At the 11th annual Breakthrough Prize ceremony, dubbed the “Oscars of Science,” Rob Lowe told Variety he had some questions he’d like answered about quantum mechanics and dark matter. “I can’t even balance a checkbook, so I’m blown away at the opportunity to talk to some really smart people,” Lowe quipped.
Glenn Close’s appreciation for the field started with her father, who was a surgeon. “I love that science is self-correcting, meaning that when somebody makes a great discovery, then everybody tries to disprove it, to make sure that it’s the truth,” the eight-time Oscar nominee explained. “If we had self-correction in our institutions, we would be in a different place in our country.”
Close added: “A lot of the great discoveries were made from thinking about the impossible. George Lucas once said, ‘Anything that can be imagined is possible,’ and we’re in the room with people who have proven that.”
Speaking of Oscars, newly minted best supporting actress winner Zoe Saldaña posed on the red carpet at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif. with best actress winner Gwyneth Paltrow. Past winners Jessica Chastain, Ke Huy Quan, and producer Brian Grazer also made the guest list.
The Breakthrough Prize celebrates the research achievements of the world’s top scientists. Each award, presented to trailblazers in life sciences, fundamental physics and mathematics, is $3 million.
Scroll for a look at the star-studded list of attendees:
Glenn Close
Glenn Close poses on the red carpet.
Sheryl Berkoff and Rob Lowe
Rob Lowe poses with wife Sheryl Berkoff on the red carpet.
Patty Jenkins
Patty Jenkins is a repeat attendee at the Breakthrough Prize ceremony. “This is my favorite event of the year, hands down,” Jenkins told Variety.
While she enjoys the ceremony because conversation centers on anything but film, the “Wonder Woman” director is prepping her latest IP adaptation, this time told through Lego.
“I had a story that I wanted to tell, and I kept thinking of what context it would be. It works perfectly in partnering with Lego,” she said, teasing that the film centers on saving the world. “We’re going too far with the climate crisis — and now, with the current administration, we’re about to really go way too far — so we’re going to be desperate for these scientists to help us, and hopefully convince those guys to stop what they’re doing.”
Lily Collins
Lily Collins was going on her eighth year attending the ceremony. “I’m sitting at tables with Nobel Peace Prize winners, mathematicians and scientists,” she said about what keeps her coming back year after year. “Broadening our horizons and learning more about the sciences and the world in general is only going to broaden our horizons in whatever craft it is that we do.”
will.i.am
Will.i.am has been lauded for being an innovator in music, but he wants to see scientists get more praise. “This shouldn’t be looked at as like geek work or nerd work,” he said. “This should be looked at as elegance, excellence, the coolest ish on Earth. Kids from the inner city should aim to be on that stage.”
Emma Wall and Jeremy Strong
Jeremy Strong earned his first Oscar nod last month, but he was excited “to put the shoe on the other foot” for a night.
“I feel privileged to honor the people making breakthroughs in the sciences, mathematics and genetics, and all these things that will transform our lives,” Strong said.
The actor arrived riding high off the positive reception to his upcoming film, the Bruce Springsteen biopic “Deliver Me From Nowhere,” at CinemaCon in Las Vegas.
“If you’ve ever been to one of Bruce’s concerts, you know it’s a transformational event. He’s really there to change people’s lives and lift them up and transport them,” Strong said. “I think the movie is worthy of Bruce. Scott Cooper is a brilliant filmmaker, Jeremy Allen White is gonna just knock everybody’s socks off.”
Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton has spent much of 2025 doling out aid of her own, and supporting fellow Angelenos who were displaced by the L.A. wildfires.
“It’s been incredibly emotional,” Hilton said, sharing that she spent the last week on Zoom with women business owners who won a $1 million grant from her 11:11 media company to rebuild. “To see the looks on their faces, and the smiles that brought them, and the tears, really filled my heart up so much, and I just want to continue always using my voice, my platform, to help uplift others and make a difference.”
Brian Grazer and Veronica Smiley
Brian Grazer reflected on the ways scientific innovation intersected with his filmography. “One of my first movies was ‘Real Genius,’ about young people that can do magical things with their minds and build unbelievable science experiments,” he said. “Then I went on to do ‘Apollo 13,’ which is science and cinema together, because we were able to zero gravity and no one else had done that before. I’m thrilled to be part of it.”
Lizzo
Lizzo looks red hot on the red carpet.
Danny DeVito
Danny DeVito poses on the red carpet.
Gwyneth Paltrow and Zoe Saldaña
Gwyneth Paltrow and Zoe Saldaña team up on the red carpet.
Katy Perry
Katy Perry poses for photographers before performing at the ceremony.
Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz
Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz attend the ceremony.
Kate Hudson
Kate Hudson sparkles on the red carpet.
Kit Bernard Foster and Jodie Foster
Jodie Foster poses with her son, scientist Kit Bernard Foster at the cermony.
Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore smiles on the red carpet.
Lauren Miller Rogen and Seth Rogen
Seth Rogen attends the ceremony with wife Lauren Miller Rogen.
Olivia Wilde
Olivia Wilde strikes a pose on the red carpet.
Salma Hayek and Édgar Ramírez
Salma Hayek and Édgar Ramírez smile for photographers on the red carpet.
Matthew Rutler and Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera poses with fiancé Matthew Rutler on the carpet.
Gayle King
Gayle King poses on the red carpet.
Ke Huy Quan
Ke Huy Quan attends the ceremony.
Jessica Chastain
Jessica Chastain smiles for photographers.
Gillian Anderson
Gillian Anderson attends the ceremony.
Gal Gadot
Gal Gadot poses on the red carpet.
Mr. Beast and Thea Booysen
Mr. Beast and Thea Booysen attend the event.
Julia and Yuri Milner
Breathrough Prize founder Yuri Milner and Julia Milner pose on the red carpet.
Bill Gates and Paula Hurd
Bill Gates and Paula Hurd smile for photographers.
Jeffrey Katzenberg
Jeffrey Katzenberg attends the ceremony.
Lauren Sánchez and Jeff Bezos
Lauren Sánchez and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos attend the ceremony.
Alex Pall and Drew Taggart
Alex Pall and Drew Taggart of The Chainsmokers attend the ceremony.
Rupert Murdoch and Elena Zhukova
Fox’s Rupert Murdoch and Elena Zhukova attend the cermony.
Lucian Grainge
Universal Music Group’s Lucian Grainge smiles for photographers.
Anat Fabrikant and Ynon Kreiz
Mattel’s Ynon Kreiz and Anat Fabrikant attend the ceremony.
Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan attend the ceremony.
