Prince William & Kate Middleton Mingled With Renee Zellweger & More at the 2020 BAFTAs

Julie Sprankles
·4 min read

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It looks as though the Cambridges can hob-knob with Hollywood just as well as they entertain dignitaries and world leaders. Prince William and Kate Middleton mingled with celebrities at the BAFTA Awards on Sunday night, looking relaxed in the company of A-listers like actor Joaquin Phoenix — who William even praised for his transformative performance in the award-winning Joker.

The BAFTAs were held Sunday evening at London’s Royal Albert Hall, so William and Kate did have the home team advantage, so to speak. Even so, it goes without saying that the two are adept at handling many types of social situations… including those that involve a red carpet and some of the stars known globally for their work onscreen. While pictures from the evening prove William and Kate enjoyed themselves, they were also on hand in an official capacity — William is actually the president of BAFTA. As such, he was required to not only greet and congratulate the night’s honorees but also give a speech during the ceremony.

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So, who did William and Kate hang out with during the BAFTAs? Well, they had no shortage of high-profile companionship thanks to TV and film stars from across the pond. But there were a few star standouts. Here’s what those interactions looked like.

Laura Dern

Do you think Kate was a fan of Big Little Lies? How could she not be, right? Regardless of whether she tuned into the hit HBO show, she seemed to enjoy the company of one of its stars: Laura Dern. The women, joined by Hildur Gudnadottir, were engrossed in conversation. For her part, Dern also seemed interested in what William had to say during a different conversation in the evening.

Joaquin Phoenix

Oh, to be a fly on the wall for this conversation! While chatting with Joker-winner Phoenix, William could be heard saying, “Lovely to meet you. I absolutely loved The Joker. It was brilliant. I put it off and put it off before watching it, as people kept telling me ‘be careful when you choose to watch it.’ I’m glad I didn’t watch it before bed, but huge congratulations on an amazing performance.”

The men also connected on a more serious note, with Phoenix thanking William for addressing the need for more diversity onscreen during the speech the Duke had made earlier in the evening. Phoenix had likewise called out racism in the industry during his acceptance speech.

Andy Serkis & Sam Mendes

It was a big night for both Andy Serkis and Sam Mendes, onstage and off. Onstage, Serkis was honored with the Outstanding British Contribution to Film Award. Mendes snagged Best Director for the film 1917. Offstage, they hit it off with the Duchess of Cambridge, who looked delighted to meet with them.

Renee Zellweger

We have no idea what William and Zellweger were discussing that tickled Wills so, but we’d be forever indebted to anyone who comes forward with such intel. Zellweger also looked friendly with Kate, but the subject of their convo is less of a mystery.

Kate reportedly congratulated Zellweger on her Best Actress win for her performance as Judy Garland in Judy. Then, Kate asked if Zellweger had taken any downtime since filming, at which point the actress revealed that she’s currently working on several projects. Still, she was “thrilled” to have this time in the UK. “Do you like the UK?” Kate asked, to which Zellweger gushed, “I love it!”

Pippa Harris

William and producer Pippa Harris — known for her work on Call the Midwife, Penny Dreadful, 1917 and more — likely had a lot to talk about on Sunday night. During his speech, William addressed the frustrating lack of diversity in TV and film, pointing to the fact that he, Harris (who is also chair of BAFTA) and Amanda Berry (BAFTA’s CEO) “share that frustration and continue to work tirelessly to ensure that creative talent [among people of color] is discovered and supported.”

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