The Critics Choice Awards took place Sunday at the Fairmont Century Plaza hotel, with celebrities dressed to the nines.
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” emerged as the night’s favourite, winning five of the 14 categories in which it was nominated. Sheryl Lee Ralph of “Abbott Elementary” won best supporting actress and delivered yet another powerful speech, as did Angela Bassett and Niecy Nash of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and “Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” respectively “respectively.
A lot happened during the broadcast, but even more action took place in the ballroom that was not broadcast. Here’s what happened, from celebrities hyping each other up with selfies to emotional backstage moments.
Amanda Seyfried takes a selfie with Paul Walter Hauser, and Kaley Cuoco and Tom Pelphrey spend the night together.
The moment the telecast went to commercial, stars leaped to their feet, practically skipping across the ballroom to schmooze and jive with other celebrities.
Angela Bassett chatted with Janelle Monáe during one of the breaks. Keegan-Michael Key and his wife Elle Key went to the “Abbott Elementary” table to talk to Quinta Brunson and Lisa Ann Walter. And Kathryn Hahn of “Glass Onion” and Stephanie Hsu of “Everything Everywhere All At Once” shared a hearty laugh.
Amanda Seyfried and Paul Walter Hauser stood to the side of the ballroom after receiving their awards for best actress and best supporting actor in a limited series or movie made for television, respectively. They took a selfie at the end of their conversation.
Some celebrities used the show as a romantic date night. Kaley Cuoco, who is expecting her first child, spent the majority of the night with her boyfriend Tom Pelphrey. During one of the breaks, a guest asked Pelphrey to take a photo of herself with Cuoco, which the actor gladly did. there is also her. The couple married in 2020.
Backstage, Ke Huy Quan is fighting back tears.
During the show, the adrenaline was palpable as ecstatic stars accepted their trophies and delivered heartfelt speeches for all to see.
That fervour carried over to the media room, where winners were ushered in to take questions and reflect on what their victories meant.
After winning best supporting actor, “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once” star Ke Huy Quan broke down in front of reporters, saying the honour exceeded his wildest dreams.
“I just wanted a job,” he explained, his voice shaking and his heart “still pounding.”
“I’m so fortunate,” he said, tears welling up in his eyes. “I vividly recall what it was like to be an Asian actor in the late 1980s and early 1990s. I just want doors to open for all the actors like me who want nothing more than a steady job, and I want all their dreams to come true.”
Quan wasn’t the only one who felt overwhelmed with gratitude. Ralph, who won for best supporting actress in a comedy series, became emotional while speaking about her late parents. “If they can see me from heaven, ‘Thank you, Mommy and Daddy, because this one’s for you,” she said as she raised her trophy to the sky.
Vibes are in, and New Year’s resolutions are out.
Same celebrities in a new year? On the red carpet, celebrities such as Kerry Washington and Ayo Edebiri told USA TODAY that they aren’t big on resolutions, at least not for 2023.
“I have a lot of goals for the year,” Washington says. Many people share this sentiment, foregoing the age-old practise of setting lofty personal goals at the start of the year.
Kate Hudson has stated that she “decided not to do resolutions… I didn’t do any of that this year, so I’m going in hot.”
Bre-Z, star of “All American,” says her resolution was to “eat better,” but it’s not going so well. Why? “I just don’t feel like it,” Bre-Z chuckles. Co-star Samantha Logan shared that she, too, was trying to eat better and get more sleep in the new year, but at the end of the day, the duo agreed it’s all about balance.
“The plan is to be content. “Whatever makes you happy,” says Bre-Z. “Life is about finding a happy medium.”
“My body is going to fluctuate, and my skin is going to do whatever it wants to do, and that makes me human, and I don’t really care anymore,” Logan adds.”
Edibiri says she didn’t make any resolutions either, but being “nice to myself” is “in” this year. What’s next for the “The Bear” star? Screen time, particularly TikTok.
The Critics’ Choice crowd was impressive, but the menu was not.
At the Critics’ Choice Awards, what do A-list celebrities eat for dinner? This is not a five-course meal.
Every table had plenty of Fiji water, a few bottles of wine, and a large bottle of champagne. However, the food options were not as plentiful as the beverage options: in addition to a cracker basket at each table, celebrities dined on a variety of dips such as hummus and baba ganoush.
There was plenty of Cold Stone ice cream to go around if the hummus wasn’t filling enough. Cold Stone cups were passed around inside during commercial breaks, in addition to a mini ice cream stand outside the ballroom.
It wasn’t until after the show that the stars were able to eat a little more. The reception area was flooded with flatbreads, sushi rolls, and dessert tables as soon as the telecast ended.
