Partyhopper

I’m embarrassed to admit that I’m just now getting around to writing thank-you notes to the guests who joined my dinner table at In Style's Golden Globes viewing party—including Molly Sims, Simon Baker and Joy Bryant—and suddenly I’m not feeling very witty or clever. (Even after three cups of coffee and a Diet Red Bull, which usually does the trick.)

Perhaps that’s because these stars all proved to be as sharp as they were stylish. Some cynical observers of Hollywood might imagine that celebrities want to talk only about showbiz (or just talk about themselves), but that notion couldn’t have been further from the truth with my new acquaintances, who are managed by Untitled Entertainment.

Molly, for instance, had Broadway theater on her mind: She was telling me about recently seeing the acclaimed play The Vertical Hour, and she raved about Bill Nighy’s performance. Minutes later, the British actor won a Globe for the BBC miniseries Gideon's Daughter, and Molly clapped and cheered.

Aussie Simon, who managed to predict nearly every single one of the night's winners, spent a commercial break giving me a geography lesson about boho-chic Byron Bay in Australia (one of my favorite places to go surfing) and threw in a brief history as well. And let’s just say that Joy, who was rocking an edgy black Fendi number, has a serious passion for fashion—I could’ve talked with her about clothes and designers all night long.

As a final example to illustrate my point: When I brought up the second film about the making of Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood that came out last year and asked nearby Rose McGowan which movie she preferred, her response was: “Actually, I prefer his books.” Needless to say, there was no talk of hot scripts among my tablemates.

While I’m on the subject of giving thanks, I want to give shout-outs to the tireless staff of In Style’s L.A. office, especially Cyd Wilson and Ali Forman—they had the tricky task of orchestrating everything from the seating arrangements to, well, you name it—and bureau chief Glynis Costin, who kindly joined me as a greeter when our after-party kicked into high-gear. While I welcomed entourage-less Penélope Cruz and thanked America Ferrera (clutching her Globe to her chest, she still had that endearingly awestruck look about her) for her touching acceptance speech, Glynis ran off to fetch a drink from the bar for her pal Steven Spielberg.

As you can tell, the staff of In Style goes to great lengths to ensure that everyone has a good time at our bashes. Kudos also to interior designer Thomas Ford, who created a breathtakingly gorgeous room for us to work. And hats off to co-workers Karen Levy, Marsha McGregor, Angela Salazar and Kelly Austin for having the courage (and the compassion) to deal with the scene—yes, it was quite a scene—at the door: The inevitable result of any L.A. event involving A-listers, the fans who love them and the biggest VIP of all, the fire marshall.

-- James Patrick Herman