My Emmys Series Finale

I don't know if it was the champagne or just the euphoria from my early successes, but my inhibitations seemed to have completely disappeared by this point. (I do know something must have been making me high, because my feet weren't hurting me at all yet, and I normally can't stand or walk for that long without feeling the burn...)

My first faux pas came when I was standing chatting with two of my Sherwood Oaks group. We saw Masi Oka nearby and Stoddart went up and chatted with him briefly. He then asked if I would take a picture of them together, which of course I was happy to do. Stoddart thanked him and Masi started to walk away. In fact, it was pretty obvious he was in a hurry to get somewhere. So what did I do? I jumped in front of him and asked if I could have a picture as well! RUDE! (I did say something in Japanese to him, thinking that might elicit some sort of response, which turned out to be more of a deer-in-the-headlights expression.) But, like everyone else I'd met, he was very gracious and took the picture with me.

Apparently the photography gods decided to have the last laugh—could I have a bigger double chin in this photo?!

By this point, the show was winding down and most people were starting to head to the Governor's Ball, which was a couple of rooms over from the lobby. We didn't have tickets for that (they were around $700), but that didn't stop us from strategizing to see if there was some way we could get in there. Someone had suggested that you go up to security and tell them that your manager is in there and that he has your limo number, which you need to go home. Since I have no poker face whatsoever, I passed on that idea.

We were now surrounded by a mass of people, and I briefly considered just letting myself be swept in with the crowd. But considering my inability earlier to simply slip by a guard to get onto the “good” red carpet, I didn't see this as being likely to be a very successful tactic for me. Then somebody made the very good point that the ball includes a sit-down dinner, and it wouldn't be appropriate to try to get in there anyway, at least until after the meal. So we decided to just move out of the way.

It was just as I was turning around that I saw Stephen Colbert walking straight in my direction. I can't even begin to put into words how much I adore Stephen. (I'm not the only one. Even though I had posted a few pics in my first Emmys entry, his was the only one that caused people to write to me about how jealous they were that I had met him!).

Anyway, I was so taken aback that when he was within about a foot of me, I blurted out, “Oh my God, this is my dream come true!” Can you say “nut job?” I'm not even sure what I said after that, I was so gone, but obviously it worked out, since he did take a pic with me. (He was probably too frightened to say no...)

And even though this was a rather embarrassing spectacle on my part, I have to say I was thrilled when I saw the picture and realized he had given me his trademark “This is my [BLANK] friend” smile. (For those who haven't seen the show, he likes to show pictures saying “This is my black friend,” “This is my gay friend,” and—my personal favourite—“This is my Jewish friend,” which is always a picture of Jon Stewart looking extremely uncomfortable.)

We next moved into the atrium in front of the room where the ball was being held. So we were able to watch a few more celebs as they headed into the dinner. A few people I saw were Kyle MacLachlan, James Spader, and Kyra Sedgwick.

This was also where we saw Heidi Klum and Seal. And that's when it occurred to me that I hadn't taken any pictures with any women yet (yes, Anne, I did realize that! :), so I went up and told her how beautiful her dress was and asked for a photo. If you want to see it, you'll have to go back to the first entry. I mean, how much of a masochist would I have to be to post a shot of me next to that goddess—not just once, but twice!

As the crowd thinned out, the security personnel came by and told the rest of us to get out (more politely than that, of course). Some people were still trying to hang around, hoping to have a shot at getting into the ball later. But that's when it really hit me that I had no business being there, and so I went outside to wait for the rest of our group to take the limo back to the hotel.

Turns out, that wasn't such a bad decision. Because that's where all the stars came out after dinner to head off to the various after-parties, and I snagged a few more pics.

In case you're not sure who the guy is in the first pic (although the hair should be dead giveaway), you'll be able to tell in the next one, as one of his fans shoves a photo in front of him for an autograph.

By now, my feet WERE killing me, and it had cooled down quite a bit, so I was happy to head back to the hotel. And then I discovered that there is one place where I do fit in with the A-list—the limo lineup!

At this point, there was such commotion going around trying to match riders to their limos that I wasn't focused enough to catch pics of any these people, but I did find myself waiting right alongside Ellen Pompeo, Eric Dane (“McSteamy”) and his wife Rebecca Gayheart, and Jeremy Piven, who even rolled his eyes at me at the absurdity of it all. So perhaps I'm not so low on the totem pole after all... :)

THE END

They Were All So Nice!

