X

Celeb spotting at SXSW (photos)

The annual South by Southwest Interactive Festival (SXSW) has gotten massive this year. One way to measure its growing influence: the number of celebrities who have been showing up at the Austin Convention Center and surrounding venues.

Caroline McCarthy
Caroline McCarthy, a CNET News staff writer, is a downtown Manhattanite happily addicted to social-media tools and restaurant blogs. Her pre-CNET resume includes interning at an IT security firm and brewing cappuccinos.
Caroline McCarthy
_MG_6765_1.JPG
1 of 7 The Barbarian Group

Michael Cera fits right in with the nerds

Celebrities are fairly regular sightings at SXSW, given that there's a film festival running alongside SXSW Interactive. But it's only recently that the geekier portion of the conference has attracted legitimate celebrities to its packed roster of panels and parties.

Actor Michael Cera ("Juno," "Arrested Development") stopped by a Sunday night party at The Mohawk, thrown by StumbleUpon and digital agency The Barbarian Group. He took part in an onstage jam in the process.

P3110007.JPG
2 of 7 Caroline McCarthy/CNET

Jake Gyllenhaal, professed Apple fanboy

"Brokeback Mountain" and "Donnie Darko" actor Jake Gyllenhaal stopped by SXSW to promote his new movie, "Source Code" (and he took some time to chat with CNET in the process about a promotional game running alongside its release).

Gyllenhaal's presence at SXSW also resulted in at least one gossip headline involving a rogue camera and a men's restroom.

P3130033.JPG
3 of 7 Caroline McCarthy/CNET

Mike Tyson in the SXSW ring

Heavyweight boxing legend Mike Tyson was around to promote his new iPhone and iPad game, "Mike Tyson's Main Event." Here, he poses with the creators of the game.

P3130042.JPG
4 of 7 Caroline McCarthy/CNET

Ashton holds court

Actor Ashton Kutcher was one of the few Hollywood types in town for reasons legitimately related to tech--he's one of the most prominent angel investors in the business, with a stake in companies like Foursquare, Hipmunk, and Fashism.

Kutcher co-sponsored a party at Hangar Lounge for several of his portfolio companies; his wife, actress Demi Moore, was also in attendance.

Conan_2.JPG
5 of 7 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Twitter hero Conan O'Brien

Late-night TV host (and Twitter hero) Conan O'Brien was prowling around the SXSW scene, too.

Pee_Wee.JPG
6 of 7 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

A candid Pee-Wee Herman

Cult hero Pee-Wee Herman (in real life, comedian Paul Reubens), who has made the use of Twitter and Foursquare a big part of his recent revival in pop culture, appeared at several official and unofficial SXSW events and was surrounded by admiring (or amused) fans just about everywhere.

191206_10150444685575727_557755726_17825691_1357966_o.jpg
7 of 7 Aubrey Sabala

Dwight Schrute in the house

Actor and comedian Rainn Wilson (far left) was at SXSW mainly for its film festival, in order to promote his new movie. But he swung by the Interactive portion of the festival as well; here, he sits in for an interview conducted by Facebook at cable channel IFC's pop-up headquarters.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos