Pop Culture

Brie Larson & Courtney McBroom Talk ‘Party People’ and Why Hosting Matters on ‘All on the Table with Katie Lee Biegel’

October 25, 2025

When Oscar-winning Marvel star Brie Larson teams up with chef and food writer Courtney McBroom, you know the conversation will be equally delicious and insightful. The two best friends stopped by All on the Table with Katie Lee Biegel to dish on their brand-new cookbook Party People, which celebrates food, friendship, and the art of gathering.

From queso-fueled beginnings to years of themed get-togethers, Larson and McBroom have perfected the joy of hosting. But their cookbook isn’t just about party spreads and clever recipes. At its heart, it’s about creating moments that matter—and reminding us why inviting people over is more important than ever.

Parties as a cure for loneliness

For Larson, gathering people is about pushing back on the perfectionism and isolation so many of us feel today. “Why is it that we cannot have one freaking space in our life where we can just let go of perfectionism and be free, if not at a party?” she asks.

McBroom agrees, noting that research supports what good party hosts already know— connection makes life better. She cites a striking statistic—loneliness has increased by 181 percent since the COVID-19 pandemic.

For her, the antidote is simple. “One of the only ways to combat that is to get together in real life and throw parties,” she says. Whether it’s two friends or fifty, what matters is putting down the phone and looking each other in the eye.

That’s a theme the cookbook reinforces throughout. Larson and McBroom encourage readers to think of a “party” as any opportunity to gather—brunch, a themed dinner, or just inviting a neighbor over for nachos.

Letting go of perfection

If you’ve ever felt like your house isn’t photo-ready or your cooking skills aren’t strong enough to host, Larson wants you to ditch that idea immediately. She and McBroom are adamant that a successful party doesn’t require perfectly folded throws or floral arrangements from a high-end shop. “If you burn the food, it’s gonna be okay. Order pizza, laugh it off,” Larson says.

The heart of Party People is permitting readers to host without the pressure of doing it all. “Ask a friend to bring a bag of ice. If you can’t afford to make an entire meal, ask a friend to bring a side dish,” McBroom advises. The cookbook is packed with recipes, but it also reminds readers that hosting is about people, not perfection.

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Celebrating the big and the small

One of their favorite ideas, both in the book and on the podcast, is the “Brag & Complain” party. It’s exactly what it sounds like—everyone gathers to share something they’re proud of and something they’re frustrated about: no small talk, no weather updates, just real life.

Larson lights up as she describes why it works. “It gives you the floor to realize all of your petty complaints or all of your big complaints are the big things,” she says. “And also to be like, I’m really proud of myself.” The concept is as therapeutic as it is fun, offering a chance to be honest while raising a glass to personal wins.

It’s a reminder that parties don’t need an excuse like birthdays or holidays. Sometimes the reason is to celebrate being together.

A partnership rooted in play

Of course, part of what makes Party People special is the dynamic between its authors. Larson and McBroom met years ago and have been throwing parties together ever since. Their shared taste, from aesthetics to hot dogs, makes them natural collaborators.

They even tested their creative partnership before the cookbook while working on their TV show, Lessons in Chemistry. Seeing each other in a professional context only reinforced what they already knew: they bring out the best in one another. As Larson puts it, “We work really well together, and we made this kind of cool thing. Let’s not let it end.”