Sequoia Schmidt met actor Paul Giamatti the Hollywood way: on a movie set.

The pair first crossed paths in Prague three or four years ago, when Giamatti was filming "The Catcher Was a Spy" and Schmidt was country-hopping between meetings in Europe.

The new friends kept in touch, having bonded over their shared love of books and literacy. Schmidt even invited Giamatti to her annual Denali Foundation fundraising events, which provide under-resourced schools with art supplies in honor of Schmidt's late brother, who passed away during an attempt to summit K2 with the siblings' father in 2015.

But the shy actor - despite his breakout performances in "Saving Private Ryan," "American Splendor," "Sideways," "The Ides of March," "12 Years a Slave" and "Billions" - always declined.

"The most lengthy, polite declines you've ever seen," Schmidt said.

Then Graydon Parrish, the Austin-based realist artist, expressed interest in painting Giamatti's portrait.

"What color does he want to paint me?" Giamatti asked playfully before agreeing to the sitting.

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The piece took nearly 18 months to complete. Afterward, Giamatti also green-lit an unveiling party benefiting the Denali Foundation with one caveat: Could Sequoia move the shindig to New York?

That's how nearly 100 supporters, including two dozen Texans, wound up at the Yale Club in Midtown Manhattan last Thursday. Among them, trial lawyer and mayoral candidate Tony Buzbee broke from campaigning to make the trip with girlfriend Frances Moody in tow; Buzbee, an avid art collector, hosted the Denali Foundation's 2018 fundraiser in his River Oaks home. Guinness World Record-holding silhouette artist Cindi Rose and her husband, plastic surgeon Dr. Franklin Rose, were in attendance, too. As were John Black, Erica Gillum and Taft McWhorter, who live-painted the evening's first auction item.

The high-profile group donned creative black-tie and raised $120,000 for the occasion. Proceeds will fulfill art supply requests sent by educators from 28 different schools including 12 in Houston (Treasure Hill Elementary, Landrum Middle School, Ridgecrest Elementary, Buffalo Creek Elementary, Hollibrook School, Northbrook Elementary, Woodview Elementary, Sherwood Elementary, Terrace Elementary, Terrace Elementary, Spring Branch Middle School, Cedar Brook Elementary.)

The impressive art on auction provided quite a backdrop for post-event photo ops. Naturally, most raced to snap pictures with Parrish's portrait of the guest-of-honor, with the guest-of-honor, though the drawings that Giamatti doodled on his craft paper/table setting may have been a missed opportunity. Turns out, the screen star is pretty handy with crayons and markers, too.

"I really wanted to become a caricature artist, but being an actor was easier," Giamatti quipped.

Schmidt's already locked in next year's date (Nov. 5) and venue (the Yale Club's Grand Ballroom). Perhaps Giamatti will serve as the entertainment, and make his big caricaturist debut.
