohen, exec producers Will Ferrell and Lucy Prebble, co-exec producer Georgia Pritchett and supervising producer Susan Soon He Stanton.) About halfway through the party — the gathering kicked off at 5 p.m. and ended three hours later with the cast huddling privately at a back table — Armstrong addressed the room by raising a glass and offering a few words. He thanked everyone for going on a long and memorable journey together. Cox, who played foul-mouthed patriarch Logan Roy, told The Hollywood Reporter that the party was a wonderful reunion. “It was really lovely to see everybody again because I haven’t seen anybody in about nine months, so it was great.”

MPTF’s 17th Annual Evening Before

Who doesn’t love a group photo packed with big-name actors? A slew of stars came together to say cheese and help raise north of $2.5 million in West Hollywood on Saturday night at MPTF’s 17th annual Evening Before benefit co-chaired by Quinta Brunson and Bob Odenkirk. “We’ve had quite a year, and this organization and its fundraiser has helped many weather the storm,” said Brunson. Added Odenkirk, “MPTF really stepped up during a very challenging year to support the entertainment community, and I’m proud to be a part of a fundraiser that will help to sustain that vital support.” Evening Before, held at Pacific Design Center, was designed as a relaxed town square by Studio Komorebi with specialty food served up by Carmelized Prods. run by Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo of Jon and Vinny’s fame. The pizza fueled the party as did beats by DJ Daisy O’Dell and lively conversations among stars of some of this year’s most nominated shows. The Succession cast made the rounds, as did the Ted Lasso crew, including Jason Sudeikis, Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt, Phil Dunster, Hannah Waddingham, Kola Bokinni, Billy Harris and James Lance. Stars of The White Lotus like Meghann Fahy, Theo James, Will Sharpe, F. Murray Abraham, Adam DiMarco, Beatrice Grannò and Simona Tabasco also made an appearance. See full coverage of the party here.

BAFTA Tea Party

“At BAFTA, we pride ourselves on being welcoming,” organization CEO Jane Millichip told THR on Saturday while standing on the red carpet before heading inside the annual BAFTA Tea. The event moved from its longtime home at the Four Seasons to The Maybourne on Canon Drive and switched dates by a week by shifting from Golden Globes weekend to a date that strategically fell ahead of the Critics Choice Awards and Emmy Awards. Some things remained the same. There were plenty of tiny sandwiches and tea bags for all, and the invite list featured contenders, members and guests for an afternoon soirée in the run-up to the EE BAFTA Film Awards in London on Feb. 18. “We’re having an English tea at The Maybourne, what could be more quintessentially English?” asked BAFTA North America chair Joyce Pierpoline. However, the welcoming spirit was deflated upon arrival for hordes of guests, due to long wait times for red carpet photos. The delay led to impatient publicists and a crush of boldfaced name actors who waited for their turn including Mark Ruffalo, Brett Goldstein, Phil Dunster and Glenn Howerton, to name a few. Some, however, crossed behind the step-and-repeat to begin media interviews first while others bailed on pics altogether in favor of heading upstairs for the actual party. “It’s cramped, it’s crowded and the biggest of the biggest are waiting in line. It’s a good party, so a lot of people come out for it, so that’s to be expected,” detailed one insider, while another was more sharp-tongued. “It’s an absolute crush of people, what a clusterfuck.” Emmy winner Sam Richardson took it all in stride, telling THR that he kept busy by keeping up with NFL playoff scores on his cell phone. Presented by Delta Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic and BBC Studios Los Angeles Prods., the star-packed celebration hosted Jonathan Bailey, Fantasia Barrino, Emily Blunt, Danielle Brooks, Brunson, Cox, Willem Dafoe, Elizabeth Debicki, Leonardo DiCaprio, Colman Domingo, Phil Dunster, Emerald Fennell, Greta Gerwig, Paul Giamatti, Paul Walter Hauser, Tom Hiddleston, Cord Jefferson, Julianne Moore, Carey Mulligan, Cillian Murphy, Rosamund Pike, Bella Ramsey, Sam Richardson, Andrea Riseborough, Seth Rogen, Mark Ruffalo, Rhea Seehorn, Dominic Sessa, Smith-Cameron, Celine Song, Jeffrey Wright and dozens of others. 

TV Academy Performer Nominee Celebration

There was a frenzy of activity around L.A. Live on Saturday afternoon amid prep work for Monday night’s Emmys (including star-studded rehearsals) and the general hustle and bustle of Downtown Los Angeles. Tucked away in a much more quiet corner of the JW Marriott, well-heeled guests headed inside the platinum ballroom for the TV Academy’s annual performers’ nominee celebration. The bash serves as a way to honor “the outstanding creative achievements of top performers.” Among those who dropped by were Joseph Lee, Kathryn Hahn, Luke Kirby, Marin Hinkle, Macfadyen, Michael Learned, Braun, Tom Wright, Tyler James Williams and Dominque Fishback. Support came from Drybar, Fiji Water, Franciacorta, Johnnie Walker Blended Scotch Whiskey, Justin Vineyards, People, the Ritz-Carlton and United Airlines. In addition to the clinking of glasses and requisite chatter, the party featured an adjacent suite that hosted the official Emmys Giving Suite produced by Backstage Creations. The suite, which supported the Television Academy Foundation, featured brands like Ricardo Beverly Hills, Yaamava’ Resort & Casino, Moritek Beauty, Purdori Skincare, SpiritHoods faux fur coats and trips to Lush Africa Safaris, Museum Hotel in Turkey and Villa Caprichosa in Panama. THR spotted Oscar winner Angela Bassett making the rounds inside.

AMC Better Call Saul Brunch

It’s the end of the road for AMC’s critically acclaimed hit Better Call Saul. But first … brunch! The network hosted the gang including Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Bob Odenkirk, Rhea Seehorn and the rest of the cast along with press and industry insiders for a brunch event at Lavo in West Hollywood. The day offered a chance for the team to reunite after the show bid adieu following six seasons, and before Monday’s Emmy Awards where the show is still vying for small screen gold. One special guest is said to have caused a stir at the brunch — guest star Carol Burnett — so much so that even acting peers like Betsy Brandt had super fan moments.

Canada’s House Hosts Canadian Emmy Nominees

The Consul General of Canada in Los Angeles, Zaib Shaikh, teamed with Canada’s U.S. ambassador, Kirsten Hillman, and Canada Media Fund CEO Valerie Creighton to host Emmy nominees from up north. The private reception was co-hosted by the Canada Media Fund. The agenda included presenting keys to the consulate to honorees including the late Robbie Robertson and Kirk Pickersgill, founder of fashion label Greta Constantine. Emmy nominees and talent from nominated shows in attendance included Lamar Johnson (The Last of Us), Kirby (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Susan Coyne (Daisy Jones & The Six), Paul Healy (The Last of Us), Adam Haisinger (The Amazing Race), Sophie Nélisse (Yellowjackets) and Adam DiMarco (The White Lotus).