The BAFTAs had a major hunk factor on Saturday between presenter Jake Gyllenhaal (last year's supporting actor winner for 'Brokeback Mountain') and best actor nominee Daniel Craig, nominated for his studly performance in "Casino Royale" but losing to the amazing Forest Whitaker.
Among the other presenters at the BAFTA awards were the great Sir Ian McKellen who makes gay men everywhere proud. He is a serious actor of stage and screen and an absolute box office megastar with key roles in the "Lord of the Rings" and "X-Men" franchises as well as the 2006 mega-blockbuster "The Da Vinci Code."
With all these award shows, some of the major nominees are racking up some serious air miles! Dame Helen Mirren and Whitaker, winners of the BAFTA best actress and best actor prizes in London, were both present to accept after appearing at the Oscar nominees lunch in Beverly Hills five days earlier. A few days before the Oscar lunch, Mirren was back in London filming so she had to tape her appearance at the Director's Guild Awards where her husband, Taylor Hackford was being honored.
So that means Mirren was in LA for the Jan. 28 SAG Awards, then back to the UK for filming...back to LA for the Feb. 5 Oscar lunch then back to the UK for the Feb. 10 BAFTAs. Of course, she will return to LA for the Feb. 25 Academy Awards ceremony where she is the front-runner to win.
Whitaker's schedule was similar except for the extra trip to the UK for filming.
Helen Mirren is 61 years old! How does she did it?Mirren beat out a field identical to the Oscar nods: Dame Judi Dench (Notes on a Scandal), Penelope Cruz (Volver), Kate Winslet (Little Children) and Meryl Streep (The Devil Wears Prada).
Whitaker beat out Craig, Leonardo DiCaprio (The Departed), Richard Griffiths (The History Boys) and Peter O'Toole (Venus) for the best actor prize.Anyhow, Jennifer Hudson was in LA for Clive Davis' annual pre-Grammy bash on Saturday night where she performed. If she had been in London, she could have accepted her BAFTA Award for best supporting actress in person! She appeared as a presenter on last night's Grammys as well.