The Time 100 list is unranked.
Rather, the annual list names 100 tech leaders, activists, actors, musicians and the occasional astronaut (both NASA and idle rich varieties) and hails them as the most important people of that year.
Still, there is a kind of unspoken hierarchy on a list that this year includes President Trump, Pope Leo
This became clear when attendees arrived at the Time 100 Gala on Thursday night. Actor Ethan Hawke and his mother, Leslie Carole Green, Mr. Hawke's date for the evening, were ushered to the front of the long, winding line of people waiting to register. Mr. Hawke objected at first, but after being pushed forward against his objections, he stopped to shake the hands of the people he was cutting in line.
Noah Wyle, the two-time medical drama star, most recently on “The Pitt,” arrived shortly after and was similarly brought to the front of the line. It was even deposited in front of Mr. Hawke.
Upstairs within the halls of Jazz at Lincoln Center, celebrities such as K-pop singer Jennie and actress Dakota Johnson walked the red carpet. Or, in the case of Nikki Glaser, honoree and MC for the night, she gave it a whirl before moving on to cocktail hour for sips of prosecco and small bites.
Freida McFadden and her husband surveyed the scene. McFadden, a best-selling author and doctor who treats brain disorders, also calls herself a member of the “Spice Girls generation” and was hoping to meet Victoria Beckham, who she said she had been told was a fan of her writing.
The room was hot and sticky as the crowd filled. Looking around, it quickly became clear that this was a party full of people who would otherwise never have been in the same space.
Actor Alan Cumming and actress Claire Danes chatted and drank martinis. (Hers: an olive. His: a twist.) Cumming declined to say which member of this year's Time 100 list would do best on “The Traitors,” the reality show he hosts.
As guests were ushered into the living room for dinner, actress Keke Palmer said she needed to find a quiet place to quickly call her son, Leo, before bed. He had just met a fascinating scientist, he added.
In the dining room, guests sat at their tables, in some cases finding their assigned seats next to famous strangers. Singer Coco Jones, who performed two songs during the event, struck up a conversation with actor Sterling K. Brown, to her left.
At another table, further from the stage, musician Anderson .Paak put his arm around actress Natasha Lyonne. The sun had set and the room, overlooking Central Park and the Midtown Manhattan skyline, was dimly lit, but both Ms. Lyonne and Mr. Paak were wearing sunglasses. Rounding out the table were two influencers, Haley Kalil and Cyrus Veyssi; reality star Maura Higgins; writer Tayari Jones; and the YouTuber known as MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson. (Ms. Kalil filmed and posted TikToks from the table.)
During breaks in programming, Ms. Beckham stopped by Ms. Saldaña's table to say hello. “Pluribus” star Rhea Seehorn sat down with Brazilian actor Wagner Moura and talked about their desire to work together on a future project.
However, not everything was warm and fuzzy among the honorees.
Ms. Glaser suggested that the room “drink enough to forget” its unlikely bedfellows on the list.
In a later speech, Cumming thanked Time for including “people whose values I despise” on the list.
Piers Morgan, sitting nearby, did not turn to see Mr Cumming speak and did not applaud. (The two had previously fallen out over Cumming's decision to return his Order of the British Empire in 2023. Morgan called him a “pathetic, disloyal, attention-seeking little prick” on Twitter.)
Singer Noah Kahan, an honoree whose new album would be released at midnight, paused to speak with David Beckham. He asked the soccer star what his favorite goal was.
“Everyone who went against Chelsea,” Beckham said, mocking Kahan, who is a fan of that particular soccer club.
Chloe Kim, visibly shaking, gave a sweet speech about the power of community while teetering on sky-high heels beneath a pink beaded Barbie dress. Ms. Kim, an Olympic snowboarder who regularly launches into a 22-foot halfpipe and spins in the air, said she didn't much like public speaking and added, to applause, that it was her birthday.
At the end of the evening, labor activist Dolores Huerta, the oldest honoree at 96, led the room in call-and-response chants. “Who got the power?” “We have the power!”
Country singer and honoree Luke Combs closed the evening with a three-song set that had guests on their feet to sway, sing along and, most of all, film it on their phones.
Guests then returned to the lobby to enjoy cocktails, coffee, and an odd mix of bites including pineapple coconut bars, lobster rolls, and tater tots.
While other, less harassed honorees were able to leave quickly, Wyle didn't manage to get more than a few steps from his table before other guests swarmed him to pose for photographs.
