Golden Globes Scene and Heard: Leonardo DiCaprio, 5 Actress Nominees Go for Tea (Photos)

Alicia Vikander, Brie Larson, Saoirse Ronan, and “Carol” duo Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara hug it out over a meal

BAFTA Tea Party
Getty Images

Hollywood’s Anglophilia cup has runneth over. Leonardo DiCaprio and all five Golden Globes-nominated actresses for Best Performance in a Drama — Cate Blanchett, Saoirse Ronan, Brie Larson, Alicia Vikander, and Rooney Mara — gathered Saturday afternoon at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills for BAFTA L.A.’s Awards Season Tea.

Over classic British nibbles such as Welsh rarebit, Cheddar cheese and chutney brioche, cucumber sandwiches and scones, pairings from TV (“Downton Abbey,” “Transparent,” “Outlander” and “Game of Thrones”) mixed with a slew of the nominated movie directors and forthcoming Oscar contenders.

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 09: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) (L-R) Actor Jeffrey Tambor, director Tom McCarthy and actor Mark Ruffalo attend the BAFTA Los Angeles Awards Season Tea at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills on January 9, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/BAFTA LA/Getty Images for BAFTA LA)
Jeffrey Tambor, “Spotlight” director Tom McCarthy and Mark Ruffalo get to the bottom of it.  (Frazer Harrison/BAFTA LA/Getty Images for BAFTA LA)

E-cigs, Eddie Redmayne “M.I.A.” bulletins, Guns N’ Roses, and Mrs. Patmore’s driving test all proved to be elegant teatime topics.

2:49 p.m.
Harvey Weinstein (in an all-black suit) is making a bee-line for Mark Ruffalo, who’s sporting a blazer over a gray sweater. In another room, a publicist cuts the drink line in the front of the room. “I’m so sorry to cut. It’s not for me. Can I please have some water?”

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 09: Actress Alicia Vikander, wearing Bulgari, attends the BAFTA Los Angeles Awards Season Tea at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills on January 9, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Mike Windle/BAFTA LA/Getty Images for BAFTA LA)
Alicia Vikander (Mike Windle/BAFTA LA/Getty Images for BAFTA LA)

3:10 p.m.
Saoirse Ronan is solo walking through the room in a coral hued dress, holding a tea cup. It is an “Awards Tea” after all. She walks past “The Revenant” youngster Will Poulter, who is jockeying a teapot in a burgundy suit. In case of an awards speech, voice preservation and maintenance is essential.

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 09: Actresses Saoirse Ronan (L) and Brie Larson attend the BAFTA Los Angeles Awards Season Tea at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills on January 9, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for The GREAT Britain Campaign)
Saoirse Ronan and Brie Larson (Michael Kovac/Getty Images for The GREAT Britain Campaign)

3:21 p.m.
Now, Saoirse has found her awards-season soulmate. She and Brie Larson are deep in animated 1-on-1 conversation in the middle of the room. A huddle forms around them to watch and photographers angle for shots. If people were so inclined, they could grab food off the table nearby.

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 09: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) British Consul General in Los Angeles Chris O'Connor (L) and actress Rooney Mara attend the BAFTA Los Angeles Awards Season Tea at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills on January 9, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/BAFTA LA/Getty Images for BAFTA LA)
Rooney Mara gets in to the spirit. (Kevork Djansezian/BAFTA LA/Getty Images for BAFTA LA)

3:29 p.m.
Prolific songwriter Diane Warren is here. She’s always here. What does she think about Guns N’ Roses getting back together at Coachella after a 22-year hiatus? If they opened with “Welcome to the Jungle,” Warren says, “It would almost make me want to go.” She’s worked with Slash before. He played guitar on one of her songs, and Warren thinks he’s “a good guy.” Will they be ready in time? They have to rehearse, she says. Warren has a potential Oscar-nominated song with Lady Gaga, “Til It Happens to You.”

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 09: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) (L-R) Actors Sam Heughan, Emilia Clarke and Mike Noble attend the BAFTA Los Angeles Awards Season Tea at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills on January 9, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/BAFTA LA/Getty Images for BAFTA LA)
“Vikings’” Ben Robson, “Game of Thrones’” Emilia Clarke, and “Home Fires’” Mike Noble. (Frazer Harrison/BAFTA LA/Getty Images for BAFTA LA)

3:40 p.m.
Jeffrey Tambor is fearless in strolling the party solo. Whatever ice or cocktail he had in his hand, it’s all melted. It looks like limp lemon-lime Gatorade at this point.

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 09: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Chairman Kieran Breen speaks on stage at the BAFTA Los Angeles Awards Season Tea at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills on January 9, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/BAFTA LA/Getty Images for BAFTA LA)
Kieran Breen stated that this event marked “the halfway point” of awards season.  (Kevork Djansezian/BAFTA LA/Getty Images for BAFTA LA)

3:45 p.m.
BAFTA L.A. President Kieran Breen addresses the crowd. He tells them that the BAFTA awards in London are coming on Valentine’s Day, Sunday, Feb. 14. That’s “Grammys Weekend” to the Yanks in the ballroom. “It’s me, you, and 2,000 complete strangers having a one night stand,” he says.

