Greta Lee and Greta GerwigEmma McIntyre/Getty Images
If any film and television academy is going to host a tea party, it’s BAFTA, of course. On Saturday afternoon, they hosted their annual pre-awards celebration (the BAFTAs are scheduled for February 18); the organization took over Maybourne Beverly Hills Hotel and welcomed nearly every major film and TV show of the year—the event was also a treat of a spectacle for unexpecting hotel guests.
After sweeping through the red carpet, a meticulously arranged floral arch in a deep red marked the party’s entrance. Set outside, a transparent roof from which floral chandeliers hung created an indoor-outdoor feel. The open space buzzed with chatter as A-list stars and other film professionals giddily congratulated one another on their recent accomplishments. Off to the side was Maestro’s Carey Mulligan, deep in conversation, while Poor Things’ Willem Dafoe who made his rounds around the room. Saltburn’s Archie Madekwe had an exchange with The Color Purple’s Fantasia, while elsewhere, The Bear’s Ayo Edebiri and Lionel Boyce were stopped constantly for praise on their breakout roles.
With small bites floating about various stations throughout the sunlit room for guests to grab tea or coffee in pastel dinnerware, it was, indeed, your quintessential tea party. That said, it’s just about the only one that can also claim Leonardo DiCaprio, Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Greta Gerwig, and Mark Ruffalo as guests, especially during the whirlwind of appearances that is the awards circuit. Best of all, there was nothing on the agenda but a bit of tea—and maybe champagne.