Inside the 2023 Oscar nominees luncheon: Stars mix and mingle

Paul Mescal chatted with Jenny Slate. Cate Blanchett tucked into her salad beside Tony Kushner. Tom Cruise gave Steven Spielberg a bear hug and congratulated the filmmaker, with whom he worked on “Minority Report” and “War of the Worlds,” on his latest film, “The Fabelmans” —“Beautiful stuff,” Cruise said, beaming. “Beautiful stuff.”

In all, more than 180 of this year’s Oscar contenders gathered on Monday afternoon at the annual nominees luncheon to celebrate their achievements — and pose together for Hollywood’s most illustrious class photo.

With the Academy Awards on March 12 only one month away, the gathering at the Beverly Hilton — the only Oscar-season stop at which a majority of the nominees are actually in the same room prior to the awards themselves — offered the chance for those who might otherwise never cross paths to mix and mingle.

Brendan Fraser and Malala Yousafzai .

(Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)

But while the atmosphere at the luncheon, an academy tradition dating back to the early 1980s, was convivial and joyful, only 20% or so of the attendees will actually emerge victorious when Oscar season reaches its climax.

Film composer Carter Burwell, a nominee for the third time for “The Banshees of Inisherin,” wryly acknowledged the background hum of competition. “We should have a tug-of-war between the ‘Banshees’ crew and the ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ folks,” Burwell joked. “With Brendan Gleeson, I think we could take them.”

Taking the stage to welcome the nominees, Academy President Janet Yang attempted to address any lingering misgivings about last year’s Oscars telecast, which was upended when Will Smith struck Chris Rock over a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

“What happened onstage was wholly unacceptable, and the response from our organization was inadequate,” Yang said. “We learned from this that the academy must be fully transparent and accountable in our actions. And particularly in times of crisis, we must act swiftly, compassionately and decisively for ourselves and for our industry. You should and can expect no less from us going forward.”

Tia Carrere, left, Steven Spielberg and Ke Huy Quan

(Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)

Turning to the upcoming ceremony, Yang drew applause from the crowd when she noted that, after last year’s controversial decision to shift eight below-the-line and short film categories out of the live telecast, all awards will once again be handed out on air.

That said, with the Oscar producers facing continued pressure to trim down the often bloated show, Yang said the nominees bear their own responsibility to help keep things moving at a lively pace. “If you win a coveted gold statue, your acceptance speech must be 45 seconds, tops,” Yang said, asking the attendees repeat the number to hammer home the point.

Though the luncheon was celebratory, for the nominees it’s just one in what can seem like an endless series of receptions, screenings, cocktail parties, Q&As and industry shmooze-fests as Oscar season grinds on.

“I need some hand sanitizer,” songwriter Diane Warren, celebrating her 14th Oscar nod this year for the song “Applause” from the film “Tell It Like a Woman,” said with a slight note of weariness. “I have shaken so many hands.”

Brian Tyree Henry

(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Martin McDonagh and Roger Deakins.

(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Austin Butler, left, and Tom Cruise.

(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Marlee Matlin, left, and Dianne Warren.

(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Tom Cruise in the center of a crowd.

(Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)

Ke Huy Quan, left, and Judd Hirsch.

(Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)

Tom Cruise and Guillermo del Toro hug.

(Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)

Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger

(Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)

Paul Mescal and Michelle Yeoh.

(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Colin Farrell, left, Kerry Condon, Martin McDonagh, and Brendan Gleeson.

(Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)

Tom Cruise and Jamie Lee Curtis.

(Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)

Stephanie Hsu.

(Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)