“They’re a crazy bunch!” said Channing Tatum of why he was eager to break bread with the international journalists of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association at their annual grants banquet at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on August 14. This particular gathering, though, was altruistic: The group bequeathed $1.9 million to nearly 50 arts education programs—causes close to the hearts of the Hollywood-insider attendees, who grew up dreaming of a life in the arts.
“I probably learned more from The Goonies than I did from school!” joked Tatum, who was joined by Sofia Vergara, Kerry Washington, Morgan Freeman and Robert Pattinson.
Channing Tatum and Kristen Bell
Kristen Bell also admired the HFPA’s philanthropic push: “I had a really good music and theater program in high school, which got me into wanting to be a performer,” she told DuJour. “But I went to a Catholic school. If I were in a public school and that was dropped, I have no idea what I’d be doing for a living.”
HFPA president Theo Kingma, a Dutch photojournalist, created a glamorous yet relaxed dinner affair so guests could “stay off their Blackberries.”
Despite the starry elbow-rubbing, “This is not an evening for us,” Kingma, pictured above with Nicole Kidman, explained. “We have the opportunity to celebrate so many wonderful organizations that do so much good work, from film restoration to teaching children to get involved in the film industry and having screenings in third world countries.”
