2023 HRTS FOUNDATION Gala (December 14, 2023)
Supporting a Diverse, Equitable & Inclusive Industry
by Chris Davison
“Never do it for them” – Norman Lear, as told to Jesse Williams
In honor of the HRTS mission to serve as the premier networking, education and mentorship association in the industry and in benefit of the HRTS Foundation, a diverse group of luminaries and rising stars gathered together at the Beverly Hilton on December 14, 2023.
As attendees gathered in the ballroom, an opening montage showed HRTS event highlights, showcasing movers and shakers from President Clinton to Ryan Murphy, Martin Short and Lorne Michaels, Bob Iger and President Reagan (whose brother, appropriately, had been president of our organization), Ted Turner and Ted Sarandos, Chuck Lorre and Dick Wolf, Bela Bajaria and Lee Daniels.
Comedian, actor and impressionist Matt Friend kicked things off and got a big laugh by noting that “this is the closest I have ever been to hosting an awards show, and ChatGPT wrote none of my monolog.”
An unplanned noise from the audience and without missing a beat, Friend looked into the crowd and quipped “you just coughed in public, you’ll have to be executed, thank you.” After giving the audience a moment to catch its breath, Friend got a huge laugh by pointing out that “tonight’s gala is brought you by Ozempic, you’re laughing because you’re on it.” He then dazzled the audience with a series of
spot-on celebrity impersonations, no easy feat in a room filled with Hollywood hitters.
Friend quipped that “I want you all to sign me up for my big break after this is over” and given the level of talent he displayed in front of an industry crowd, it seems only a matter of time.
Next up was HRTS President Odetta Watkins, who smiled as she took the stage to announce that “we are thrilled tonight to honor someone who embodies the mission of the HRTS Foundation.”
She welcomed actor, activist and producer Jesse Williams, star of Grey’s Anatomy, breakout star and Tony nominee on Broadway, not to mention being an Academy Award-winning producer of the film “Two Distant Strangers.”
Williams was honored to the receive the Changemakers Award, with Watkins noting that he had worked with Norman Lear on the Epix docuseries “America Divided”, going on to ask if there are any pearls of wisdom that the legendary producer had shared with him. Williams said that “I learned a lot from him about realism, and how you encapsulate realism in scripted.” Lear said to “never do it for them”, since if there’s something you want to say then don’t chop it up into pieces and carve it and shape it for a larger audience such that “it won’t be recognizable when it’s done; follow through on your vision.”
In response to Watkins’ question as to how he sees the industry changing, Williams noted some positive trends such as a “letting in of new voices”, adding that “I feel really terrific about a widening of the bottleneck, of new ways in for creatives to express themselves and not be tokenized.”
Watkins smiled and nodded enthusiastically as Williams observed that “true freedom is the ability to be mediocre”, getting a big laugh as he joked “let’s all strive for mediocrity!”
As to letting in new voices, after the President and the Changemaker honoree left the stage, Warner Bros Television Group shared a highlights package on the inaugural class of HRTS Fellows, outlining how the goal of the program is the building of relationships and the providing of educational opportunities for young people from underrepresented groups. The first graduating class of Fellows from 2023 will serve as guides for the 2024 cohort, beginning an ever-growing network of alumni.
As HRTS members, you can support the next generation of diverse and inclusive stories by becoming a mentor, making a financial donation, or committing to sponsorship of the program.
To find out more and to see a full list of the next generation of diverse storytellers, visit
https://hrts.org/meet-the-fellows/
After dinner (and chocolate dessert), Matt returned to the stage to welcome “a very special guest here tonight in support of inclusion and representation in entertainment.”
Nadia Daar, Chief Strategy and Impact Officer from Amnesty International USA, shared how she was honored to be present to join the HRTS in “celebrating the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion, in front of and behind the camera.” Good stories well told have the power to move mountains, Daar noting that “who we see on screen matters, whose stories we hear matters, whose stories get told and whose go untold, it makes a difference to how we see the world and to how we treat people.”
In a time of conflict and strife, at a time when many humans are dehumanizing others, it is time to focus on the fact that “it’s not just whose stories we tell, it’s how we tell those stories, finding ways to portray those characters as full and rich human beings” since “it helps us develop a sense of shared humanity and empathy, values that we know are desperately needed today.” Humans have been sharing communal stories since we all sat around the campfire together and we must always remember how “it is vital that there are positive narratives out there, that help to humanize communities at risk.”
Matt Friend next welcomed President Watkins, HRTS CEO Melissa Grego, and HRTS Foundation Board member Gary Marenzi. They encouraged everyone to check out HRTS.org to find out more information on how to apply to be a 2024 Fellow, or a career advisor for a Fellow, a new voice in our industry.
Friend shared high-fives with Watkins and Grego as he closed the show on a high note by exclaiming “Hollywood is back!”