Styles & Scenes

No Emmys? Snubbed stars will still rock on

Hugh Laurie (“House”) and James Denton ("Desperate Housewives”) will not be onstage accepting any Emmys on Sunday.

I know, I know. Don't get me started on the whole stupid nominations voting debaucle again.

But that won’t stop these actors from hopping onstage at TV Guide’s Emmy bash later that night.

Both guys actually play in a band called Battle of the Network Stars that includes founder Greg Grunberg (“Alias", “Heroes”) Michael “Fish” Herring, Bob Guiney (ABC's “The View”), Bonnie Somerville (“NYPD Blue”), along with real professional musicians Barry Sarna, Brad Savage, Chris Kelly, and Rich Winer.

Word is that other “surprise celebrity guests are expected to take to the stage” with BNS. Nothing like a little celebrity Karoake to spice up a party.

I’m betting on Felicity Huffman (who's been known to cut loose at a few parties) and a few other Housewives to join their plumber pal Jamie. Alfre Woodard, perhaps?

Maybe even a few "Alias" alums, like Jennifer Garner and Victor Garber? How about "House" co-stars Lisa Edelstein, Jennifer Morrison or Jesse Spencer?

The BNS act won’t go on until after Pink has gotten the TV Guide party started at Social Hollywood, the site of the first Emmys in 1949.

By then, everyone there should be ready for just about anything. 

Photo Credits: Will Hugh's Battle of the Network Stars band get some help from Lisa and Jennifer at the TV Guide Emmy party? Stay tuned.
WireImage/John Sciulli

Where the stars will party on Emmy weekend

Okay, let's stop yer whining about the unfair Emmy voting screw-up.

Time to start thinking about more important issues, like the Emmy party line-up.

Why? Because the after-parties are where stars from snubbed shows like "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost" who aren't attending the broadcast may turn up. That's why.

Here's how the TV industry's big weekend is shaping up.

Saturday, August 26

Emmy weekend kicks off Saturday with BAFTA/LA’s annual Emmy Tea Party at the Park Hyatt in Century City from 2-5 p.m. It’s a terribly civilized party (yeah, right) with a casual patio feel for Emmy nominees from the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, sponsored by BBC America.

Good guesses for the Tea Party guest list would be Helen Mirren and Taylor Hackford, Jeremy Irons, Sir Ben Kingsley, Hugh Laurie, maybe even Kiefer Sutherland, since he was actually born in London. 

The place to be the night before the Emmys is Spago for NBC/Universal Television Group’s popular Pre-Emmy party. it’s being billed as an 'informal gathering' with no red carpet and no annoying party reporters trolling for soundbites with tape recorders.

The party is a relative newcomer to the Emmy fete scene, started just two years ago and co-sponsored first by Details, then Vanity Fair. Now it's become “the place to be seen the night before the Emmys,” according to Variety, who certainly should know.

Expect stars and honchos from the NBC-U family including NBC, USA, Sci-Fi and Bravo, as well as luminaries like past attendees Conan O’Brien (this year’s broadcast host), Donald Trump, Hugh Laurie, Jill Hennessy, Mary Tyler Moore, Hugh Jackman, Danny DeVito, Heather Graham, Carmen Electra, and Sylvester Stallone.

Natch, it's likely that nominees Jaime Pressley, Mariska Hargitay, Steve Carell, Debra Messing, Alan Alda, Allison Janney and other “West Wing” alum will show up. Oh, and let’s not forget those competitive “Project Runway” folks.

Sunday, August 27

Right after the awards, there’s the official Emmy Governor's Ball held next to the Shrine. The big unveiling was held today so watch this space for more party poop next week.

But there’s also the popular Entertainment Tonight/People Emmy splash on the Skybar pool area in the Mondrian. Expect every star at the Emmys to at least do a drive by.

The big draw, besides chatting with ET and People reporters which is always high on a star’s list of things-to-do, is the party’s gluttonous goody bag given democratically to every party guest, not just Emmy-going stars. We're talking a Cole Haan natural canvas and leather 'Weekender' bag worth $400, literally stuffed with $2,500 worth of fabulous freebies.

Then there’s the TV Guide soiree at the swanky Social Hollywood, the site of the first Emmy Awards and this season’s hot new party place. Punky rock singer Pink will get the party started at 10. p.m. Just in time to drown out all the "You rock!" and/or  "You were robbed!" for the winners/losers who’ll roll in after hitting the Gov Ball, always the first pit stop.

