My Globes weekend with Timothée Chalamet (and his lookalike), Demi Moore, J Lo, more

Janet and Ruben Nepales with Hiroyuki Sanada/CONTRIBUTED

LOS ANGELES – When I wished Hiroyuki Sanada good luck on the eve of the 82^nd Golden Globe Awards at Vanity Fair and MGM Amazon Studios’ pre-Globes party at the fabled Chateau Marmont, he crossed his fingers on each of his hands.

Hiroyuki Sanada/Photo by Gerry Villaroman

Jennifer Lopez, the true diva that she is, came, posed for photos, entered the party and left as quickly as she arrived. The glam lady had other Golden Globe bashes to attend that Saturday evening.

At Paramount’s celebration that same evening, Jane Seymour and her boyfriend, musician John Zambetti, pulled up in a red car in front of Cipriani Beverly Hills. Yes, many Hollywood celebrities do drive around in their cars.

At 73, Jane – Elise from Somewhere in Time to many folks to this day – despite having gone on to countless other films and TV shows, looked great.

There was that show and long afternoon and evening at The Beverly Hilton the following day, with many after-parties, but hey, this weekend comes only once a year.

On the big day itself, it’s always fascinating how The Beverly Hilton’s short driveway can transform into a red carpet packed with the biggest stars on earth in a matter of hours.

The megastars are always the last to arrive. One of the first celebs to step into the red carpet was Queer Eye’s Jonathan Van Ness.

And among the last to straggle in were Tilda Swinton, Salma Hayek Pinault, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Sarah Paulson.

Salma Hayek arrives at the 82nd Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Quite a sight on the red carpet were two guys, each holding signs that proclaimed, “I won a lookalike contest and now I’m at the Golden Globes.” Max  Braunstein and Miles Mitchell, who scored prizes for looking like Glen Powell and Timothée Chalamet, respectively, turned heads.

Timothee Chalamet and Glen Powell look alikes/Photo by Gerry Villaroman

Luckily for both doppelgangers, they got to meet Glen and Timothée even amid the red carpet frenzy.

Timothee Chalamet arrives at the 82nd Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Sthanlee B. Mirador, the Filipino American photographer who has been covering the Hollywood red carpet for many years, opined that Demi Moore, Zendaya, and Cate Blanchett looked the most stunning.

Inside the International Ballroom, Demi also emerged as the winner not only as the best actress in a motion picture – musical or comedy for The Substance but also with her acceptance speech.

Demi Moore poses in the press room with the award for best performance by a female actor in a motion picture – musical or comedy for “The Substance” during the 82nd Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

In sync with her feminist horror film that dissects society’s treatment of aging women, Demi delivered remarks that instantly joined Meryl Streep and Oprah Winfrey’s unforgettable speeches at the Globes:

“Thirty years ago, I had a producer tell me that I was a popcorn actress, and at that time, I made that mean that this (award) wasn’t something that I was allowed to have…(It meant) that I could do movies that were successful and that made a lot of money but that I could not be acknowledged, and I believed that.”

Demi Moore arrives at the 82nd Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

“That corroded me over time, to the point where I thought a few years ago that maybe this was it, maybe I was complete, maybe I had already done what I was supposed to do.”

“I was at kind of a low point, and then I had this magical, bold, courageous, out-of-the-box, absolutely bonkers script come across my desk called The Substance, and the universe told me that you are not done. I am so grateful to Coralie (Fargeat) for trusting me to step in and play.”

“I will just leave you with one thing that I think this movie is imparting. In those moments when we don’t think we’re smart enough or pretty enough or skinny enough or successful enough or basically just not enough, I had a woman say to me, just know, you will never be enough but you can know the value of your worth if you just put down the measuring stick.”

Demi Moore poses in the press room with the award for best performance by a female actor in a motion picture – musical or comedy for “The Substance” during the 82nd Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

“So today, I celebrate this as a marker of my wholeness and of the love that is driving me and for the gift of doing something I love and being reminded that I do belong.”

Jodie Foster, who clinched her fourth Globes trophy, this time for best actress in a limited series, anthology series or a motion picture made for television for True Detective: Night Country, echoed Demi’s sentiments backstage in the media room:

“Something happens, at least for women. There’s like an organism that gets released in your bloodstream. I am not a doctor so don’t follow me on that one. But it just feels like there’s a hormone that happens where suddenly you go, oh, I don’t really care about stupid things anymore.”

Jodie Foster/Photo by Gerry Villaroman

“And I’m not really going to compete with myself. I’m excited about what’s left of my life and who I’ve become, the wisdom I can bring to the table.”

I think comedian Nikki Glaser did very well in the daunting task of hosting a show before a tough crowd of A-listers in the ballroom and millions of viewers on television and streamers.

Nikki Glaser arrives at the 82nd Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Elsewhere at the hotel, at a party where the engraving station is located, the winners strode in to get their trophies inscribed.

I asked Colin Farrell as his best actor in a limited series, anthology series or a motion picture made for television trophy was being engraved with his name if he is now ready to do The Penguin part two since he just won for the first one.

Colin Farrell poses in the press room with the award for best performance by a male actor in a limited series, anthology series, or a motion picture made for television for “The Penguin” during the 82nd Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

The amiable actor answered that he has to read the script first.

Tadanobu Asano wandered in, looking as exuberant as he was on stage when he triumphed as best supporting actor for Shogun and exclaimed in his acceptance speech:

“Wow! So maybe you don’t know me but I’m an actor from Japan, and my name is Tadanobu Asano.”

Tadanobu let his hands do the talking about how happy he was over his win.

Hiroyuki’s double fingers crossed sign to me proved to be serendipitous. He and Anna Sawai bagged the best actor and actress in a television series – drama for Shogun, respectively. The show also romped off with the best television series – drama.

‘Shogun’ cast/Gerry Villaroman

‘Shogun’ cast/Photo by Gerry Villaroman

Ali Wong, who was among the first winners to head to the engraving station, beamed as she held her freshly engraved second Golden Globe trophy for best performance in stand-up comedy on television for Single Lady. She made history as the first woman to score this award.

Ali Wong poses in the press room with the award for best performance in stand-up comedy on television for “Ali Wong: Single Lady” during the 82nd Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Just last year, Ali won best actress in a limited series, anthology series or a motion picture made for television for Beef.

With director Jon M. Chu’s Wicked being honored for cinematic and box office achievement, it was a big leap for Asian representation at the Globes.

A ‘Wicked’ night at the Globes/Photo by Gerry Villaroman

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo/Photo by Gerry Villaroman

It was a significant night for international representation as well, led by Brazil’s Fernanda Torres and her historic best actress – drama victory for Walter Salles’ I’m Still Here.

Fernanda Torres/Photo by Gerry Villaroman

By the show’s end, Kate Winslet, a best actress nominee for Lee, was barefoot as she stepped out of the ballroom, nonchalantly holding her heels in her hand.

Outside, in front of the hotel, it was a star-studded gridlock as the talents waited for their SUVs, limos or cars. In that crowd, it was hard to miss nominee Eddie Redmayne in his striking black and white plaid Valentino suit. He was a best actor in a TV series – drama nominee for The Day of the Jackal.

Ever genial, Eddie, waiting with his wife Hannah Bagshawe, chatted briefly about having two kids now.

We proceeded to the Searchlight after-party at Funke, still in Beverly Hills, where we bumped into Ryan Murphy, best supporting actor nominee Edward Norton (for A Complete Unknown), and presenters who are both named Anthony – Ramos and Mackie – among others.

Two other after-parties beckoned but as the cliché goes, the spirit was very willing but…