The prestigious Charmaine Blake Star-Studded Red Carpet 2025 Oscar Viewing Dinner Gala, & After-Party, was held at the elegant Sofitel Hotel Beverly Hills At 8555 Beverly Boulevard.
On this show our Entertainment Today TV Show Host: Margie Rey will bring you some great interviews with many of the celebrities that walked down the red carpet at this fabulous gala Oscar event, along with a moving tribute to the late legendary film director: Melvin Van Peebles.
For everyone the highlight of the red carpet was when Margie did a great and in-depth interview with the Legendary Award Winning Actor & Director: Mario Van Peebles, who talked about his amazing and long career, and how Entertainment Today’s TV Producer: Steve Taylor had met and interviewed Mario over 30 Years ago in Dallas, Texas for the VSDA Convention, where Mario gave our viewers back then, (and again at this years Oscar viewing gala) his best advice: “Early to Bed, and Early to Rise, and it Pays to Advertise!” Mario is the 2nd from the left, in the middle of his 2 sons, with Margie on the right:
The 68 year old Mario Van Peebles is an Mexican-born American director and actor. He is best known for appearing in Heartbreak Ridge in 1986 and known for directing and starring in New Jack City in 1991 and USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage in 2016. 
He made his feature film directorial debut in 1991 with the black gangster film New Jack City, in which he also co-stars. Other lead actors are Wesley Snipes, Ice-T and Judd Nelson. 
New Jack City was produced with an estimated $8,000,000 budget. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 17, 1991, before being released nationally on March 8, 1991. Well received by critics, it grossed $7,039,622 during its opening weekend, and was the highest grossing independent film of 1991, grossing a total of $47,624,253 domestically. 
He is the son of actor and filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles, whom he portrayed in the 2003 biopic Baadasssss!, which he also co-wrote and directed. 
In the above photo you can see the presentation that was held up on stage during the show, where Mario accepted the award on behalf of his father: the late (1932 to 2021) legendary film director, and the Pioneer of the Blaxploitation wave: Melvin Van Peebles. This was a very moving tribute to Melvin’s remarkable legacy. Vanessa E. Williams introduced and presented the award to Mario.
We were honored to pose for a photo with Mario and his sons. His children are: Mandela Van Peebles, Makaylo Van Peebles, Morgana Van Peebles, Marley Van Peebles, Maya Van Peebles. In the photo below, Mario Van Peebles is in the center with his sons on the left of the photo, Mandela on the left, and Makaylo is 2nd from the left, Entertainment Today TV Show Host: Margie Rey is 2nd from the right, and Entertainment Today’s TV Producer: Steve Taylor is on the right: 
It was an elegant and decadent black-tie affair that was attended by several Hollywood luminaries who have graced the silver screen and enhanced the artistic excellence of film history.
There was a great Gourmet dinner as everyone watched the Oscars live on a movie screen, and at the end of the show guests were given gift bags, and that was followed by an after-party with live entertainment.
Vanessa Estelle Williams, sometimes professionally credited as Vanessa E. Williams (born May 12, 1963), is an American actress and producer. She is best known for her roles as Maxine Joseph–Chadway in the Showtime drama series, Soul Food (2000–2004), for which she received NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series and as Nino Brown’s feisty gun moll, Keisha in the 1991 crime drama film, New Jack City. Williams is also known for her role as Anne-Marie McCoy in the first and fourth of the Candyman films, and as Rhonda Blair in the first season of the Fox prime time soap opera, Melrose Place (1992–93). She also was on the long-running hit TV show Soap Opera: “Days of Our Lives” which is what she has in common with Margie, who also was on Days of Our Lives” for many years! In the below photo you can see Entertainment Today’s TV Producer: Steve Taylor posing for a photo with Vanessa Williams: 
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