A manager takes a bow
“Who wants to say no to Brad Grey?” actor Ben Stiller asked the starry crowd that came to honor the talent manager and producer at a benefit for Project A.L.S.
Not Brad Pitt or Jennifer Aniston. Not Mike Myers or Dana Carvey or Brooke Shields, William Baldwin, Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Gary Sinise, Courteney Cox, Bob Saget or Jeffrey Katzenberg. Not even Muhammad Ali. They all showed up on Monday to watch Grey receive the David Niven Award from the nonprofit organization dedicated to finding a cure for the fatal amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
“When I was asked to be honored, I said yes immediately because, to me, Project A.L.S. personifies what can be accomplished with sacrifice, perseverance and love,” Grey, chairman of Brillstein-Grey Entertainment, told the hundreds of guests gathered in the ballroom at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel. “And then, knowing this would be just about the most uncomfortable spot I could find myself in, I proceeded to stall this moment as long as I could. Finally, I asked what it would cost to get out of this thing, and they said about $1.5 million. So, good evening, and how was the chicken?”
Judging from the cleaned dinner plates, the grilled filet mignon was fine, thank you very much. So was the concert by Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Paul Simon. Not to mention the appetizer-stuffed cocktail reception where guests ate jumbo shrimps and crab cakes. Pitt flashed a peace sign to the screaming paparazzi and Aniston -- looking demure in a strapless black silk dress -- signed autographs with a hubcap of a pave diamond ring glittering on her right index finger.
During the reception, the 45-year-old Grey, who attended with his wife, Jill, said he’d lost a grandfather to complications from A.L.S. “I kind of lived through that with him,” he said. “It’s a horrible disease and there’s not much treatment.” He also talked about the movie production company he founded eight months ago with longtime friends -- and clients -- Pitt and Aniston. “We haven’t come up with a name yet, but we have 10 great movies in development,” he said. “The first one is ‘Troy,’ starring Brad.”
Grey, founder of the Samuel and Dorothy Levin Fund at Project A.L.S., became involved with the organization after hearing the story of Jenifer Estess, a Los Angeles theater and film producer who was stricken with the disease six years ago at the age of 35. “She was diagnosed out of the blue,” said her sister Valerie Estess, co-founder of Project A.L.S. “And we just couldn’t believe that, not only was my sister dealing with a fatal illness, but there was no medicine for it -- no intervention whatsoever. So, my sisters and friends and I decided to raise some money and put some fire under the scientists to find a cure.”