Whoopi will be hosting the Tonys...
Whoopi Goldberg, so perfect as the moderator on "The View," seems to have done it all in showbiz. She's an Oscar winner ("Ghost"), she's headlined big box office hits ("Sister Act") and a classic ("The Color Purple"), headlined on Broadway ("Ma Rainey's Black Bottom") had her own talk show, sitcom and radio show, and hosted everything from the Academy Awards to the Grammys to Comic Relief.
But she has never hosted the Tony Awards. Until now.
Whoopi will emcee the 2008 telecast of Broadway's big night, after two years in which the award ceremony had no single host. In 2005 Hugh Jackman served as host for the third year in a row. A large group of presenters and performers served as collective hosts in 2006 and 2007. Other multiple-year hosts have included Rosie O'Donnell who did three years in a row in the 90s and Angela Lansbury.
CBS will broadcast the Tonys live from Radio City Music Hall on June 15. Nominations will be announced Tuesday.
OK, the Emmys are probably never gonna be as gay at the Tonys where all kinds of gay men and women have been known to thank their spouses on stage and have often given them a nice kiss on the lips. But last night's Emmy Awards had more gay to them than usual starting with the presence of out Emmy nominees T.R. Knight (seen here helping hunky co-star Eric Dane with his tie) and Neil Patrick Harris who walked the red carpet with his cute boyfriend, actor David Burtka. 
What a difference a year makes for these two. Each lost in the supporting actor category (Knight for drama, Harris for comedy) but both are winners to me! They have shown that not only can out gay men convincingly play straight characters on television, they can get nominated for an Emmy for it! 
And then there was the front-row presence of nominee and presenter Ellen DeGeneres who cuddled with her beautiful girlfriend Portia de Rossi for all the world to see. They got a lot of camera time on the FOX telecast despite Ellen's loss in the variety performance category to Tony Bennett. 
Christina is the anti-Britney in duet with Tony Bennett...
Al Gore wins an Emmy!
OK, back to the show: Sally Field has just won the Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a drama series for "Brothers & Sisters." She plays Nora Walker on the ABC show, the mother of five adult children, including a son sent to serve in Iraq. Field was giving a terrific speech about motherswhen that damned orchestra ruined her flow. But she collected herself to finish strong: "Let's face it, if mothers ruled the world, there wouldn't be any goddamed wars in the first place!"
Backstage with the cast of "Roots"
Helen Mirren has just left the press room with her second Emmy in two years - this time for "Prime Suspect." She also won the Oscar this year and she'll take it all: "Other years, I've sat out there and not won so I'm very familiar with that feeling as well." Miiren was asked if she has m et Queen Elizabeth yet, who she played in "The Queen" and won the Oscar for. the answer is no. The Queen had invited Mirren to the White House State Dinner this year but the actress was busy filming the sequel to "National Treasure." "It's embarrassing. I felt mortified and very, very bad about it but there was nothing I could do."
Drama Series: 
No, I didn't ask her about her famous lips so I don't know if they are from Mother Nature or from Dr. 90210.
It's been four years since Deborah Gibson co-starred with Neil Patrick Harris in the Broadway production of "Cabaret." But the teen pop princess turned stage star still feels warmly toward the "How I Met Your Mother Star" who is up for the outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series Emmy on Sunday.
We gabbed last night at the Los Angeles Confidential magazine party and she told me how proud she is of the way NPH came out publicly came out last fall.
A source tells me that joining Lisa Rinna on the red carpet for the TV Guide Channel Emmy pre-show will be...Joey Fatone! Ryan, as you already know, is hosting the ceremony, the E! pre-show, checking tickets at the door, vacuuming the red carpet, working as a seat filler AND making deserts for the Governor's Ball.
I admit it, I've been kind of a bitch today. It's part sleep-deprivation and part being annoyed with a lot of stuff going on in the world right now! 
