The Emmys, first of all, are not the Oscars. There isn’t much buzz in Hollywood over Emmy weekend, just a low hum. The Television Academy hosts a party for nominees on Friday night but they don’t allow press inside, so whatcha gonna do? It’s their prerogative.
The networks are likewise scared of press, so NBC also keeps press out of their Saturday night event. Showtime — with few nominees– had a similar party. But their event was in a multi-purpose space where real A listers ate and drink apart from the Showtime guests. So I ran into the triple A director/producer Ridley Scott, plus actors Armie Hammer and Ben Whishaw, and had great chats with them.
Everyone is pointed toward HBO’s big gala tonight with the expectation that the cabler with gobble up prizes for “Game of Thrones,” “Veep,” and “Chernobyl” in the multitudes.
The big events on Saturday were the Creative Coalition’s Emmy luncheon at Ocean Prime, followed by BAFTA’s annual tea poolside at the Beverly Hilton.
The CC’s Robin Bronk really pulled off a hit at their luncheon honoring Patricia Arquette, Henry Winkler, Anthony Carrigan, Terry Crews, and Bethenny Frankel. Four of the five were incredibly articulate and moving. I do wish Crews, however, would stop talking about his sexual peccadilloes and past infringements he brought to his marriage. There’s no such thing as being circumspect, especially in Hollywood.
Patty Arquette continues to be a gem of gems. She fights all the good fights, raises a family, and managed two Emmy nominations this season following her Oscar win for “Boyhood.” If she could give lessons in being a person, everyone in showbiz would be required to take them. And her dates for lunch were pretty impressive, too– artist boyfriend Eric White and actor brother David Arquette.
Over at BAFTA, the stars turned out despite the crushing heat. The lucky ones came after 4pm, when the sun began to dim! Emmy nominee Jared Harris, Ava Duvernary, Gina Rodrigues, Sandra Oh, the great Glynn Turman, Marie Kondo, plus Rachel Brosnahan– Mrs. Maisel herself– and Stellan Skarsgard were on hand. BAFTA is so important even Ted Sarandos, who runs Netflix, scoped out the scene. After all, next year, “The Crown” will be up for new awards.