So after worrying for hours that I was going to be ignominiously turned away as I tried to make my downstairs, it was no problem whatsoever! I just walked out one of the exits and headed down to the lobby.

Of course, I headed straight to the champagne stand so I could partake of a little liquid courage before trying to chat with any of the celebs. It was $11 a glass, but considering the martinis were going for $22, it seemed like a real bargain.

The first star I talked to was Terry O'Quinn. I told him how pleased I was that he had won the Emmy and he shook my hand and thanked me. At this point I wasn't ready yet to ask for a photo, so I continued mingling.

I walked past one of the bars and saw Creed Bratton from The Office standing in line and calling to Oscar Nunez, also from The Office, who was a few people ahead of him. (I only caught on recently that several of the show's characters have the same first name as the actors who play them.) Oscar didn't hear him, so I tapped him on the shoulder and they said something to each other. When Oscar turned away, I turned back to Creed and told him how much I love him on the show. (Seriously, is he hilarious or what?) I also wished the show luck, since they were nominated for several awards (although by that point, a couple of the actors had already lost in their categories.) He seemed really pleased with my comments, but for some reason I still hesitated to ask for a picture so I walked away again.

I got myself another glass of champagne (the expensive stuff goes down real smooth!) and wandered some more. I saw Oscar again, only this time he was standing by himself. So I went up to him and told him how much I enjoy his work and love the show and he also seemed genuinely pleased that I had said that. I then decided he would be the first person I'd ask for a picture, using the logic that a lot of guys like him wouldn't get as many requests as some of the better known actors, so maybe wouldn't find it a nuisance.

I asked him if I could take his picture and he got a huge grin on his face and said yes. As I started to point my camera, he then said, "wait, you should be in it too." I told him I didn't have anybody with me to take the picture and he said, "oh, we'll find someone!" There was an employee of the show standing nearby who heard us, so he said he would be glad to take the photo.

After thanking Oscar, I moved on, a newfound confident spring in my step. I headed toward the other side of the lobby, and saw Adrian Pasdar from Heroes there. I waited until he had collected his drink than tapped him lightly on the arm.

Now, before I continue, I have to say that if I were to design the perfect male face, he would look exactly like Adrian Pasdar. I just think he is stunningly handsome. I've been a fan of his since I had first seen him years ago on an episode of Touched By An Angel, then on a series called Mysterious Ways with Rae Dawn Chong. He's also married to Natalie Maines, the lead singer of The Dixie Chicks, which is one of my favourite groups and I especially love her voice. It has such a unique quality. So talking to Adrian was definitely a major “catch” for me and, when he turned toward me, I came this close to swooning!

I had already managed to get a decent shot of him on the red carpet...

...But I REALLY wanted a picture with him. :)

I told him how much I enjoyed his work. He seemed amazed that I knew him from Mysterious Ways (it was a Canadian production and I don't know if it was even distributed in the States). As we were chatting, Zachary Quinto, who plays Sylar on Heroes came up to us as well. I told him that he was the creepiest, scariest guy on TV, but that I meant that in the nicest possible way, and Adrian assured me that he's actually the sweetest guy you could ever meet. So I asked them if I could take a picture of them and, again, they insisted that I should be in the picture (this technique served me well for the rest of the evening). Unfortunately, the person who took the picture didn't give us any warning of when he was going to press the shutter button, so this is the ONE shot where I'm yakking, our eyes our closed, etc.

Oh, well. It's not like I'm going to be forgetting what he looks like any time soon!

After they moved on, I saw Greg Grunberg, also from Heroes, now in the line, so I tapped him when he was done as well. I told him I'd been a fan since he was on Felicity and that I thought he was the best thing on Alias. (He gave me a hug for that one!) Then I told him he really nailed the role of Dead Pilot on LOST, and he laughed and said, “Come on, right? Who could have done it better?” He was obviously having a great time at the show, even though he looks rather serious in the picture.

As I moved away, I saw a rather large contingent of actors from The Sopranos go by me, including Michael Imperioli and the guy who played Big Pussy. I didn't try to talk to any of them because I never watched the show, and I just don't think it's right to take up these guys' time if you don't sincerely enjoy their work. I also saw Mary-Louise Parker from Weeds (another show I don't watch) run by on her way outside.

I kept moving and was thrilled to see Phil Keoghan chatting with a few people. I've blogged about him here before and I actually interviewed him once for a magazine article, so I felt I had an “in” with him. I went up and introduced myself and reminded him about the interview and he graciously said he remembered it, even though I'd be shocked if he actually did. :) I asked him when The Amazing Race was coming back, since I hadn't seen any ads for it for this season, and he told me he thought it was going to be a mid-season replacement this year (bummer!).

