Last Thursday my old friend Bennett Miller –a really accomplished director movies like “Moneyball” and “Foxcatcher” — invited me to his photo exhibit in Beverly Hills. I went to support Bennett. I had no expectations of seeing anything but the photos at the Gagosian Gallery.
What happened was maybe routine in Hollywood but not in New York: an influx of A list names came pouring through the big white box on North Canon Drive. First up was Chris Rock, followed by a bunch of people I recognized including Zachary Quinto, Edward Norton, and Catherine Keener (who starred in “Capote” for Miller), not to mention LucasFilms prez Kathleen Kennedy.
And then there was Brad Pitt. Seeing Brad Pitt in person, not at a movie premiere, is like finding a rare zebra on the African delta. He looks just like Brad Pitt, only better. Remember he was there because he starred in “Moneyball.” With him was his girlfriend, whose name I didn’t know until I shook her hand, Ines de Ramon. She could be a model. Maybe she is. She was also incredibly nice and normal despite being so beautiful. She’s a brunette, and I thought had a slight accent. (It was noisy in there.) She and Pitt were so much better looking than normal human beings, it was hard to remember Miller’s excellent photos were the reason for being there.
Another Oscar winner, Adrien Brody, strode by. He and Brad got into a discussion. As I turned around, in came Oscar winner Jon Voight with his son, James, and some friends. Voight and I have radically different politics, but we like each other a lot. We did a ‘mug’ — a male hug — and immediately caught up on this and that. Also loosely floating around in this group were Lou Ferrigno, Jr. and someone I had never met: Britney Spears‘s ex husband, Sam Ashgari.
They all went to meet Brad and co. as I stepped away. I didn’t see it, but Pitt and Voight — formerly father and son-in-law — had a brief and friendly encounter. A few people had their pictures taken with Brad. Ashgari was completely cool, courteous, and low key. He didn’t use Britney’s name to get anything. He and I talked for a bit and he couldn’t have been nicer.
I left thinking, Nice people. A Hollywood night. No headlines other than so many interesting people. No one had an awkward time. Everyone had a good time. Sorry. No duels called for the next morning.
Afterwards, Brody (with Georgina Chapman), Quinto, and some of the others went to a private dinner. I heard Al Pacino was one of the guests which made sense since his baby mama, Noor Alfallah, had been at the exhibit. I did not speak with her, but others did, and there were no altercations.
As for Brad and Ines: some fansite emailed me, not believing they were dating or together. I can’t imagine having time to speculate on that or care much at all. But that’s the way celebs and fans dance their pas de deux.
Photo courtesy of Lawlor Media
