Cast of Oscar Winning Film ‘Spotlight’ to Attend WHCD with Real-Life Boston Globe Reporters
The Cast of “Spotlight” – Credit: Open Road Films
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner (WHCD) is already one of those rare occasions when Hollywood and Politics come together. It’s even more rare to see actors at Washington’s largest social event sitting right across from the very same reporters who they’ve portrayed in an Oscar winning film!
But that’s exactly what’s going to happen this year at the WHCD with Spotlight, a film based on The Boston Globe‘s real life investigative team, the oldest continuously operating newspaper investigative journalist unit in the United States. Spotlight went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture along with Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards earlier this year.
Along with the real ‘Spotlight’ investigative team on whom the film is based – Boston Globe reporters Walter Robinson, Mike Rezendes, Sacha Pfeiffer, Matt Carroll and Ben Bradlee Jr – the Globe has also invited the film’s Director Tom McCarthy, Screenwriter Josh Singer, as well as actors Mark Ruffalo and Rachel McAdams to attend the dinner at the Washington Hilton this weekend.
Roll Call: Google-HBO Party at Renwick Voted Best WHCD Party of the Weekend
Actor Bryan Cranston with Director Jay Roach and Producer Monica Levinson at the Newseum in 2015
Everyone knows that the parties surrounding the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner are the most coveted, deeply desired invitations in town. But one can always dream: If you had access to every star-studded affair in town, which would be the fairest one of them all?
This is the exact question that Roll Call asked its readers in an online poll earlier this week. Their verdict: The Google-HBO-Smithsonian party at the Renwick Gallery took the top spot in the poll both for best location and celebrity guest list.
The Renwick, which is usually free and a must see for first-time visitors to Washington, will not be accessible to most people on Friday night. Not only is the Renwick one of the most beautiful, intimate and inspirational spaces in town, but the guest list for the Google-HBO-Smithsonian soiree includes critically acclaimed artists such as Bryan Cranston of “Breaking Bad” fame, and Jay Roach, director of “Meet the Parents.” Cranston also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for “Trumbo” which was directed by Roach, and recently the two teamed up again for HBO’s “All the Way” depicting President Lyndon B. Johnson’s efforts to maneuver members of Congress to support civil rights legislation.
Second place in the voting for best location was the Washington Women in Journalism party, hosted at the Kalorama home of Gloria Story Dittus, and the Tinder-IJ Review-Rock the Vote party at the W Hotel in downtown Washington.
Ranking second for celebrity guest list was the SAG-Variety-Washington Post party on Friday night with the casts of “Black-ish” and “Scandal” expected to be in attendance.
2016 Garden Brunch Celebrates ‘Starting Out and Starting Up’
This weekend’s annual Garden Brunch in honor of White House Correspondents’ Weekend will celebrate the next generation of ‘starting out and starting up.’
On Saturday, April 30, members of the media, Hollywood celebrities and studio heads, business executives, and non-profit leaders will come together to support causes that reflect issues facing our society today.
The brunch will raise awareness for Halcyon Incubator, an organization that supports early stage social entrepreneurs “seeking to change the world” through an immersive 18-month fellowship program.
Dr. Sachiko Kuno, who was recently recognized on the Forbes list of self-made women, was the first woman to receive an Industrial Biochemistry Ph.D. from Kyoto University. She is now CEO of S&R Foundation and has been widely recognized for her contributions to the pharmaceuticals industry. Her “entrepreneurial mind and deep desire to empower social change” is what drives her to support initiatives such as the Halcyon Incubator. The organization supports “talented individuals with great potential and high aspirations in the arts, sciences, and social entrepreneurship, especially those who are furthering their cultural celebration.”
Dr. Kuno’s latest project is to develop the Fillmore School in Georgetown into an arts incubator, which will serve as “a platform to grow talented artists in the fields of fine, visual and performing arts, maintaining the educational use of the building and its place as part of the vibrant arts landscape in the nation’s capital.”
Also in the spotlight will be #PlayfieldInThePark, an initiative supported by Yellow Ribbons United that serves approximately 500 children and teens attending the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) Good Grief Camp and Honoring Our Heroes Camp over Memorial Day Weekend.
The 2016 Garden Brunch is hosted by Tammy Haddad, Kevin Sheekey, Hilary Rosen, Sachiko Kuno, Fred Humphries, Mark & Sally Ein, Constance Milstein, Anita Dunn, Bill Knapp, David Adler, and Franco Nuschese.
Watch the video from the 2015 White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch below.
WHCD Guest Update: Will Smith and Jada Pinkett + Priyanka Chopra To Join The Party
Priyanka Chopra
Men In Black super star and leading Hollywood hunk Will Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith are among the guests of ABC for this weekend’s White House Correspondents Dinner. Also invited to the dinner by ABC is the cast of Scandal including leading stars Kerry Washington, Tony Goldwyn, Scott Foley and creator Shonda Rhimes.
Bollywood bombshell Priyanka Chopra, who is a star of ABC’s new television thriller series Quantico, will also be in attendance at the event, which she recently confirmed via her Twitter account. Chopra has gotten global attention for her portrayal of FBI agent ‘Alex Parrish’ in the American television series that debuted in the fall of 2015.
Chopra has been invited by USA Today and will be seated with model Kendall Jenner and fellow actors Rosario Dawson, Neve Campbell and Gabrielle Union.
