Tuesday night’s Friars Club gala wasn’t technically a roast. The lavish event at New York’s Waldorf-Astoria was designed to honor Robert De Niro with the Entertainment Icon Award, only the fifth one the Friars Club has bestowed in its 110 year existence, and recognize business mogul Carlos Slim with the Icon for Philanthropy award.
But that didn’t stop those who took the stage to praise De Niro from taking a few shots at the legendary actor and taking aim at a number of other targets including Friars Club dean Larry King, who served as the evening’s host; Ryan Seacrest; the Hollywood Foreign Press (Hi, Ricky Gervais); and the event itself.
The raucous, star-studded event also featured live performances from music legends Sting, performing “Every Breath You Take,” which he helpfully introduced as “a song about obsession”; Aretha Franklin, who claimed she caught a cold after “pounding the pavement” shopping on Monday night; and Stevie Wonder, who had the well-heeled guests on their feet for “Superstition” after performing renditions of “I Just Called to Say I Love You” and “My Cherie Amour.”
