Is the red carpet for celebs being rolled up at the White House? This week, another slew of bold-facers — Russell Simmons, Terrence Howard, David Archuleta, Gabrielle Union — has arrived in D.C., this time to support an organization called Children Uniting Nations. But, they said, there was no White House tour on the agenda.
We caught up with them at a private dinner at Teatro Goldoni on Monday night, on the eve of Tuesday’s news conferences, panel discussions and a State Department dinner for the organization’s luminaries. The common belief was now that President Barack Obama was where they wanted him, it was back to the issues.
“I saw Barack more as a senator in Hill’s backyard eating a tuna casserole than I see him now,” Union said, referring to the fundraisers actor Hill Harper threw for Obama in Los Angeles during the campaign.
She added that she doesn’t need an invitation to the West Wing. “It’s like my agent,” she said. “As long as I know he’s in there doing his job, I’m happy.”
Ditto for Simmons. “All the issues near and dear to me are the ones that are being discussed now,” he said.
Union said Obama’s election has let her turn her attention to other matters. “I’m trying to use my unemployment wisely,” she said, as she’s between movie and TV projects. “You find new causes.” Specifically, she’s supporting Kamala Harris’ campaign for attorney general of California and testifying Wednesday at a Capitol Hill hearing on the Violence Against Women Act.
And what about “American Idol” star Archuleta, who wasn’t even old enough to vote for the current president? “I’m here to represent kids my age,” he said. And what age is that? “I’m 18, but I act 15,” he quipped through his perma-smirk.
With his dad, Jeff, by his side, he told us, “I would love to take a picture of me and Russell Simmons, but I left my camera in the UK.”
Why didn’t you get another one? “They’re too expensive. I’m basically cheap.”
And we’d be remiss if we didn’t point out that Daphna Ziman, the brains behind the children’s organization, has a D.C. connection as well: She started punk labels Unicorn Records and SSD Records, releasing the work of Washington’s own Henry Rollins and his band, Black Flag.
Also in town for the festivities: Tom Arnold, Vivica Fox and Kristen Bell.
Russell Simmons leads an all-star cast at Tuesday morning’s presser on Capitol Hill. (photo: Paul Morigi)