Neve Campbell, New Star of House of Cards to Attend WHCD
LeAnn Harvey (Neve Campbell) and Claire Underwood (Robin Wright) from the fourth season of House of Cards
There’s no actor on television that has had as much impact on a drama as Neve Campbell aka ‘LeAnn Harvey’ in House of Cards. Campbell’s character is a Texas political consultant who is incredibly intelligent and successful. She is greatly praised and acclaimed for her ability to win campaigns against all odds. Harvey becomes First Lady Claire Underwood’s (played by Robin Wright) political consultant after Claire makes her an offer she can’t refuse. She later becomes Frank and Claire’s campaign manager when they decide to run for office together. Campbell’s character is one of the central components in the story’s plotline in the new season.
Campbell first rose to fame in the 90’s, starring as ‘Sidney Prescott’ in the Scream series as well as the drama series Party of Five which won the Golden Globe Award for Best Drama in 1996.
Scenes with her and Doug Stamper (Michael Kelly) are among the best and hottest scenes in House of Cards. Their rivalry reflects the reality of Washington’s hyper-competitive political class and reminds us of unnamed presidential campaigns.
Larry Wilmore Promises to Dissect “The Unblackening of the White House” at The WHCD This Weekend
The comedian performing at this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Comedy Central late-night host Larry Wilmore started off as a writer and producer for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and The Jamie Foxx Show in the 90’s, along with creating The Bernie Mac Show and helping produce The Office in the 2000’s.
Wilmore first shot to fame for his performing in 2006, when he started appearing regularly on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show as the “Senior Executive Commander-in-Chief Who Happens To Be Black Correspondent,” which prepared him well for this weekend when he’ll be roasting the real Commander-in-Chief!
Wilmore said on CBS This Morning earlier this week that besides the President there would be plenty of jokes at the expense of Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump, who he said was “great for comedians. He’s so funny and unusual it’s almost impossible to write jokes funnier than the real thing.” He also insisted that the nation’s news media wouldn’t be left out of the firing range. Wilmore joked that both the media and politicians at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner like to be roasted, calling it “a weird type of group masochism.”
Be sure to checkout Wilmore’s hilarious quips and puns from the 2011 Congressional Correspondents’ Dinner to get a taste for his act this weekend!
Special 360-Degree Camera on the President’s Lawn – Is There Another Drone at the White House?
The White House has been using a custom made 360-degree camera set up in both the press briefing room as well as the South Lawn where President Obama boards Marine One, to record video footage.
Another new drone program from the administration? No, the footage being captured is actually all for a video to be shown during the White House Correspondents Association’s annual dinner this weekend. CQ Roll Call White House reporter John Bennett, uncovered this covert operation whilst covering the President. He happened to spot the “disc-shaped” camera and asked about its function.
But the funniest video at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner to date, was in 2014 when Veep star Julia Louis Dreyfus and Vice President Biden hit the road together. Watch the video above to relive it!
Reuters Guests: Football Kings Odell Beckham Jr and Super Bowl MVP Von Miller + House of Cards Favorite Michael Kelly Join White House Correspondents’ Dinner Brigade
House of Cards stars Kevin Spacey, Michael Kelly, and Corey Stoll join Ted Sarandos, Dana Brunetti and David Axelrod at the White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch
Joanna Coles, Navid Negahban, Dana Bash and Bloomberg guest and Downton Abbey star Michelle Dockery at the 2013 White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch
Reuters is pulling out all the stops with stars from Broad City, House of Cards and Downton Abbey on their tables this year, alongside the two NFL athletes. We wonder if they are hosting their annual Sunday Brunch?
THOMSON REUTERS
Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants wide receiver
Michelle Dockery, actress, Downton Abbey
Ilana Glazer, actress, Broad City
Abbi Jacobson, actress, Broad City
Michael Kelly, actor House of Cards
Von Miller, Denver Broncos linebacker, Super Bowl MVP
DJ Khaled, DJ Steve Aoki and Bill Nye, The Science Guy to make a splash at Huffington Post’s Table at this year’s White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner
Classic shot of Arianna Huffington and Matt Drudge from the 2005 White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch
It’s that time of the year again, when politics and paparazzi come together to celebrate the 96th White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on April 30th, and the names of the A-list celebrity guests are filtering in.
The annual correspondent’s dinner at the Washington Hilton is a black-tie affair for 2600 of the most well known celebrities, politicos and journalists in America.
This year the comedian for the evening is Larry Wilmore, host of Comedy Central’s “Nightly Show.” Every year, the news organizations compete to bring the biggest and brightest stars to join their journalists for the evening’s festivities. The Huffington Post is leading the charge with their quirky but cool mix of corporate, media and music stars, not to mention Arianna Huffington herself!
THE HUFFINGTON POST
Arianna Huffington, Founder & Editor-in-Chief of Huffington Post
Charles Porch, Instagram head of global creative programs
Shannon Mattingly, Facebook strategic-partner manager
Steve Aoki, DJ and Electro House Musician
Stephanie Linnartz, Marriott evp and chief marketing and commercial officer
Josh “The Fat Jew” Ostrovsky, Pop-Culture Commentator and Model
Rosanna Pansino, YouTube star
Aidan Alexander, social media star
Zach King, Vine star
Cameron Dallas, social media star
Bill Nye, The Science Guy
Kevin Plank, Under Armour founder and CEO
DJ Khaled, record producer, radio personality and DJ
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