“With the expansion of cable channels and niche programming, LGBT created and consumed media is more readily available than ever before,” stated GLAAD President Neil Giuliano. (pictured below with Ang Lee) “Our Board has decided to incorporate LGBT media submissions into the existing competitive categories. We welcome the opportunity for LGBT media to submit their journalism and programming for consideration.” 
Here are some highlights of that conversation:
It seems that a different Isaiah Washington showed up to talk to "Access Hollywood" yesterday than the one who appeared on "Larry King Live" a few weeks back disparaging his former "Grey's Anatomy" co-star T.R. Knight and essentially blaming him for everything and himsefl for nothing.
In the guest actress category: the year of Judith Light continues! Judith was nominated for her role as Claire Meade. Next year she will have to compete in the best supporting actress category because she is now a regular cast member. Congrats Judith!!! Among Judith's competition is Salma Hayak, nominated as guest actress for the same show.
OK, on to "Brothers & Sisters." Hooray for Sally Field! She nabbed one of the six spots in the best actress in a drama series category for her consistently wonderful work as Nora Walker in the ABC drama. It marks her seventh Emmy nomination overall. She has won twice [not to mention those two Oscars}. I'd love to see Sally win but I think Kyra Sedgwick should take it for "The Closer." She carries that show and is the reason it's the highest-rated drama in the history of standard cable. Rachel Griffiths, who plays Field's daughter on "Brothers & Sister," earned a well-deserved best supporting actress nomination.
Isn't this great?
Meanwhile, the mega-talented Neil Patrick Harris was the only member of the ensemble cast of the CBS comedy "How I Met Your Mother" to get an Emmy nomination. He was nominated in the best supporting actor category for his hilarious performance as the womanizing Barney.
And then there is that crazy gal, that fun, dancing, glorious Ellen DeGeneres. She already has an Emmy for her old ABC sitcom and a truckload of daytime Emmys for her talk show and on Thursday, she was nominated for her turn as host of the Academy Awards. I also don't want to forget the great Ian McKellen, nominated for guest actor in a comedy series for an appearance on "Extras."
And speaking of the BET Awards, there is much buzz today over the unbelievable duet of "And I'm Tellin' You, I'm Not Going" by Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson and Tony winner Jennifer Holliday who originated the role of Effie on Broadway 25 years ago. Holliday had complained loudly that she felt snubbed by those involved in the making of the "Dreamgirls" movie ih which Hudson played Effie. But the two divas were aq dynamic duo and gave each other plenty of room to soar. Hudson introduced Holliday as "my Dreamgirl, a true Dreamgirl." I came away feeling that the performances were so different that each has carved out their own piece of history. We don't have to engage in a silly "who is better game." They are both...SENSATIONAL!
Happy Saturday... I'm in Palm Springs for a getaway weekend at
The Tony Awards dropped steadily from 7.2 million at 8 p.m. to 6.4 million at 9 p.m., when it competed against "The Sopranos" conclusion on HBO and the tipoff of the NBA finals. It fell to 5.3 million viewers at 10:30 p.m., when the major awards were being handed out.
FAVORITE SPEECH: Julie White, best actress in a drama ("The Little Dog Laughed") beat, among others, past winners Angela Lansbury, Vanessa Redgrave and Swoosie Kurtz. "Oh my goodness, you Tony voters, what a buncha wacky kids...I can't feel my hands! Is that a bad thing?" She played the "hideous agent" of a closeted actor who she is discouraging from coming out. "My agents have never been hideous to me," she said, "to my face!"
PERFECT CHOICE: The evening started off perfectly with four-time Tony winner Angela Lansbury, who is back on Broadway for the first time in ages and a 2007 nominee for "Deuce," opening the show. She recalled how this was the 40th year the awards have had a full televised broadcast and recalled hosting back in 1967 when she and her "Mame" co-star Bea Arthur sang "Bosom Buddies" from the show that won them both Tonys. 
Then this adorable kid named John Gallagher Jr.(right), just 22 years old, wins for featured actor in a musical for "Spring Awakenings" and i didn't recognize him with his normal hair. In the show, he's got a real wacky do which you saw later in the telecast and that I saw when he performed on "Regis & Kelly" a few days ago.