When I looked at the photo later, I was surprised to see that I had put my arm around his shoulders. I don't remember doing that at all (and I don't really think it's appropriate, but oh well... :)

Next (and final) installment: In which I come across like a crazed fan and discover exactly where I belong on the totem pole of Hollywood power players...

On the Inside

Well, eventually I had to leave the glamour of the red carpet to embrace the glamour of the Shrine Auditorium.

Except, it turns out that the Shrine isn't exactly glamourous. Maybe back in the day it might have been something to behold, but I think it's lost that allure since then. In fact, one might call it rather... dingy. But this is the last year they would be holding the Emmys here (they're building a fancy new venue for it), so it was still kind of cool to get to experience the event in its traditional home.

Anyway, when it comes to glamour in Hollywood, it's all about the “who,” not the “where.” So I walked in and tried not to be too conspicuous as I scanned the crowd for famous “whos.”

I found Joanna and Jana, who were enjoying a glass of champagne and they suggested the bar area might be a good place to hang out. I started to work my way through the masses when I suddenly realized that a quick trip to the ladies' room might be in order. So I changed direction and headed downstairs. But along the way, a yellow blur flew by me, announcing in a crisp British accent, "I'm so sorry... I really apologize... I just have to get to my seat..." It was Minnie Driver! (She did seem sincerely apologetic for cutting in line, but nobody seemed to mind.) The bathroom was pretty standard for a public venue, but there was one nice touch. I guess Olay is one of the sponsors of the event, because they had a little station set up with various toiletries and accessories (Q-tips, tissues, powder, etc) for anyone who needed them. I didn't take advantage of that, but I did help myself to one of the samples they had stocked the counters with that contained a little jar of Definity SPF 15 correcting protective lotion and intense hydrating cream.

After the Minnie Driver sighting, it occurred to me that my best shot of seeing stars—the female ones, at least—would be to simply hang out around the bathroom. I mean, you just know they were all going to have to go at least once during the evening, right? :) But I also realized that nobody's going to want to have their picture taken exiting the loo, and I did actually want to see some of the show, so I quickly gave up that idea and headed back upstairs.

I headed straight to one of the bar areas only to discover them closing it up! This was meant to encourage people to go to their seats, and they would re-open about half an hour into the show. So I decided to go ahead in myself.

I needed help finding my seat because I was wearing my contacts instead of my glasses, which meant I was completely incapable of reading the numbers on my ticket. The ushers pointed me in the right direction and I headed up to my seat, which of course was in the nosebleed section. I saw lots of people taking flash pictures of the stage area, which surprised me. Not because I figured they'd be caught at it; but because they really thought a flash would make a difference at that distance. Hello?! They only go about 50 feet, and we were about a quarter mile up!

I think it was the producer of the show who came out and explained the new theatre-in-the-round stage they were trying out this year. After watching a bit of the show, I don't think they'll be trying that again. The vast majority of people on stage went to only side of it, which meant that half the audience spent the evening watching people's backs. (Even though I was in the stratosphere, at least I was on the right side, so I could at least get a sense of who the people were down there.) After his explanation, a voice boomed over the announcement system: “Applause in the house, please. Applause in the house.” We dutifully complied and the audience burst into cheers.

Since the show, I've read a lot of reviews that dissed Ryan Seacrest as the host, but I thought he was fine. I mean, I don't think anyone will do as good a job as Ellen DeGeneres did, but I don't really have a lot of expectations for the hosts to begin with.

I also enjoyed the opening number with the characters from Family Guy, even though I don't watch the show myself.

We had been told earlier that the celebs all head back out to the lobby after presenting or winning something, but that the guards would make it difficult for us to go down there again. So I settled in for a little while to watch the show. I thought that a lot of the speeches were very touching, for example Jamie Pressly's and Katherine Heigl's (although I can't believe she actually won...).

You know that music that comes up when they go past their alloted time? Well, it is a LOT louder in person than it seems when hearing it on TV. You really couldn't hear them at all once it started up. It didn't bother me in most cases, but I really thought that they should have held out a little longer during Robert Duvall's acceptance speech. I mean, the guy is a true legend in this business, for goodness' sake. Show him a little respect!