HBO always has their hot ticket Emmy party at the Pacific Design Center. No official word yet but with so many nominations, the cable network’s bash will again be the most sought after invite of the night. Guaranteed entrance to anyone clutching an Emmy.

Also expected: Annette Bening with hubby Warren Beatty, Jeremy Irons, Ellen Burstyn, Cloris Leachman, Alfre Woodard, funny guys Bill Maher, Larry David and George Carlin, Jeremy Piven and his “Entourage,” a couple of “Six Feel Under” stars, some “Sopranos,” the Queenly Helen Mirren and former “Friend” Lisa Kudrow, who was nominated for her role on the swiftly cancelled HBO series, “The Comeback.” Hey, If she wins, will HBO resurrect the show and call it “The Second Comeback?”

The big Fox Network/Studio annual shindig will be back at Spago this year. Stars Kiefer Sutherland, Jean Smart and other “24” stars as well as the actors from “House," “American Idol,” and “Arrested Development” are likely to show up.

This year's party décor, designed and executed by Rob Smith at Laurels Events, will be pure platinum.

“We literally take everything out of the restaurant and re-skin the interior of the restaurant and the furniture,” says Smith. This delicate Spago facelift procedure starts at 7 a.m. on Emmy day. And actresses think they have it rough getting dolled up for the awards.  At least they don’t have to get ‘reskinned.’ Or do they?

Expect gleaming platinum lacquered furniture, crystal chandeliers in glass boxes, mirrored table tops for a flattering sheen on every happy face, and Swarovski crystals on the floor. “It’s all about the flow,” says Smith, “We want the party space to feel spacious, upscale, refined and elegant because everyone will be wearing their best evening attire.”

And hopefully carrying a few bright shiny Emmy statues.

Photo Credit: Eva, Flicka, Marcia and Nicollette were like the Four Muskateers at last year's post Emmy Governor's Ball bash. So what party will the un-nominated "Desperate" gals show up at this year? Gentleman, place your bets.
WireImage/Steve Granitz

"Desperate" Cherry picks PJs and spills secrets

What will “Desperate Housewives” creator Marc Cherry wear on Emmy night? Probably pajamas.

Cherry won’t be attending the show. 

“I didn't get invited,” Cherry said at the ABC All Star Party for the Television Critics Association held at Kidspace in Pasadena Wednesday night.

So will anyone from the show go? “I would assume that Felicity will go to present an award because it’s a tradition for the previous winner to present that award. But I don’t know for sure. I haven’t asked the girls if they’re going."

Word is they're not. But obviously, Alfre Woodard - nominated for Supporting Actress - will go.

“Alfre called to thank me for the flowers I sent and I asked her, 'So how many nominations is this for you? Four, five?' And she said, 'Seventeen.' So apparently every time she reads the phone book on TV, she gets nominated," Cherry said. "She is, and deservedly so, beloved by the Academy and a very talented actress. She’s also one of the loveliest human beings you will ever meet.”

Frankly, Cherry is relieved to stay home on August 27.

“I was very honored to be nominated last year but to sit there and lose twice with my mom sitting next to me was excruciating. Then you go to the parties and everyone comes up to you and says, 'You were robbed!' so I was like, 'This is the most annoying evening of my life.' I will be so happy to sit at home and watch other writers go through that.”

But isn’t he bothered about not being nominated?

“Am I a little bummed out? Sure. But my reaction to this is that I have to work harder this year and that’s what we’ve been doing. Listen, I went through a period of being unemployed, broke and having to borrow money from my mother. In terms of awful things happening to me, not getting nominated is pretty easy to handle.”

He was more surprised by other snubs. “To me, the shocker was "Lost." I thought that was odd to the point of 'what the heck is going on with the Academy?' For us, we’ll just work harder. It’s more important for me to feel like I’m doing the best job I can and I don’t think I did that last year. I’ve had my trial by fire. Actually, I feel like I’ve had two. The first year was the extreme phenomena of it all and last year was 'let me try some new things.' Some of those things aren’t working. So this new season, I feel for the first time, now I know what it is I need to do in order to do the show the way I want to do it.”

So what’s going to happen on Wisteria Lane in the new season? Cherry let some secrets slip...

Photo Credits: DH creator Marc Cherry was happy to get dressed up for the GLAAD awards on April 8, 2006. But he's gonna stick to PJs on Emmy night.
WireImage/Steve Granitz

Will the Housewives snub the Emmy Awards?

