LOS ANGELES — Hollywood events are back in full force following the conclusion of the screenwriters' and actors' strikes, which put the industry at a standstill for months. Also putting Hollywood at a standstill was Duchess Meghan at Thursday night's Variety's Power of Women gala, with her mere presence stealing the show.
As honorees and fellow A-listers continued to make their way through the red carpet, other attendees mingled on the lower floor of the upscale Los Angeles restaurant Mother Wolf with pizza, pasta and palomas in hand.
Then, none other than Duchess Meghan elegantly made her way through the room in a nude, one-shoulder gown. (The Duchess of Sussex was set to be honored in the 2022 class of Variety's Power of Women event, the same month husband Prince Harry's grandmother Queen Elizabeth II died on Sept. 8.)
There were some double takes, some minor jaw drops and whispers attempting to fact check if that was, in fact, royalty blessing us with her presence. The fangirling continued through the night as TV personality Garcelle Beauvais said during her opening remarks: "I took a picture with Meghan Markle so I can die now."
On the red carpet, Duchess Meghan told Variety she had "so many exciting things on the slate" and couldn't wait to announce them. "I'm just really proud of what we're creating," she said. "My husband is loving it, too. It's really fun."
Here are more highlights and honorees from the night.
Carey Mulligan spoke about a cause dear to her heart: advocating for children in war zones across the world. The "Promising Young Woman" actor, who was introduced by filmmaker Emerald Fennell, was honored for her work as a global ambassador for War Child UK and Children in Conflict.
Mulligan spoke about the worries she faces as a mother of three children. "I think a lot about their mental health," she said, and about inappropriate content they may be exposed to by what they consume through video games or social media. But those worries, she said, are nothing compared to what other mothers are experiencing in other parts of the world.
"Imagine then the worries of a mother in a conflict zone," she said. "Her worries might be something more like this: What if my child sees a family member shot? What if my child's best friend is killed in an airstrike? What if my home is destroyed and we need to flee to a refugee camp? What if my child is kidnapped? These aren't hypothetical. I know this because I've met countless parents in Ukraine, in Iraq and Jordan and on the Syrian border and in the Democratic Republic of Congo who have to consider these questions."
Alluding to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, Mulligan said: "They're questions that parents are asking themselves tonight, right now, as we sit here."
Related:Israel-Hamas war will leave a generation in trauma. Will the world forget its children?
The event also featured Leonardo DiCaprio on the roster. ("Oh my god, is that Leonardo DiCaprio?" said a starstruck Fantasia Barrino mid-speech at the top of the evening.)
The "Killers of the Flower Moon" actor introduced his co-star Lily Gladstone, praising her "profound talent" and adding that "Lily's not just an actor, she's also an activist."
Gladstone highlighted the work of the National Indigenous Women's Resource Center, a nonprofit that aims to end violence against American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian women.
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"Native women, four out of five in our lifetimes, will experience some form of violence at the hands of a romantic partner or someone who wants to be," she said during her speech, noting the organization "is bringing these stories forward of survivors in front of lawmakers, in front of Congress, in front of people who have the power to enact real change, to give our people just what we need to protect ourselves. Bare minimum."
Review:In 'Killers of the Flower Moon,' Martin Scorsese crafts a gripping story of love, murder
Oprah Winfrey, one of Variety's honorees last year, returned to give Barrino her flowers for her role in the upcoming musical film "The Color Purple."
"Several years ago, as a producer, I watched Fantasia embody the character of Celie on the Broadway stage, and I thought, well, what could top that?" Winfrey said. "This year, I saw what could top that. To watch Fantasia re-embody, re-imagine and re-invent Celie for our film was to actually witness triumph in action."
The musical, set for a Christmas Day premiere, sees Barrino reprising the role of Celie that she played on the Broadway adaption of "The Color Purple." Winfrey serves as a producer on the movie.
Of playing the role of Celie again, Barrino said during her speech she was hesitant at first. "I knew this role would bring up some certain things in my life that I thought I was over, but I think I just suppressed. So when they called me I said, 'I cannot do it. I'm married. I'm happy. No thanks.'"
However, thinking of "every young lady that has been through some of the things that I've been through" ultimately changed her mind.
More:First look at Oprah's Favorite Things 2023, from candles and cookies to luggage and luxury
It was a "Barbie" reunion of sorts Thursday night.
Pop star Dua Lipa, who plays Mermaid Barbie in Greta Gerwig's "Barbie" and contributed song "Dance the Night" to the soundtrack, introduced Margot Robbie's production company LuckyChap Entertainment with the producer of the year award. Robbie's company, which she founded in 2014, is behind films and TV series highlighting women's stories including "Barbie," "Promising Young Woman" and "Maid."
Robbie, however, couldn't deliver her speech because she lost her voice a few days prior. Her partners in LuckyChap, actor and husband Tom Ackerley and producer Josey McNamara, read the speech on her behalf.
On the red carpet, Lipa and Robbie were also photographed with Ariana Greenblatt, who plays Sasha in "Barbie."
And later in the evening, Greenblatt introduced Billie Eilish − who's responsible for the tender "Barbie" ballad, "What Was I Made For?" − with a moving speech.
"I was still processing the fact that (Eillish) made a song for the movie, a song that resonates with me and probably many of you in a deep way," the young actress said. "I did not think I would be capable of meeting her, let alone holding a conversation with her."
More:Margot Robbie never thought she'd have 'empathy for a doll.' Then she made 'Barbie.'
Eilish was brought to tears over Greenblatt's introduction. "Oh man, I was crying over there girl," she said after the two shared a sweet hug.
In true Eilish fashion, the singer spoke candidly to the room: "Guys I'm on Prednisone, you ever taken that?" Attendees broke out in laughter, to which Eilish responded: "No for real, I've had no voice, Margot (Robbie), all week."
The singer revealed she had Laryngitis and that's why she was taking the steroid medicine. "Last time I was on it I threw my phone and shattered a mirror," she joked. "And this time I be crying."
Jokes aside, Eilish spoke about growing up right before the public's eyes and how "it's really hard to be a woman out here guys."
"I've never felt truly like a woman," Eilish said. "I've spent a lot of my life not feeling like I fit in to being a woman… I have a lot of internalized misogyny inside of me and I find it coming out in places I don't want it to. And I have to say, with full transparency, I feel very grateful to be a woman right now. I feel very proud, and I feel very honored to be here."
After her speech, Eilish and her brother and co-writer Finneas on the piano performed the Grammy-nominated "What Was I Made For?"
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