LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – "Larry Crowne" actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw and "Game of Thrones" actor Harry Lloyd will be among the up-and-coming British talent meeting Prince William and his new wife Kate Middleton at a black-tie gala in Los Angeles next week.
But the royal couple also will get a chance to chat with Hollywood A-list stars at the event, seen as the highlight of their three-day visit to southern California, organizers said on Friday.
About 250 people, including senior executives at Hollywood's major movie studios, are expected at the sold-out event which is intended to promote young British talent in film, television and videogames.
But one source involved in organizing the July 9 evening told Reuters that the guests would also include "a very nice celebrity list, from hot young things to legends".
The celebrity names are not expected to be released in advance.
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) on Friday announced the names of the 42 "Brits to watch" who will take part. They include "Flight of the Conchords" writer and director James Bobin; Jessica Brown Findlay, who appeared in the period TV drama "Downton Abbey"; Juno Temple who played a young teen in "Atonement"; and Owain Yeoman, who has appeared in the TV crime series "The Mentalist".
Mbatha-Raw has a character role in the Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts romantic comedy "Larry Crowne", which opened in the United States on Friday. She also starred in last year's short-lived U.S. TV series "Undercovers".
The rising British stars were selected by a BAFTA panel and will join industry executives at their tables for dinner, as well as meeting William and Kate, formally known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Prince William is the president of BAFTA.
The Duke and Duchess, who are currently visiting Canada, arrive in Los Angeles on July 8.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
