One hour. That’s all I had. So obviously I had to lose the shoes.
Sixty precious and specifically designated minutes are allotted to each reporter covering Vanity Fair’s storied Oscar party. Sixty minutes in which to spy on the Hollywood elite while not conducting interviews with the party guests under the magazine’s famous “don’t speak unless spoken to” party policy that makes time even more precious.
But with so much drama unfolding at the Dolby Theatre after the best picture mix-up — i.e., the biggest flub in Academy Awards history — it was hard to tear myself away to make the 4.7-mile drive to the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. So by the time my car entered the lineup of black SUVs waiting to go through a marathon of security checkpoints on Santa Monica Boulevard, it was almost 11 p.m., my allotted hour.
I knew what I needed to do: Forget the slow-moving valet line, ditch my car at a meter and make my way by foot to the party. That meant I was forced to make a decision: Remove my heels and make a run for it, or lose valuable moments inside the biggest bash of the year.
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And that is how I found myself sprinting barefoot through Beverly Hills on Sunday night.
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Lin-Manuel Miranda, left, at the 89th Academy Awards Governors Ball on Sunday night.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Producer Ezra Edelman takes a photo of his Oscar statue as it is being engraved. He won for his documentary “O.J.: Made in America.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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“Moonlight” actor Mahershala Ali and “La La Land” producer Jordan Horowitz embrace after the Oscars, on a night that saw the motion picture award mistakenly given to “La La Land,” then corrected to award “Moonlight.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Producer Marc Sondheimer of “Piper,” winner for animated short film, holds his Oscar at the Governors Ball.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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“La La Land” cinematographer Linus Sandgren, left, and writer/director Damien Chazelle at the 89th Academy Awards Governors Ball.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Janelle Monae, who appeared in both “Moonlight” and “Hidden Figures,” at the 89th Academy Awards Governors Ball.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Viggo Mortensen and son Henry at the 89th Academy Awards Governors Ball.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Lucas Hedges and Cynthia Erivo get down at the 89th Academy Awards Governors Ball.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Actor Andrew Garfield at the Governors Ball.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Actress Naomie Harris at the 89th Academy Awards Governors Ball.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Actresses Isabelle Huppert, left, and Michelle Williams at the Governors Ball.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Partygoers react as the best picture mix-up is shown on monitors at the Governors Ball.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Writer/director Kenneth Lonergan holds his trophy for original screenplay.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Presenter Warren Beatty, who was handed the wrong envelope for best picture, attends the Governors Ball.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Emma Stone is photographed with her best actress Oscar.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Kenneth Lonergan waits to have his Oscar statue engraved at the Governors Ball.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Tarell Alvin McCraney of “Moonlight” at the Governors Ball.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Viola Davis, with her supporting actress Oscar, and husband Julius Tennon.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Actress Cynthia Erivo at the 89th Academy Awards Governors Ball.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel poses for selfies at the Governors Ball.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Ezra Edelman and Mahershala Ali, right, at the 89th Academy Awards Governors Ball.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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NFL player Russell Wilson, from left, recording artist Ciara, Renee Puente and actor Matthew Morrison attend the 25th Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation’s Academy Awards Viewing Party in West Hollywood.
(Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images )
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Lea Michele attends the Elton John AIDS Foundation viewing party on Sunday.
(Venturelli / Getty Images )
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Elton John, left, and Sting at the party at West Hollywood Park.
(Michael Kovac / Getty Images )
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Paul Janeway of St. Paul and the Broken Bones, left, and host Elton John perform at the viewing party.
(Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images )
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Judith Light, left, Andrew Rannells and Laverne Cox at the party.
(Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images f)
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Garcelle Beauvais, left, and Sharon Stone.
(Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images )
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Record producer Quincy Jones and model Petra Nemcova at the Elton John AIDS Foundation party.
(Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images )
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Jay Duplass, from left, Amy Landecker, Jeffrey Tambor, Gaby Hoffmann and Judith Light.
(Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images)
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Trudie Styler, from left, Elton John, Sting, Sandra Brandt and David Furnish at the party in West Hollywood.
(Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty ImagesF)
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Mike Colter and Katharine McPhee at the viewing party.
(Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images )
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Smokey Robinson and Sharon Stone at the West Hollywood party.
(Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images )
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Models Alessandra Ambrosio, from left, Adriana Lima, and Josephine Skriver take a selfie at the Elton John party.
(Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images)
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Candis Cayne, left, and Caitlyn Jenner at the event in West Hollywood.
(Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images )
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Paul Janeway of St. Paul and the Broken Bones performs.
(Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images )
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Producer Kevin Walsh hugs Casey Affleck, who’s holding his Oscar for best actor for his work in “Manchester By The Sea,” at Amazon Studios’ party at Delilah in West Hollywood.
(Jerod Harris / Getty Images)
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Adrien Brody and Lara Lieto attend the Amazon celebration.
(Jerod Harris / Getty Images)
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Roy Price, head of Amazon Studios; director Kenneth Lonergan, center; and playwright Lila Feinberg attend the Amazon Studios celebration.
(Jerod Harris / Getty Images)
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Amazon Senior Vice President Jeff Blackburn, from left, Worldwide Head of Motion Pictures Amazon Studios Jason Ropell, producer Kimberly Steward, actor Casey Affleck, producer Lauren Beck and producer Kevin Walsh celebrate the movie “Manchester by the Sea.”
(Jerod Harris / Getty Images)
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Screenwriter Marc Silverstein and actress Busy Philipps at the Amazon party.
(Jerod Harris / Getty Images)
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Jon Hamm arrives at the 2017 Vanity Fair Oscar Party.
(John Shearer / Getty Images)
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Actress Mindy Kaling attends the 2017 Vanity Fair Oscar Party.
(Mike Coppola / Getty Images )
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Diane Kruger, left, and Isla Fisher attend the 2017 Vanity Fair Oscar Party at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills.
(Dave M. Benett / WireImage)
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Katy Perry, left, and Allison Williams attend the Vanity Fair event.
(Kevin Mazur / WireImage)
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Elizabeth Banks, from left, Darren Le Gallo, Amy Adams, Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth at the party hosted by Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter.
(Kevin Mazur / WireImage)
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Hailee Steinfeld arrives at the Vanity Fair party.
(Mike Coppola / Getty Images )
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Viola Davis at the 2017 Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills. She’s holding her Oscar for actress in a supporting role, which she won for her work in “Fences.”
(Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images)
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Mariah Carey at the Vanity Fair party.
(Dave M. Benett / WireImage)
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Thandie Newton poses for photographers at the Vanity Fair party.
(Mike Coppola / Getty Images for VF)
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Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher at the Vanity Fair party.
(Mike Coppola / Getty Images )
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Model-actress Emily Ratajkowski poses at the Beverly Hills party.
(Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images)
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Kate Bosworth at the Vanity Fair party.
(John Shearer / Getty Images)
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Ruth Negga poses for the line of photoragraphers.
(Mike Coppola / Getty Images )
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Actress Kerry Washington, left, and singer/songwriter Mary J. Blige at the Sunday night party.
(Kevin Mazur / WireImage)
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Actors Megan Mullally, Martin Short, center, and Nick Kroll at the Vanity Fair party.
(Kevin Mazur / WireImage)
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Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, left, and Karlie Kloss attend the Vanity Fair Oscar Party.
(Kevin Mazur / WireImage)
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Actors Amy Adams and Darren Le Gallo attend the Vanity Fair party.
(Kevin Mazur / WireImage)
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Katie Couric, Michael Keaton, center, and John Molner at the Beverly Hills party.
(Kevin Mazur / WireImage)
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Joe Jonas, left, Demi Lovato and Nick Jonas attend the Vanity Fair event.
(Kevin Mazur / WireImage)
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Jackie Chan, from left, Brett Ratner and Chris Tucker attend the 2017 Vanity Fair Oscar Party.
(Kevin Mazur / WireImage)
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Actors Vin Diesel and Jared Leto at the Vanity Fair party.
(Dave M. Benett / WireImage)
Even so, getting in was a feat. Police officers stood on what seemed like every street corner, meant to deter the uninvited from getting even close to the entrance doors. And if you made it to the hallowed gates, you needed a special key to pass — along with my invite, I received a plastic-encased device shaped like a credit card that granted me access to the event.
But once I arrived, barefoot and breathless, I immediately felt special. Human-size red letters spelling out the magazine’s name bookended the doors as a mariachi band played and guests made their way down a hallway decorated with black-and-white Old Hollywood photographs before arriving at the red carpet. And you have to walk the carpet; there’s no way to bypass the shutterbugs. At this point, I was back in my heels, but still, instead of posing, I opted for the run-and-cover technique.
