Great fun last night backstage at the Primetime Emmy Awards. The Governors Ball went late into the night. Check it outâŚ
Merritt Wever (Nurse Jackie) came backstage after her six word acceptance speech (âThank youâŚI gotta go, bye.â). She started to lose the ability to speak again and explained, âItâs hard to do those, sorry, Iâm scared. I was scared because it was unexpectedâŚI have therapy next week.â
Jim Parsons is always a fun interview. Heâs won the Emmy three times playing Sheldon on The Big Bang Theory. He hit the Governors Ball and thatâs about it. That was his forecast, âIâm not much for after-parties. I like to read in bed.â
There was a gasp in the press room when Jeff Daniels won for The Newsroom. Classy touch getting up on stage while chewing gum. (At least he spit it out before hitting the backstage press line). That night he said he was hopping on a plane to Atlanta to start shooting Dumb and Dumber II. I thought it was a goof, but itâs legit: Daniels said, âThere are some things in Dumb and Dumber II that make the toilet scene [from the first movie] seem tame.â Charming.
Bobby Cannavale (Boardwalk Empire) said everything went into slow-mo when they called his name. âIt took me awhile to get up. I was thinking about my girlfriend and went âBaaaaaaaabbbbbbyyyyy.ââ Gal-pal is Rose Byrne.
And you know you donât work with doctors when someone jumps to the front of the pressroom and asks, âAnyone seen a cumberbund?â
Michael Douglas continued to speak about his son Cameron backstage (and call out the federal prison system), âMy son is in federal prison. Heâs been a drug addict for a large part of his lifeâŚ. Right now Iâve been told that I canât see him for two years. Itâs been over a year now. Iâm questioning the system.â On a happier note he mentioned that playing Liberace kind of gave him a âfreedom of spiritâ and a ânew appreciation of life.â Never a dull interview that guy.
Bryan Cranston has given his Halloween blessing for the Walter White/ Heisenberg costumes saying, âIt tickles me to see those costumes.â Once again, our Style Editor, Linda Immediato was ahead of the curve last year, as this year it is likely to be the most popular costume.
I walked over to the Governors Ball with a happy Tony Hale (he won for VEEP as did Julia Louis Dreyfus), who was practically skipping. We said the magic word at a metal wall (truly; we uttered âEmmyâ and it opened), and then it was through the cattle gates and past some velvet ropes before entering the cavernous hall where there were dancerâs everywhere for the enchanted forest themed ball. An engraving station in the back was set up to put your name on your Emmy. Derek Hough took his Outstanding Choreography award and danced his way back to the engraving station, and then he took a Trophie (my new word for taking a picture of your award) of his Emmy as it was being engraved. Hough is aGame of Thrones fan saying, âIâm a bit of an addict right now. I was sitting next to Khaleesi.â He drew out the last word very dramatically.
The cool kid section of the party was around the 300â600 table section (I was in the 170âs natch). Breaking Bad folks, HBO, Showtime, etc. Dinner was fantastic (how does Chef Joachim Splichal serve almost 4,000 people â crazy). And this ainât the Oscars. At a certain point in the evening, Claire Danes was leaning against Mandy Patinkin (tired) and ladies were walking around the enormous party carrying their heels.
On my way to the car I noticed they were giving the winners an Emmy cozy for their statue. (the guy handing them out called âem Emmy coffins â that works too). It was an Emmy sized box with the foam cut out in the elaborate shape of the trophy (a winged angel holding a globe). I walked into the night with Louis C.K., who had a cigarette dangling in his lips in search of a light.
Photographs by Invision For Academy of Television Arts & Sciences / AP Images