Julianna Margulies and several television names turned up at the Motion Picture Television Fund Evening Before Emmys Party the night before the Emmys, where the room mixed tapas, burgers, wood fired pizzas, and a surprise Jack Johnson set. For a party built around access and goodwill, the guest list did the work: it drew attention to the Motion Picture Television Fund while keeping the mood social.
Charlotte Triggs and Kristin Davis
Charlotte Triggs, the editor-in-chief of PEOPLE, had one of the night’s sharpest exchanges with Kristin Davis. Davis greeted her with, “Oh my God, you're Charlotte!” and “Charlotte, recognize Charlotte.” Triggs said, “Spoiler alert: It was well before 1998, but I was very flattered when Kristin said I could pass for 20s.” That kind of moment is the currency of pre-awards parties: part networking, part name recognition, part soft power.
Jack Johnson inside the room
Inside the event, guests lined up to pose in PEOPLE's photo booth and listened as Jack Johnson performed a surprise set. Lisa Kudrow, Bryan Cranston with Robin Dearden, Malin Akerman, Yvette Nicole Brown, Stephen Colbert, and Sepideh Moafi were among the attendees. Bryan Cranston even floated “maybe a Breaking Bad Halloween costume would be in order?”
Motion Picture Television Fund support
The glamorous side of the night sat beside a harder purpose. The Motion Picture Television Fund supports industry professionals throughout their careers and during crises, so the party was not just a social stop before the Emmys; it was also a visibility engine for a fund built to catch people when work slows or life turns. Leah Wyar of People Inc. was part of that broader room of support, which gave the event more weight than a standard awards-season drop-in.
The practical takeaway is simple: the party’s value came from turnout, not noise. By bringing established names into one room for food, music, and a fundraiser, the Motion Picture Television Fund kept its mission visible on the night before the Emmys, when attention is already concentrated on television’s biggest names.