It was the mega-talented Eberlose's second Tony win and she also performed magnificantly on the show. She said in her speech: "I left Hollywood when they told me I was over the hill. Now I'm standing here with this most distinguished award for what I consider to be the role of a lifetime..I'm over the hill in the role of a lifetime, This is so encouraging."
Wow! David Hyde Pierce has had quite a week. First he publicly acknowledges that he is a gay man (surprising few but still, it is nice) and on Sunday, he won the Tony Award for best actor in a musical for "Curtains." 
Here are "Fantastic Four" co-stars Chris Evans and Ioan Gruffudd who have a sequel out later this summer. I'm stating the obvious but is Chris Evans not the most adorable man alive? I remember the first thing I saw him in: "Cellular." I thought he was terrific in that movie, co-starring Kim Basinger. And I'm glad to see that his stardom has grown since then since that means we get to see lots and lots of him!
Well, Eva Longoria of "Desperate Housewives" hosted last night's Alma Awards in Los Angeles and had more costume changes than Cher! What a diva. Longoria is gorgeous and wears clothes well as evidenced by this photo album from JustJared.com. But personally, I'd probably prefer a woman like the lovely Sara Ramirez of "Grey's Anatomy" who's character of Callie is married to T.R. Knight's George on the show. Ramirez is a wonderous talent who won the Tony Award for best featured actress in a musical for "Spamalot" a few years back. 
OK, so why am I bringing up Harry anyway? It's because he's going to be a presenter on the Tony Awards next month! He starred in "The Pajama Game" last season and was utterly terrific when he performed on the show. The lad really learned to dance!
In its 10 years on the air, "The View" has never taken home the Emmy for outstanding hosts. Nine nominations, nine losses. But with Rosie O'Donnell along for the ride this year, there is the thought that she, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Joy Behar and Barbara Walters could finally take home Emmy gold. So Rosie, who has about a month left on the show before she departs, says this morning that one of her kids has a "school thing" and so she will not be attending then she says: "If this show does win best host, the credit goes to Barbara Walters for hiring me."
Meanwhile, the fabulous Meryl Streep got a nod in the best villain category for "Prada" and should be a shoo-in! Also on the gay-ish front, "Hairspray" is among the films nominated in the "best summer movie that you haven't seen yet" category.
It was interesting to not only attend the GLAAD Awards Saturday night, but to also pop into several parties and panels at the three-day Q-MeCon - the 2nd Annual Queer Media & Entertainment Conference over the weekend. The GLAAD Awards are given to mainstream media [like best comedy series winner "Ugly Betty" pictured above) for positive portrayals and coverage of the LGBT community and do not have competitive categories for shows that are produced on such exclusively-gay media as MTV's Logo channel or the here! network or magazines like The Advocate or Out.
I asked GLAAD President Neil Giuliano (pictured with Neil Patrick Harris and Cobie Smulders) about the policy Saturday night and asked him if things might be changed before next year's awards.
ALEC MAPA: ROCK STAR: This guy, this brilliant guy, walks out after Martina Navratilova leaves the stage and introduces himself as Sandra Oh. Then he corrects himself: 'It's me, Alec Mapa, America's Gaysian sweetheart!" He wanted everyone to know that no, he is NOT Rex Lee: "I'm not on 'Entourage' all right? I know we all look alike but make a fricken effort!"
JAKE'S REQUEST: There were those who got standing ovation then there are those the crowd simply went wild over. Jake Gyllenhaal fits into the latter category. The claps, the whistles, the screams. He was the evening's rock star. When the noise went on perhaps a little too long (he was, after all, there to present to his "The Good Girl" co-star Jennifer Aniston), the ever=charming Jake said to the crowd: "Settle down. Settle down. Settle down cowboys...[then there was a chorus of female shrieks so he added]...and cowgirls apparently." 
