Prince William and Kate in L.A.

Image Credit: Rex USA

Celebrities like Nicole Kidman, Tom Hanks, Barbra Streisand and Quentin Tarantino gathered at a Los Angeles theater Saturday to celebrate Brits in the biz and – if they were lucky enough — to rub elbows with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Kate wore a lilac Alexander McQueen gown and jewels from the Queen while William donned a black tuxedo for the event dubbed Brits to Watch that was sponsored by the British Academy of Film and TV Arts.

The event, which also attracted celebs like Blake Lively, Jason Bateman, Kristin Chenoweth, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, Paul Rudd, Jennifer Garner and Jack Black was held at the Belasco, a classic theater located in an otherwise seedy section of downtown L.A. (Pay no attention to the barbed wire in the background, Wills!) “This seems like a strange place to do it,” Deschanel told EW. “The theater is nice and was recently renovated but there are parking lots filled with trash around the corner. I don’t want them to see that! I want L.A. to be able to put its best foot forward. They don’t come here that often.”And how did Deschanel — who’s headlining a new fall comedy for Fox called New Girl – score an invite to Hollywood’s biggest party on Saturday? “I got an email but I only half-read it so I was just excited to be invited to a BAFTA event,” she said. “It was not until a couple of days later when I was talking to mom and said, `I had been invited to a BAFTA event.’ And she said, `Is that the same one that the Duke and Duchess are going to?’ I immediately reread the email and realized it was an even bigger deal than I thought. And then I immediately looked up the rules of what to do and say on Wikipedia. Apparently, I don’t have to curtsey because I am not one of their subjects. I am just supposed to shake hands. I will still probably mess it up despite studying.”Bateman, meanwhile, couldn’t believe his luck. “There was probably a last-minute cancellation,” he told EW. “Ryan Reynolds was probably busy. Wouldn’t that be great if they actually sought me out tonight to get the skinny on the Arrested Development movie? That might actually get it pushed through. An official royal request might be the one thing that could trigger production.”About 100 shouting lookee-loos stood across the street and wielded signs that said “CA hearts W & K” and “All we want is a wave” as the Royal Couple walked the red carpet. (One killjoy decided to mark the occasion by dressing up in a bear suit and holding a sign that said “Bearskins are for bears, not guards.”) The Duke and Duchess didn’t do interviews – nor did they wave to the media — but they did, however, sign autographs for a few military families before going inside.“I have to be on my best behavior tonight,” Jonah Hill told EW. “Hopefully they don’t put me at the kid’s table based on the type of movies I’ve made.” Hill, like all of those in attendance, had to pass through a metal detector before entering the theater. “I guess they don’t care how many hit singles J. Lo has had or how many Oscars Tom Hanks has or how many people saw Superbad,” Hill said. “We all had to get the shakedown.”Kidman and Streisand, along with her husband James Brolin, were lucky enough to score a seat at the royals’ table, along with a few choice studio execs. “I just got off the phone with my mum,” Kidman told the press beforehand. “She is very excited for me to meet the royal couple. I’m excited too and nervous. I quite like them.”The event was scheduled to celebrate Brits in the business. “We found out they were coming and really wanted to put together a special evening in honor of their visit,” Nigel Lythgoe, the BAFTA Chairman, told EW before the show. “We have Hollywood royalty here tonight to mingle with real royalty. It is the most excited I’ve been since American Idol got renewed for a second season. We get to raise money and show them a good time and honor the next wave of British talent.”As President of BAFTA, the Duke then gave a speech to the guests. “I am immensely proud of the success Brits have had in the fiercely competitive world of film, television and video games,” he said. “Please give them the opportunities you have always extended to some of the brightest and best that Britain has to offer.  When American and British creative talent gets together, magic happens.  Let’s continue the winning formula.”A video program followed that was hosted by Cat Deeley. — With reporting from Carrie Bell

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