Producer Stacey Sher Talks Los Angeles Homelessness at Chrysalis Butterfly Ball
Producers, actors, musicians, chefs, and more came together Saturday night to attend Chrysalis’s annual Butterfly Ball.
Hosted by comedian Jeff Ross in Brentwood, Calif., the 17th Chrysalis Butterfly Ball honored Paramount Pictures chairman and CEO Jim Gianopulos, producer and co-president of Activision Blizzard Studios Stacey Sher, and chef and restaurant owner Curtis Stone with the 2018 Spirit of Chrysalis Awards.
Chrysalis is a nonprofit organization that helps individuals escape poverty and homelessness by providing them with the necessary means to gain employment.
Gina Rodriguez and Paul Feig co-presented Gianopulos with his award. On the red carpet, Gianopulos told Variety he spent a day at one of Chrysalis’s locations to experience the work they do firsthand. “Once you’re there, you’re in,” he said. When asked about receiving the Spirit Award, Gianopulos said, “I don’t think of it as an honor. I think of it as an opportunity to help them raise some money and raise their awareness and get some more people involved.”
Sher also had the opportunity to spend time with the Chrysalis staff and walked with them down Skid Row. “This is one of the wealthiest cities on the planet and the fact that there’s 60,000 people that call the streets home is unacceptable,” Sher said. “I think given my personal privilege — being born white, having a home, having food, having access to a great education — I need to be of service.”
Before welcoming Sher to the stage, Jamie Foxx, who worked with her on 2012 drama “Django Unchained,” introduced a video featuring multiple actors that have collaborated with Sher throughout her career. The clip included thank you messages and funny memories from Zach Braff, Ben Stiller, Hilary Swank, Cameron Diaz, Kerry Washington, and many more.
Two of Stone’s current employees and former Chrysalis clients spoke about the chef’s generosity and trust in them before Stone accepted his award. Curtis told Variety on the red carpet that he attended his first Butterfly Ball five years ago and knew that the restaurant business could support Chrysalis clients.
“I think over the five years we’ve probably employed 40 of Chrysalis’s clients and made lots of friends along the way and become a part of their lives in a really meaningful way,” Stone said.
“I’ve got a decent-sized voice and I’ve got to use it for the right things,” he said.
Myron Tobin, a Chrysalis client, was honored at the ball with the John Dillon Award, and many of the staff working the event were also Chrysalis clients.
Other attendees at the celebration included co-chair of the event actress Rebecca Gayheart-Dane, Sara Gilbert, singer and producer Linda Perry, and LL Cool J.
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