TIME Magazine on Thursday published its list of the 100 Most Influential People of 2023 and each one of them was introduced by their close friends or colleagues. Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, introduced by Deepika Padukone, was the only Indian to make it to the Icons category. Here’s a look at some of the other stars in the category and how they were introduced by their fellow celebs.
Pedro Pascal
The Mandalorian actor Pedro Pascal was described by close friend and actress Sarah Paulson as a powerful, soulful, hilarious and goofy person with the ability to strike the deepest of conversations and offer his shoulders to lean on.
“HE IS: powerful, soulful, hilarious, goofy, capable of having the deepest conversations, willing to hold your hair back when you’re sick, and in possession of the broadest shoulders to lean on,” The Run actress wrote in her note for Pascal.
Paulson assured that The Last Of Us actor is “no figment” and “he’s real”. Paulson also wrote about the inner beauty possessed by her longtime friend. “It’s the beauty he carries inside. His interior light burns so bright, it’s simply taken some time for your eyes to adjust.”
Ke Huy Quan
Avengers actor Tom Hiddleston introduced his Loki Season 2 co-star Ke Huy Quan as a person who possesses several qualities of his Oscar-winning character Waymond Wang from the movie Everything Everywhere All at Once.
“Waymond’s extraordinary sweetness, his kindness, and his patience all belong to Ke. His positivity—his fight to keep the dream alive—is the most profound kind of spiritual strength. These qualities are his unique gifts,” wrote The Night Manager actor in his note.
Hiddleston also recalled how Huy Quan had to quit acting due to the lack of opportunities for Asian actors and wait for 38 years for his return to the screen. “And then: he made a triumphant return with his soul-stirring, multiverse-jumping, Oscar-winning performance as Waymond in Everything Everywhere All at Once.”
Jennifer Coolidge
American actress Jennifer Coolidge was introduced by veteran actress Mia Farrow, who recently worked with her in Netflix’s miniseries The Watcher.
The 78-year-old actress recalled her meetings with Coolidge during the shooting of The Watcher in Brooklyn. She then wrote about the impact of Coolidge’s Emmy-winning performance in the second season of The White Lotus. “Adoration for Jennifer, initially led by discerning cinephiles and, of course, the gay community, was now everywhere,” she wrote.
Farrow also shed light on Coolidge’s qualities as a loveable person and a dear friend. “So many of the qualities that have made everyone fall in love with her are outside of what is mainstream or expected, her eccentric mannerisms, hilarious improvisations, and, most of all, aching vulnerability. She is uncompromisingly, exquisitely herself. Jennifer’s honesty and kindness make her a friend anyone would be lucky to have.”
