I'm One Degree Removed From the Next President of the United States of America!!!

 

Yes, we’re all apparently six degrees separated from Kevin Bacon and now I am one degree away from President Elect Barak Obama – thanks to my friend Hill Harper.
You probably best know Mr. Hill Harper best as Dr. Sheldon Hawkes, his CSI:NYC character for the last four years. I met Hill a few years ago when I visited LA for the first time since college to attend a swanky soiree to support his Adopt-a-School Initiative and at the time, new book “Letters to a Young Brother.” I made the trip with a couple of friends of Hill’s who stayed in his guest bedroom and he kindly got me an air mattress to sleep on in the study. It was actually pretty comfy.  We’ve been friends ever since.

Most people know Hill as an actor, or more locally, bachelor about town who always has a big smile on his face. But ,did you also know he obtained a law degree - while Barak Obama’s roommate at Harvard Law School and they’ve been BFF ever since! Hill was even a surrogate for Barak during the election! Maybe one day he’ll be president too, or at least a member of the cabinet?

In Chicago, of course, Hill celebrated the win at a victory party at The Underground where guests like Forest Whitaker and Star Jones joined him in dancing up a storm to the beats of DJ Cassidy.
 

 

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Saturday night seemed more like a Sunday night to me this week, probably because everyone was suffering post-Halloween hangover, both literally and figuratively. Nonetheless, I motivated to head over to the Esquire House for the Hollywood Entertainment Museum’s Legacy Awards honoring brothers Rob and Chad Lowe and the cast of “Heroes.”

When we walked in the $12.5 million Hollywood Hills mansion outfitted as the ultimate bachelor pad I started by giving my friend Amber the tour – since I was there only a week before I had a pretty good lay of the land. When we were in my favorite room, the open-air ‘fitness room’ that consists of pretty much just a Jacuzzi and oversized exercise contraption, we were two of six people in the room – the others being Rob Lowe, a woman who had her back to us and two bodyguards. After I said, “Wow, Rob Lowe is gorgeous,” Amber informed me I’d make the remark loud enough to attract the attention of the security guards we pondered ‘Why would Rob Lowe have two security guys with him at the fairly intimate party anyway?” When the woman turned around and we realized it was Maria Shriver we realized the security wasn’t for him, they were for her.

A few minutes later we walked downstairs just as Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger walked in. Less than 24 hours after the governor made remarks about Barak Obama’s skinny legs, his wife was up on a podium to introduce the brothers Lowe saying her hair was still tangled ‘from being so teased from being Sarah Palin (for Halloween) last night.' Imagine a political discussion in that household! Shriver went on to say being in the ultimate bachelor pad on a Saturday when she usually spends weekends at home with the kids made her feel like a Desperate Housewife.

When the Lowe brothers hit the stage Chad said something about at one time never wanting to walk in another person’s shadow but then relented that he’s happy to walk in Rob’s shadow, “My best friend, the person I love most in the whole world, my Hollywood Museum.” Sweet. The former husband of Hilary Swank also thanked his new girlfriend Kim. Rob followed by saying Chad’s accolades were “Better than getting the award” and said, “I would get my ass kicked in Dayton Ohio because acting was for sissies but I knew it’s what I really wanted to do.”

Well, kind of. I mean, he did put his hands on my cheeks and he did give me a kiss, which left me kind of breathless, but it’s not as sexy as it sounds. The Maroon 5 lead singer kissed my friend next before jovially making his rounds of gracious host at his annual Halloween house party. A few minutes later his rumored girlfriend Sophia Monk arrived, pouting, and surprisingly, the only person not in costume.

Mischa Barton lit up a corner of the kitchen dressed as a sexy Christmas tree accompanied by a Santa, Adrian Grenier leaned against the kitchen counter with a girl all night and Kirsten Dunst as Amelia Earhart, wafted around the party a bit dazed and confused – although I believe she came from a party at Bardot, the most A-list soiree on the planet last night.

Unlike a party at Ryan Cabrera’s house where I started the night, thinking Jessica Simpson would attend because I’d heard Tony Romo was co-hosting (although people who actually stayed at the party tell me they didn’t see either) and unlike the party at the Hollywood Roosevelt where Marilyn Manson took over the space for a haunted evening that drew the likes of Audrina Patridge and David Spade while Danny Masterson DJ’ed or the PUR Jeans party at STK/Coco de Ville where John Legend and Lauren Conrad mixed with the cast of the new 90210, the glitterati celebrating at exclusive celeb haunt Bardot included: Ashton Kutcher and Demi more (who I’m told came as ‘A pair of tits, they were each a boob and looked soooo good')  Cameron Diaz and her model beau (and Jen Aniston's ex) Paul Sculfor, Selma Hayek, Leo DeCaprio (who I'd heard was going to be at Heidi Klum's party at 1OAK in NYC, but wasn't, obviously), Winona Ryder, Kate Moss, Rose McGowan, Rachel Zoe and Natalie Portman. Dead Mans Bones manned the turntables aka DJ duo Ryan Gosling (yes, that Ryan Gosling) and Zach Shields and I’m told they had everyone “dancing the night away.”

Bardot was definitely the place to go.

 

The place to be tonight is probably home, but I'm off to a different house, the Esquire House, where the Hollywood Entertainment Museum is honoring the cast of heroes and brother Rob and Chad Lowe! Letcha know how that goes tomorrow ;) xo