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 09: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) British Consul General Southwest Region United States Chris O'Connor (L) and actor Leonardo DiCaprio attend the BAFTA Los Angeles Awards Season Tea at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills on January 9, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/BAFTA LA/Getty Images for BAFTA LA)
Leo is a regular at the BAFTA Tea.  (Kevork Djansezian/BAFTA LA/Getty Images for BAFTA LA)

4:17 p.m.
Leonardo DiCaprio is here now. He’s in the southwest corner of the ballroom tucked in with Fox chief Jim Gianopulos. It’s as if someone tilted the whole room toward him. Official event photographers have already been told “no photos” but one suicidally ambitious female guest has already inched in next to him for a personal photo, despite placards at the door stating that the ballroom is a “Selfie Free Zone.”

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 09: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) A general view of the atmosphere is seen during the BAFTA Los Angeles Awards Season Tea at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills on January 9, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/BAFTA LA/Getty Images for BAFTA LA)
(Frazer Harrison/BAFTA LA/Getty Images for BAFTA LA)

DiCaprio’s “Revenant” beard is gone. He does have a goatee. He’s vaping on what appears to be an e-cigarette pen. He will leave through the back door.

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 09: (L-R) Actress Nathalie Emmanuel, British Consul General in Los Angeles Chris O'Connor, and actress Emilia Clarke attend the BAFTA Los Angeles Awards Season Tea at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills on January 9, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for The GREAT Britain Campaign)
“Game of Thrones” stars Nathalie Emmanuel and Emilia Clarke flank British Consul General in Los Angeles Chris O’Connor. “Thrones” shoots in the U.K. (Michael Kovac/Getty Images for The GREAT Britain Campaign)

4:21 p.m.
British Consul General Chris O’Connor is chatting with “Game of Thrones” star Emilia Clarke in the opposite corner from the Leo-tilt. Topher Grace is there too, in a circle with three women.

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 09: Actresses Lesley Nicol (L) and Joanne Froggatt attend the BAFTA Los Angeles Awards Season Tea at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills on January 9, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for The GREAT Britain Campaign)
“Mrs. Patmore” Lesley Nicol and “Anna,” Joanne Froggatt from “Downton Abbey.” (Michael Kovac/Getty Images for The GREAT Britain Campaign)

4:55 p.m.
Joanne Froggatt (Lady’s maid Anna on “Downton Abbey”) greets Lesley Nicol (“Downton” chef Mrs. Patmore). It seems like the two have not seen each other in a while since “Downton” wrapped its final season several months ago. “We were in the same vicinity,” Froggatt shouts while ejecting herself from one circle to reach Nicol. Later, Nicol tells me that she recently passed her California driving test, both written and practical. It’s kind of crazy to think that Mrs. Patmore lives in the Valley.

4:48 p.m.
Where’s Eddie Redmayne? A fixture on last year’s awards scene, he’s been M.I.A. this week. Word is that he will arrive in L.A. on the day of the Globes just in time to go right to the show.

5:20 p.m.
The BAFTA bash is over and people are defaulting back to the Four Seasons bar, where the Steelers vs. Bengals NFL playoff game is on. Groups are largely ignoring the hotel’s pleas that a group of tables are “reserved for NBC,” whatever that means. Nicole Murphy is in the corner table with one friend as “Twilight” director Catherine Hardwicke is at another table with two friends.

5:22 p.m.
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje comes in and sits down with a well known female film producer. He’s calling people “mate.”

The BAFTA LA Awards Season Tea Party was sponsored by BBC America and the GREAT Britain Campaign. Other event sponsors included American Airlines, Four Season Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hill, Heineken, UTA, ONEHOPE Wine, Moreno and Zico coconut water.

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA - JANUARY 09: (L-R) Host Rami Malek, Film Independent President Josh Welsh, and host Uzo Aduba attend the 2016 Film Independent Filmmaker Grant and Spirit Award Nominees Brunch at BOA Steakhouse on January 9, 2016 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Araya Diaz/WireImage)
Hosts Rami Malek, Film Independent President Josh Welsh, and host Uzo Aduba gave away $75,000 in cash as filmmaker grants on Saturday morning. (Araya Diaz/WireImage)

Earlier in the day at BOA, “Mr. Robot” teamed up with “Crazy Eyes” as Rami Malek and Uzo Aduba led Film Independent’s celebration of their nominees for the upcoming spirit awards.

“Not a single person who got up on stage [at last year’s Spirit Awards] pulled out a piece of paper with a long list of thank you’s,” Film Independent President Josh Welsh told the crowd. “And it was fantastic.”

According to Welsh, the agenda for Saturday morning’s brunch was to “eat, to drink, have a good time, and to give away $75,000 in cash to some extremely talented and deserving filmmakers.” Check. Check. Check. Check.

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