Will Ferrell welcomes honors Adele, Kerry Washington, and more along with the mentors and mentees of the mentorship program at The Hollywood Reporter‘s annual Women in Entertainment gala.
Category
✨
PeopleTranscript
00:00 How's everyone doing today?
00:02 Good morning.
00:05 Welcome, everyone, to the Hollywood Reporter 2023 Women
00:10 in Entertainment Breakfast.
00:12 [CHEERING]
00:17 This is such a wonderful event where we honor and support
00:21 and continue to fight for women in all facets
00:25 of the entertainment world.
00:29 But you know what?
00:31 Forget about the entertainment world.
00:34 Isn't it just time?
00:37 Isn't it just time for women to run the planet?
00:39 [CHEERING]
00:42 I'm not just trying to placate you, I swear.
00:47 But I don't know what else to do, because we, men,
00:54 we've been running the show since, what, 10,000 BC?
00:57 Something like that.
00:59 And we're not doing so good.
01:00 So please, can you guys just take over?
01:06 Can you?
01:07 I think it's time.
01:08 Sorry.
01:09 I'm getting sidetracked.
01:12 Where was I?
01:13 Yes, I was very excited to speak this morning for many reasons,
01:20 one of which is that today I get to sit next to one
01:24 of my dear friends who has been an integral part of my life,
01:29 both personally and professionally, for over 20 years.
01:34 She started out as my very first assistant.
01:38 And later, she pitched me the idea of a production company
01:44 that would focus on female storytelling
01:48 while supporting women writers, directors, and actors,
01:53 to which I said, yeah, I guess so.
01:56 Yeah, we could do that.
02:00 I don't know.
02:01 Yeah.
02:03 Thus was born Gloria Sanchez Productions.
02:07 And that person is Jessica Elbaum.
02:11 Jess, you're out here somewhere.
02:13 Yes.
02:15 And here's her picture, right here.
02:19 Power 100, baby.
02:21 Right there.
02:23 There's Jess.
02:24 My children have barfed on her shoulders.
02:34 But can I just brag?
02:35 So since we started the company, Jess
02:37 has had a hand in developing, finding, producing
02:41 the following slate.
02:42 Sorry, this is a little personal time here.
02:45 Bachelorette, Sleeping with Other People, Dead to Me,
02:51 Booksmart, Hustlers, Eurovision, Barb and Star
02:58 Go to Vista Del Mar, Theater Camp, Quiz Lady,
03:06 and May/December, currently on Netflix.
03:08 So I'm so proud of you, sister friend.
03:18 And it's been all you.
03:21 I've literally done nothing.
03:22 So let's please give a hand for the amazing Kerry Washington.
03:27 Kerry, you will be receiving the Equity in Entertainment Award
03:35 in recognition of your work amplifying
03:37 the voices of underrepresented communities
03:39 in the entertainment industry and beyond.
03:43 Beyond.
03:45 That means like the space station.
03:47 That's how powerful her reach is.
03:51 Kerry, you've always been amazing in everything
03:54 you've ever done and an incredible advocate
03:57 for so many different things.
03:58 So can you just run for president, please?
04:01 Can you just-- we'll pay you.
04:05 We'll pay you.
04:06 We'll do a GoFundMe right in this room,
04:11 and that'll launch you.
04:15 Adele is here.
04:16 [APPLAUSE]
04:19 And will be receiving the Sherry Lansing Leadership
04:22 Award, which recognizes trailblazers and philanthropists.
04:25 Adele and I have also worked together.
04:29 You probably don't remember me, but I sang back up
04:31 on "Rolling in the Deep."
04:34 (SINGING) You're going to wish me.
04:36 Never had met me.
04:38 Tears are going to fall.
04:40 Rolling in the deep.
04:43 You're going to wish you.
04:45 Never had met me.
04:47 Now do you remember me?
04:49 OK.
04:51 You had me fired.
04:53 And now you're probably feeling pretty stupid.
04:56 So enjoy your award, Adele.
04:59 I also want to take time to acknowledge the Hollywood
05:04 Reporter Mentorship Program in partnership
05:07 with Big Brothers and Big Sisters, which
05:11 was founded 13 years ago.
05:13 [APPLAUSE]
05:15 This program pairs high school girls
05:17 from underserved communities in LA
05:19 with female mentors who are top executives in the entertainment
05:23 business.
05:24 Every female studio and agency head
05:26 has been a mentor in this program.
05:29 Over $15 million in scholarships have been given out
05:32 to graduates of this program.
05:36 The young women have gone on to attend colleges
05:38 at places like Harvard, Berkeley, and Northwestern,
05:42 but not Oxford or Cambridge because of Adele's unjust
05:46 firing of Will Ferrell off of Rolling in the Deep.
05:51 And that was written for me.
05:53 That's just part of the program.
05:57 So with that little tidbit, I would again
06:00 like to say congrats to everyone in this room.
06:03 Enjoy the rest of the program.
06:04 All right.
06:05 [APPLAUSE]