Fashion insiders are buzzing about the number of major Emmy acting nominations for “Desperate Housewives” this season. That would be one: Alfre Woodard for Supporting Actress in a Comedy.

DH did get some technical Emmy nods: Single Camera Editing for a Comedy Series, Hairstyling, Costumes. And Shirley Knight got a Guest Actress on a Comedy Series acting nomination for her portrayal of Phyllis Van De Kamp, Bree’s mother-in-law.

But nothing, zip, nada for the five hard-working actresses who made the show - which won 15 Emmys last season - what it is; a critical success, a global cultural phenomenon and a cash cow for the network: Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, Eva Longoria, Marcia Cross and Nicollette Sheridan.

Some loose TV lips have speculated that, despite the astonishing and inexplicable snub, the Wisteria Lane gals would still come to the Emmys, if just to support the series. They’d probably be presenters or something, some duty that would require them to be there so it’s not that obvious that they, ooops, all got seriously snubbed.

But a source close to the wives says no dice. “None of them are going.” Not even as presenters? “Felicity may go as a presenter because she won the lead actress Emmy last year and they usually have last year's winner present this year's award.”

That’s right. She beat her DH co-stars Teri and Marcia. Gosh, what a great catfight that was.

“But the rest of them are definitely not going,” sez the source.  “If you’re not nominated, you really don’t have a reason to go. It’s a lot of prep work to get in shape, all made up, pick gowns and dressed up to go to these things. It’s exhausting. And if you’re not up for an award and it’s just going to be embarrassing why go?”

Why go? Because if you don’t go, you risk looking like a sore not-nominated loser, that's why. That would be one very big reason. My advice: slap on the makeup, slip on the gowns and smile for the cameras, girls.

C'mon, you're all good actresses. Just act like you couldn't care less about being nominated for one night.

Photo Credits: C'mon, girls. Play nice. Eva Longoria, Nicollette Sheridan and Felicity Huffman faux tussle over Flicka's Emmy statue backstage at last year's show. But will they stay home and watch it on TV this year?
WireImage/Jeff Vespa

Affleck shows up for Miramax's Tsotsi

“It's time to act like we know each other,” Ben Affleck whispered to South African writer-director Gavin Hood and “Desperate Housewives” star Alfre Woodard as the trio posed for photos at the “Tsotsi” premiere Wednesday night.

Affleck’s name had been on-then-off the media tip sheet for the low-key Pacific Design Center event for the Oscar-nominated foreign language film. So folks were surprised when the suited-up stud strode in, refused to talk to reporters, posed quickly for photos, exchanged brief words with Woodard, Hood and reps from Amnesty International and Artists for a New South Africa, and quickly left. All in max 10 minutes. Hey, the guy’s good.

Why the rush? Seems Affleck stopped by as a favor to "Tsotsi" distributor Miramax. He's really busy now that he’s a big-time director making his first major feature — “Gone, Baby, Gone” — for (surprise) Miramax.

Affleck's film is based on “Mystic River” author Dennis Lehane’s novel about two Boston detectives trying to solve a young girl’s kidnapping. Word is Affleck will adapt the screenplay himself but he won’t star in it. Let’s breathe a collective sigh of relief.

The last major screenplay writing Affleck did was pretty successful. It earned him and Matt Damon the "screenplay written directly for the screen" Oscar for “Good Will Hunting."

But apparently Affleck directed a previous film, listed on IMDB.com as “I Killed My Lesbian Wife, Hung Her on a Meat Hook, and Now I Have a Three-Picture Deal at Disney,” made in ’93. Now that I’d actually pay to see.

But the Academy feels that Oscar-nominated “Tsotsi” — a terrifying and touching look at how an infant helps a young gang leader find his lost childhood and his humanity — is definitely worth seeing.

Hood is particularly thrilled that his film, now playing in 23 screens in South Africa, is literally selling out. He says that means many levels of South African society are watching a homegrown story and that's important to the filmmaker. He recalls an early "Tsotsi” screening for kids in a South African shanty: “In the scene when Tsotsi goes back to the Pipes, where he grew up, one young boy stood up and shouted, 'That’s me, that’s me!'”

Metaphorically speaking, it was him. And Hood knew just how the boy felt.

Photo: Ben Affleck, Alfre Woodard and "Tsotsi" writer-director Gavin Hood pretend to know each other at the film's premiere at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood, Calif.
(Jean-Paul Aussenard / WireImage)