“That line is crazy,” said journalist Don Lemon, as he headed to the red carpet shortly after 7 p.m. Thursday evening.
He was bound for the Time 100 Gala, the annual black-tie festival in Manhattan, where a 100-person assortment of luminaries — tech titans, activists, Oscar winners, pop stars, athletes and artists — were celebrated by the magazine as the most important people. of the year.
If you honor them, they will come. And celebrities celebrated at the event included Colman Domingo, Taraji P. Henson, Dev Patel, Patrick Mahomes and Dua Lipa.
Mr. Lemon, who arrived with his husband, real estate broker Tim Malone, was not among the winners. He nevertheless answered questions from journalists present at the barricades who wanted to know more about his recent wedding and the brand of tuxedo he wore for the occasion.
“Suit Supply,” Mr. Lemon said. Then he corrected himself: “No, Ralph Lauren. »
Maya Rudolph walked towards a crowded elevator. She was honored by the magazine for her role in “Loot,” the Apple TV+ comedy in which she plays the ex-wife of a tech billionaire who uses her divorce windfall to become a philanthropist (think: MacKenzie Scott).
As the elevator car headed toward cocktail and dinner, Ms. Rudolph was focused on a slight problem with her black blouse. “The problem with linen is that it attracts lint,” she said, as everyone around her watched her remove it, point by point.
Moments later, guests arrived on the 16th floor of One Columbus Circle — the building formerly known as Time Warner Center, now called Deutsche Bank Center — where floor-to-ceiling windows offered views of Central Park .
At the front of the room was Da’Vine Joy Randolphwho won the Oscar in March for best supporting actress for his role in “The Holdovers”.
Nearby, comedian Alex Edelman said he learned he was on the Time 100 list only a few weeks ago, just before his one-man show, "Just for us," debuted on Max. “I really want to meet Jenny Holzer,” he said of the painter who was among the winners. “I don’t even know what she looks like. I love his work.
At 8 p.m., guests were welcomed into a three-level atrium. Mr. Edelman huddled with other members of the Time 100, including Mr. Dominguethe actor, and Kelley Robinson, the first black woman to lead the LGBT advocacy group Human Rights Campaign.
At a table on a higher level was Lauren Blauvelt, who was honored for her work with the reproductive rights organization Planned Parenthood. At another table was Thelma D’orwho was honored for her promotion of the arts as director and chief curator of the Studio Museum in Harlem.
For the second year in a row, the gala was filmed for an ABC special. Which meant that, in addition to a very lightly seasoned salad and grilled salmon with barley, there were many starts and stops during the evening.
Ms. Hensonan Oscar-nominated actress who starred in the recent big screen version of “The color purple”, was among the first to take the stage. “Welcome to the Time 100 2024 Gala,” she said. “My name is Taraji P. Henson and we… We!– are the most influential people of the year. Can you believe that?”
She praised “visionaries and thought leaders” who “together could save the world” or at least “crush a game of Jeopardy.” She then greeted from the stage her “sister from another gentleman”, the television host. Kelly Ripaanother member of Time’s Class of ’24.
As part of a Time 100 gala tradition, honorees raised their glasses to those who inspired them. Ms. Rudolph, the first to rise, toasted Beyoncé. Michael J. Fox, winner of a Special Impact Award for his work on behalf of Parkinson’s disease, paid tribute to his father, William Nelson Fox, who died in 1990.
The actor said his father did not have a high school diploma but demonstrated how one could persevere with “mastery” through adversity. “This weekend would be his 95th birthday,” Mr Fox said. “He was 61 when he died. I am now 62 years old.
While the waiters cleared the tables, the rapper 21 wild presented the 2024 winner, Mr. Mahomesthe quarterback of Kansas City Chiefs. He raised a glass to all women in competitive sports, taking a look at the Kansas City Current, the professional women’s soccer team in which he and his wife, Brittany Mahomes, have an ownership stake.
Shortly after 10 p.m., Ms. Robinson, executive director of the Human Rights Campaign, delivered the final speech of the evening. She said she and her fellow honorees were “proof that America’s story is the story of progress, equality and change.”
After which singer Dua Lipa took the stage to perform “Houdini” and two other songs.
“Thank you, Time 100,” she said, clutching the mic. “It’s such an honor to spend the evening with you.”
