James Corden Dressed Up Like Anna Wintour at the National Portrait Gallery Gala

A tour of the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery will have you face-to-face with the presidential likenesses of Lincoln and Washington, along with hundreds of other pioneers and mavericks like Mary Cassatt, Rosa Parks, and Leonard Bernstein. But through August 30, the famous Washington, D.C., museum will exhibit six new portraits of contemporary luminaries. There’s Frances Arnold (scientist, engineer, and Nobel Laureate); Jeff Bezos (Amazon magnate); Philip Bailey, Verdine White, Ralph Johnson, and the late Maurice White (of Earth, Wind & Fire); Lin-Manuel Miranda (famed Hamilton composer, lyricist, and actor); Indra Nooyi (former PepsiCo CEO); and our very own Anna Wintour.

The portraits were created by such artists and photographers as Katy Grannan, Robert McCurdy, Bruce W. Talamon, Mark Seliger, Jon R. Friedman, and Annie Leibovitz, and were presented last night at the 2019 American Portrait Gala.

More than 700 black-tied guests turned up to the event, which raised more than $2 million in support of the museum’s endowment for exhibitions.

“The 2019 American Portrait Gala was a night like no other here at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery,” said Kim Sajet, director of the museum. “We honored an incredible group of people who have excelled in their chosen fields and then made a commitment to pass on their knowledge and advice to the next generation. Equally impactful were their presenters, who proved that every person, no matter how accomplished, needs the support of family and friends to succeed.”

Impactful, indeed. Among the presenters was none other than Michelle Obama (her strikingly graphic portrait by Amy Sherald hangs in a nearby gallery), who bestowed an award upon Lin-Manuel Miranda; and Anna Wintour, who welcomed Anna Wintour to the stage. Well, it was James Corden dressed as Wintour—blonde bob, black sunglasses, statement coat and all, Corden deadpanned: “Anna Wintour has not really had much impact on my life.”

Per usual, the comedian had the audience in stitches with his monologue; “Ask Jeff Bezos to get me a coffee!”

Eventually, the two éditrices shared the podium. “Thank you, James, for an introduction that can only be called…extraordinary,” said the real Wintour. “I wouldn’t dare say whether you or Meryl did it better, but I can say that I’ve never before in my life felt so flattered and frightened at the same time.”

The audience, which was dotted with bigwigs like Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton, Prabal Gurung, Gayle King, and Nancy Pelosi, was highly amused by the theatrics, which continued with a performance of by Earth, Wind & Fire that had everyone dancing, whether in their chairs or on their feet. Much like the 21st of September, it was a night to remember.