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After checking in with a magazine representative who started running her stopwatch — OK, she didn’t have an actual timer, just an iPhone she was looking at nonstop — it was finally time to take in the scene. And after just a few minutes, it’s clear what all the fuss is about. It feels kind of like the best dream ever, one in which every huge star you’ve ever heard of is in the same room, and you’re all eating hamburgers and doughnuts together. Within the first five minutes of entering the party, I saw Jason Statham with his newly pregnant fiance Rosie Huntington-Whitley, “The Office” exes (or not?) Mindy Kaling and B.J. Novak, Javier Bardem, Christian Louboutin, Mick Jagger, Mary J. Blige and Adrien Brody.
It was, to say the least, overwhelming. So I decided to take a quick lay of the land, heading past the iconic photo booth to a backroom with a DJ. Here, the room had been filled with small trees and a big dance floor, and people were actually dancing. Heidi Klum, Demi Lovato and Nick and Joe Jonas were all getting down to Blackstreet’s “No Diggity.”
A few minutes of observation seemed to confirm what many have suspected — every celebrity from every corner of the world just magically knows one another. Amy Adams and Patricia Clarkson jamming together to Lauryn Hill’s “Doo Wop (That Thing)”? Obviously! Jennifer Aniston grabbing LL Cool J by the arm? Of course! New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft posing for photos with Mariah Carey? Old pals!
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There were groups of stars hanging together that seemed to make more sense, such as comedians Bill Hader, Adam Scott and Seth Rogen. But then there were mixes that frankly baffled the mind — Kate Hudson hanging with the two Jonas brothers, Sarah Silverman, Martin Short, Kate Beckinsale, Isla Fisher and Sacha Baron Cohen. What could a cigar-puffing Nick Jonas possibly be whispering into Short’s ear on the smoking deck? The world may never know.
Other conversations were easier to overhear, such as the one between Priyanka Chopra and Kaling.
“I knew what Mindy Kaling stood for from your books and your shows,” the “Quantico” star gushed to Kaling, “But seeing it in person? You’re everything and more.”
“Are you kidding me?” Kaling replied in disbelief, engulfing Chopra in a hug.
Elton John, meanwhile, sat on a couch with spouse David Furnish, fielding endless questions about why he was at the Vanity Fair party instead of his own legendary Oscar-night bash.
“Because it’s finished!” he insisted, over and over again.
When you’re the singer of “Tiny Dancer,” you apparently do not have to order your own food. John’s bodyguard — yes, he had one, even though most stars appeared to be flying solo — flagged a server handing out In-N-Out burgers and asked her to deliver a couple to the couple.
“Maybe just one, so they can pick on it,” the hulking security dude suggested. “Yeah, give them one to start off with. And can we have the box?”
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The In-N-Out gal — dressed in the fast food chain’s uniform — retreated to a bar on the patio that was well-stocked with burgers, miniature milk bottles and Coca Cola. Sara Bareilles, who’d performed during the Oscars ceremony, was idling there and stopped fellow musician Auli’i Cravalho as she walked by.
“You did an amazing job,” Bareilles told the 16-year-old. “And I love you because you did a costume change. I’m happy for you!”
The clock was nearing midnight, and my time at the event was running out long before anyone embroiled in the “Moonlight”/”La La Land” fiasco had arrived. I inched past Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake, who were engaged in some rather frisky PDA against a wall, and checked back in with the magazine’s publicist. I was given my marching orders and headed toward the exit behind Reese Witherspoon, who had also removed her heels.
Apparently going barefoot in Beverly Hills is all the rage.
Amy Kaufman is a columnist at the Los Angeles Times, where she writes the A-1 column “For Real With Amy Kaufman.” The series examines the lives of icons, underdogs and rising stars to find out who the people are shaping our culture — for real. Since joining The Times in 2009, she has profiled hundreds of influential figures including Stevie Nicks, Nick Cannon, Drew Barrymore and Lady Gaga. She is also an investigative reporter and was part of the 2022 Pulitzer Prize finalist team that covered the tragic shooting on the “Rust” film set. Her work often shines a light on the darker side of the entertainment business, and she has uncovered misconduct allegations against Randall Emmett and Russell Simmons. In 2018, her book “Bachelor Nation: Inside the World of America’s Favorite Guilty Pleasure” became a New York Times bestseller.
