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Home , Jessica Chastain, Kristen Stewart, Ridley Scott

THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 2016 l i f e s t y l e Music & Movies

Matt Damon, left, and Luciana Barroso attend the National Actor , from left, director Adam McKay and actor John Magaro. Actor , left, and director George Miller. Board of Review Awards gala at Cipriani 42nd Street on Tuesday in New York. — AP photos Damon credits Stallone for launching his career at NBR dinner

he National Board of Review dinner on from shooting in Africa. “You allowed me to Tuesday night in Manhattan doubled as Brie Larson continued her awards streak make this film without trying to destroy the Ta victory lap for an old Hollywood by landing a best actress statue for “Room.” vision of what we were working for,” he said. champ, as Sylvester Stallone was showered “I’ve been working since I was a kid, and “Thanks for protecting me.” The night wasn’t with multiple tributes. watched fancy things on TV, and never without a pair of swipes at a certain thought real people go to them-I thought Republican frontrunner. When emcee Willie you were bred and born into ,” she said. “I Geist brought up the feud Samuel L. Early in the evening, Matt Damon-this didn’t know a girl from Sacramento could Jackson was having with Donald Trump, the year’s winner for best actor in “The ”- make it this far.” actor offered a quip: “I’d say f-k him, but this is revealed that when he was shopping around a polite crowd.” Later, “Inside Out’s” Lewis Actor Sylvester Stallone. 1997’s “Good Will Hunting,” the fact that Black (who voices Anger) was presenting Stallone starred in “Rocky,” after writing the Jennifer Jason Leigh, named best support- best-animated film to director Pete Docter, screenplay, kept him from letting another ing actress for “The Hateful Eight,” called her and he suggested that if he’d seen the Pixar actor from stealing his movie. “Believe me, part in the the role hit as a kid, he would’ve saved himself years they really wanted to take it away from us,” of a . “It was freezing, the costumes of therapy. “I think if Donald Trump had seen Damon said, as he credited Stallone with both weighed 100 pounds, I was covered in blood this film when he was 10, he’d be a better per- his and Ben Affleck’s acting careers. He and chained to another actor for six months,” son today,” Black said. “For those of you who revealed that studio executives thought, she said. “Honestly, I’ve never had more fun.” didn’t applaud, I pray for your souls.” “God, Leonardo DiCaprio would be so good in Meanwhile, Stallone, 69, managed to this” of the screenplay he co-wrote. But, he cement his status as the perennial underdog added, “every time they said, ‘You can’t do Ridley Scott, the best director winner for in his acceptance speech. He leapt on the this,’ we said, ‘It’s been done before.’” Then “,” described his film as a drama, a stage, and gave Coogler a big embrace. “You came Stallone’s award for best supporting comedy and an action movie all rolled into are the future,” he said. “I’m the past.” He actor for “Creed.” one. “I’m proud of ‘The Martian,’ because it talked about his passion for storytelling. “I could only be fulfilled with my special team,” love all artists,” he said. “As we get older, we he said, including the actors who “made it fly.” become better actors. Quite often, the oppor- Director Ryan Coogler took the stage with introduced the prolific tunity doesn’t present itself.” — a sprawling introduction to his hero-he director, as she recalled the first time she saw watched Stallone growing up in all the “” as a girl. “I remember sitting in my “Rocky” movies. On the first day on the room with that borrowed VHS,” she said. “At “Creed” set, Coogler was surprised to see that young age, that film had brought a novel Stallone arrive with four pages of notes for a concept to my childhood home-there’s more , left, and Grace Hightower. character he’s played since 1976. “He was like than one kind of role for an actress.” a malleable piece of clay, but a piece of clay that’s been a movie star for 40-plus years,” Jason Segel Coogler said. He noted that he’s often asked Jason Segel shared a story about meeting how he directed Stallone. “I still don’t know,” Jacob Tremblay from “Room,” who won the Coogler admitted. “I tried to see him for who best newcomer award. The 9-year-old actor he was.” recognized him by asking: “Are you the The National Board of Review gala, where Muppets guy?” “I told him I was and we the winners are announced in advance, is became fast friends,” Segel said. “Later, he always like the un-televised rehearsal dinner came back eager to introduce me to his new for the Golden Globes. Yet this year’s ceremo- friend . I told him I was too shy. ny at Cipriani 42nd Street, held as the Oscar In reality, I was worried it would look like I ballots are due in mere hours, could actually used a 10-year-old to meet Johnny Depp.” influence the nominations Tremblay’s speech had the crowd oohing. next week. When the NBR announced “Mad Standing on a crate, he told the audience he Max: Fury Road” as best picture last month, needed a minute. “This is my first award and the selection drew snickers around the blo- that makes me really happy,” he said. “The gosphere. But that was before the action tent- mind of me is so blown.” He shared the break- pole starring became the surprise through prize with Abraham Attah from darling of many critics’ groups. Director “Beasts of No Nation,” who flew in from Ghana George Miller proved to be the night’s best for the ceremony. Attah noted that after the Actress Jessica Chastain. over-sharer. shoot, one of the producers on the film He said that Nicholas Hoult, who intro- enrolled him in a private school, where he’s duced him, had been suffering from a “tum- now studying. my bug” and hadn’t eaten a bite. He also offered his surprise at collecting year-end Cary Fukunaga accolades. “I didn’t think we would still be Cary Fukunaga accepted the NBR’s talking about it,” Miller said of his epic. “Yet Freedom of Expression Award for “Beasts of here we are, still in conversation. In my home, No Nation.” He extended his appreciation to our kids called it the National Board of Woo- the producers at Red Crown Productions for hoo!” standing by him, even as the budget for his indie ballooned due to unexpected costs Jennifer Jason Leigh

Emily Blunt, left, and Benicio del Toro.

Actress Brie Larson. Jason Segel Director Ridley Scott and wife -Scott. Samuel L. Jackson, left, and Jennifer Jason Leigh.