I was thrilled to see Terry O'Quinn win for best supporting actor in a drama. Besides the fact that I just love him as Locke on Lost, I always think it's great when real working actors, who've been perfecting their craft for years without much recognition, finally get their due. So much better than when it goes to the flavour of the month.

During the commercial breaks they showed us clips of earlier Emmy shows on the Jumbotron. I can't remember now what they actually showed us, but I'm a big fan of TV nostalgia, so I did enjoy them.

I thought the duet between Tony Bennett and Christina Aguilera was terrific. I even managed to get a pic where you can almost recognize them!

My absolute favourite part of the show, though, was the announcement of the nominees for best writing staff on a comedy or variety show. I was dying laughing through that whole section, especially the one for The Daily Show, where they had clips of Alberto Gonzales saying “I can't recall” before each nominee's name. Priceless.

About an hour into the show, I decided it was time to take my chances with security and so I headed down the stairs, trying desperately to devise an effective strategy for making it past the blockade...

Next installment: Hobnobbing with the glitterati.

New Respect for Paparazzi

Okay, I still actually think that the paparazzi are a complete blight on society, but I do have to appreciate their skill at taking celebrity photographs, after discovering for myself how frustratingly difficult it can be.

The first trick is just finding them! After all, there are tons of people on the carpet including some big names in the industry who you just wouldn't recognize (writers, directors, etc.), members of the celebs' entourages, and those people who had no business being there at all (like me) but who somehow managed to slip past the guards (unlike me).

My initial strategy was to aim towards the booths where they were being interviewed for TV. But it was hard to get close to them, and the stars weren't necessarily angled very well for those of us on the sidelines, as you can see in these pics of Glenn Close and Jamie-Lynn Sigler.

Then there's the question of what you do when you're taking one's photo and another one comes into your line of vision, as you might have noticed in the Glenn Close pic (that's Masi Oka from Heroes in the bottom right). Do you stay with the first person, hoping to get a better shot, or go with the new one so you don't miss him/her altogether? In my case, I moved on.

Sometimes this starts a chain reaction. As I was taking more pics of Masi, I realized he was talking to Kristen Bell from Veronica Mars. (What I wouldn't give to be able to do my hair like that!)

This one was actually a no-brainer for me because I just LOVED Veronica Mars (RIP) and think Kristen Bell is a fabulous actress. Plus she was wearing the most gorgeous blue dress and, let's face it, tuxes just don't capture your attention in the same way. However, photographing Kristen presented new challenges, since she happens to be very animated when she's chatting.

I did finally manage to get a halfway-decent pic of her.

Another, rather embarrassing, problem is when you see somebody go by and you're not really sure if it's “somebody” or not. So you take the pic, “just in case.” For example, I have this shot of a woman that I'm sure I know from somewhere, but I just can't put my finger on it. So if anyone recognizes her, I'd appreciate it if you could enlighten me!

Then there's just the standard challenge that people are moving in front of you constantly, so you don't really have time to wait for the perfect pic. Instead, you just snap at any glimmer of a shot, which is how I ended up with these not-exactly-flattering pics of Debra Messing.

Of course, sometimes you don't even have an opportunity to think about taking a shot, as when Eva Longoria rushed by me at breakneck speed. Man, she's fast for someone so tiny!

I also missed Alec Baldwin, but for some unexplained reason, managed to get yet another one of his brothers. And, again, I'm not sure which one...

Next installment: Inside the auditorium.

The Magic Carpet Ride

When we arrived at the Emmys, we had to go through a security check before heading onto the red carpet. Another thing I had done before the event was to purchase some Spanx, which served two functions. One was the intended purpose of smoothing out my various bumps and bulges.

The second was even more important—providing a (hopefully) indetectable means for smuggling in a second camera, in case they confiscated the digital one in my purse, as the rules we received said they would. (The Spanx-cam was disposable and plastic, so wouldn't set off the detectors.) Fortunately, the extra precaution proved unnecessary. The guard was asking everyone to open their purses before going through, and I had the camera pushed into a corner, with a large pile of Kleenex on top of it, and a bag of makeup on top of that. I also had my cellphone in there (those weren't prohibited for some reason), so I could show them that if the purse did set off the detectors. But when the guard looked at it, I just pulled out the makeup bag and said, "this is my patch kit," and she laughed and said she knew all about that! And then I was in!

Once we got through the detectors, there were two possible routes along the red carpet. The one to the left was for us nobodies, and the one to the right was for the celebrities and nominees. That's the one you see on TV with all the interview booths from Entertainment Tonight, Extra, etc. Of course, that's the one we all wanted to go down.

