Hollywood heavy hitters help the homeless take wing with the 16th annual Chrysalis Butterfly Ball

Halle Berry and Common perform onstage at the 16th Annual Chrysalis Butterfly Ball on June 3 in Los Angeles.

By Ellen Olivier

June 6, 2017 5 AM PT

A list of celebrities had jobs on their minds at the 16th Butterfly Ball, the June 3 benefit for Chrysalis, which helps homeless and low-income individuals to attain self-sufficiency through finding and keeping jobs.

“Don’t kill me off in Season 4,” joked the night’s emcee, Jussie Smollett of Fox’s “Empire,” after giving an onstage shout-out to audience member Gary Newman — the co-chairman and co-chief executive of Fox Television Group.

Emcee Jussie Smollett, from left, Chrysalis Butterfly Ball co-chairwoman Donna Langley and actor-writer-director Jordan Peele. (Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images for Chrysalis Butterfly Ball)

By way of introducing honoree Peter Cramer, Halle Berry said the Universal Pictures president of production “has made so many great movies with so many great people — except one person.” She then pointed to herself and in her own amusing way cited her hiring advantages. “I have my own trailer,” she said. “I do my own hair and makeup … I do my own stunts … I don’t eat much at lunch.”

Zendaya speaks at the 16th Chrysalis Butterfly Ball. (Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images for Chrysalis Butterfly Ball)

The event

The Chrysalis Butterfly Ball honored Cramer, fashion designer Rosetta Getty and actor-producer Balthazar Getty, Academy Award-winning recording artist Common and Chrysalis client Raymond Davis. The event took place at the Mandeville Canyon estate of Susan Harris and Hayward Kaiser. Presenters included Berry, Patricia Arquette, Zendaya and Chrysalis President and Chief Executive Mark Loranger.

Molly Sims and producer Scott Stuber. (Matt Winkelmeyer / Getty Images for Chrysalis Butterfly Ball)

The scene

Actress Molly Sims and producer Scott Stuber hosted the cocktail party on the expansive front lawn, where DJ Daisy O’Dell provided the musical backdrop; a video team asked guests to define “Chrysalis” for a social media project; and cameras flashed as celebrities posed for photos. Ceremonies later took place under the stars, and before the evening ended, Common, Smollett and Maimouna Youssef all performed.

Rosetta and Balthazar Getty accept the Spirit of Chrysalis Award at the Chrysalis Butterfly Ball. (Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images for Chrysalis Butterfly Ball)

The quote

After his exit from the “purple carpet,” we caught up with the multifaceted Balthazar Getty, who talked of his recent experience at a Chrysalis office.

“I was really lucky,” Getty said. “Right when I walked in, a bell was rung because someone got a job. The whole staff and everybody else stopped everything so they could recognize the person who’s moving on.”

Dania Ramirez, from left, Russell Simmons, Halle Berry and honoree Raymond Davis. (Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images for Chrysalis Butterfly Ball)

The crowd

Those spotted at the event included actors Eric Dane, Jordan Peele, Jason Bateman, Soleil Moon Frye, James Van Der Beek and Claire Forlani; music mogul Russell Simmons; producer Brian Grazer; chef Curtis Stone; and Chrysalis board Chairwoman Jill Baldauf. Universal Pictures Chairwoman Donna Langley, Evolution Media’s Rick Hess, Creative Artists Agency’s Josh Lieberman, WME’s Richard Weitz and Butterfly Ball founder Rebecca Gayheart-Dane served as event co-chairs.

The scene at the 16th Chrysalis Butterfly Ball. (Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images for Chrysalis Butterfly Ball)

The numbers

The event raised $1.8 million with tickets for the 800 guests starting at $1,250 while tables ranged up to $50,000. According to organizers, each year more than 4,000 people visit one of the three Chrysalis centers in Los Angeles County, and 2,300 clients found jobs this last year.