Unfortunately, I didn't have the right moves to get past the security guards (a few of our group did manage to slip through). I might have been able to do it except I made the (now) obvious mistake of holding the entrance ticket in my hand—a dead giveaway that I was not one of the invited ranks. We waited a bit longer in the area to see if we could make another attempt and, while there, I saw Rebecca Romjin and Jerry O'Connell come through (talk about your gorgeous couple!). Tony Bennett also walked right by us. But after a few minutes, I didn't want to risk missing the walk altogether so I accepted my lowly status and headed to the left.

We were then walking beside the main route, separated by ropes (but still technically on a red carpet). Before we got there, Christine had advised us to walk as slowly as possible, since once we got inside the auditorium, we wouldn't be able to come back out. That was easier said than done, since there was a huge contingent of security personnel whose entire purpose was to keep us moving in a forward direction. However, I did manage to learn the trick of moving a few steps forward, then to the side, then backwards a bit, to extend the experience as long as possible.

It was hard at first to see many of the celebs on the carpet, because of the throngs of people bustling around. I did manage to catch glimpses of Vanessa Williams, Katherine Heigl, Edie Falco, T.R. Knight, and Mary-Louise Parker. And once I got further down the carpet, I was able to see more stars, as they paused before entering the building. I had been told not to try to take any pictures until later, so I didn't take out my camera at first. But later I realized that plenty of other people were taking pics, so I decided to take my chances as well. (This was the plus side of taking the alternate route—I never would have been able to do this if I'd made it in through the celebrity entrance.)

The first one I captured was (of all people!) one of the Baldwin brothers. I'm not sure which one, except I know it wasn't Alec. :)

Next installment: Even more glamour!

Road to the Emmys

So here's the story of my night at the Emmys. At least, it's the beginning of it. There's so much to tell, I'll never get through it all in one post!

Note: In case you missed it, I posted some pics earlier from the evening.

The first question I'm sure you're asking is, How did that happen? Well, I went to L.A. for a course on TV writing through Sherwood Oaks College. The program is run by Gary Shusett, who has been running these classes for years. He's also produced some projects himself and his brother is Ron Shusett, a very successful screenwriter and producer (Alien, Total Recall, Minority Report, etc.). So he has lots of connections in “the industry,” and he arranged for tickets to the award show for the first eight students who wanted them. And since I had taken another one of Gary's courses in the spring, I knew this was coming up, so I signed up the day registration opened and snagged one of the tickets. And, man, am I glad I did!

Fortunately I already had a dress (and, even more fortunately, it still fit!). Before I headed to L.A., I treated myself to some highlights, a facial (first one in years), a pedicure and, yes, even a spray tan (my first and, probably, last). I mean, if you're going to go to the Emmys, you have to do it up right, right?

Sunday was the big day. (The first two days in L.A. were spent in classes with tons of interesting speakers, including directors, producers, writers, and writers' assistants—the ones with the real power! :) At 2:00, we all met in front of the hotel to take the limo to the Shrine Auditorium.

Here's me, looking not too shabby, if I do say so myself!

And here I am trying out the “Paris pose.” Yeah, I need to work on that one... :)

There were ten of us going to the awards altogether—five students, three guests of the students, Gary, and Christine, who coordinates the program with him. Here are a few pics of my co-partiers. The last one is of Christine and Gary.

The ride to the event was fine. There was surprisingly little traffic until we got close to the venue, which suddenly became a giant parking lot for stretch limos.

It actually didn't take that long from there to the actual arrival area.

As soon as I got out of the car, Kate Walsh (Addison from Grey's Anatomy) walked right by me. She looked absolutely stunning in a form-fitting red dress with her hair swept to one side. And thus began the celebrity sightings...

Next installment: The trip up the red carpet!

Red Carpet Adventure

I'm pretty tired this morning, but I'm having trouble sleeping. I guess that's because I'm still a little wired up from having gone to the Emmys last night!

Of course, I have lots of stories about the evening—and plenty of names to drop!—but for now I'll just post a few pics (so you know I'm not BS-ing you :). When I have more energy, I'll post more of the who, what, where, when, and why parts of the adventure, so stay tuned!

(You may be asking yourself, Whatever possessed her to have her picture taken beside Heidi Klum?, which I certainly am myself, especially after seeing it. But she's just so stunning, I figure nobody's going to be looking at me in it anyway...:)