ANISTON'S FRIENDS: She gave Gyllenhaal a very long and heartfelt hug then they did a little slowdance on stage. "This is quite a room," she said. "I don't know Jake, maybe we need to rethink things!" Aniston noted how just a few months ago on the same Kodak Theater stage on Oacar night, "Melissa Etheridge gets up on this stage and kisses and thanks her wife in front of 40 million people." "I've been lucky to have great friends; gay, straight, anywhere in between...you can leave THAT up to your own imagination!" 
MARTINA THE COMIC: After an incredibly moving film recapping her playing career and activism followed by a thunderous standing ovationj, Martina Navratilova took to the stage and said: "That video! Those hairstyles! Sonjaya's got nothing on me! ...[But] at least I can play tennis!" Navratilova told the crowd that while her career as a tennis champion may be over [she retired last fall one month shy of her 50th birthday], "Being a champion for gay and lesbian rights is something I will never retire from until we do have full equality and that day will come." Martina said that when she came out in 1981, "It was pretty lonely" but things were better by the time she helped lead the 1993 March on Washington and when she things about where the LGBT equal rights movement is today, she said: "We have come a long, long way."
STANDING OVATION SCORECARD: Coming out publicly can sometimes bring people to their feet...or not. When T.R. Knight opened the show, he walked out on stage to a heart-felt and sustained standing ovation. It was one of the evening's nicest moments. A short time later, Neil Patrick Harris took the stage, got warm applause, but no rear-ends left their seats. He noticed: "Oh sure, you stand for T.R." The crowd roared. When John Amaechi strolled out, the audience sprung to its feet again. Lance Bass follows him a bit later to present to Martina, audience stays glued to its seat.
A CLOSE CALL: So Lance Bass is doing a bunch of red carpet interviews tonight before heading into the Kodak Theater at the GLAAD Awards where he presented Martina Navratilova with a special award.
NEIL GLAAD TO BE THERE: "How I Met Your Mother Star" Neil Patrick Harris seemed very at ease as he did interviews on the red carpet. When he got to me he said: "It's enjoyable. This is my first GLAAD Awards and everybody's really nice and it's representing good positivity so I'm all for that."I asked him if being out publicly has changed his life much. "Oh, not at all. But I was never really skulking around so it's all kind of interesting."
MEETING KEVIN: Knock me over with a feather. I met Mathew Rhys (Don't we look cute together? Take THAT Scotty!). When he started talking to me, I had to stop and laugh. I said, "I've never heard you talk with the accent! I've never heard your real voice." The Welsh actor, who does a superb American accent as Kevin, cracked up. We collected ourselves and I asked him what he thinks of all the attention and affection that has been aimed toward his character of Kevin: "I'm extremelyhappy about that and, you know, an enormous part of that is the writing. I'm so lucky. They bring the character to the table and I'm just lucky enough to day the words. It's very intelligent and sensitive and mature writing."
Mathew walked the red carpet with co-stars Ron Rifkin and Patricia Wettig and the three of them were having a ball. That must be a fun set. i asked Ron hos thoughts on Matthew/Kevin: 'I love him. The fact that I love hom has nothing to do with the fact that he's gay [Matthew is straight, the character of Kevin is Gay]. Don't I love you?" Rifkin said to Rhys before giving him a kiss on the lips. It was like he was his real uncle.
KEVIN'S EX SPEAKS: Jason Lewis, whose character of Chad dumped Kevin in last Sunday's episode, was being whisked by but I called out to him and he came over for one question. "It better be a good one though," he kidded. I asked what he thought of his story arc as a closeted soap star who in the end, decides to come out: "I think the writing on it was fantastic because, although it was about a character coming out, I think it was universal in that it was about anybody who doesn't understand themselves and kind of destruction they do to their lives."
SEEING THE BOYS: Since I had written a cover story for "Frontiers" about them and their movie "Boy Culture," it was a nice little reunion with Derrick Magyar, Darryl Stephens and Jonathon Trent and a real treat to mee the film's director Q. Allan Brocka! (Brocka blogged about the evening and it's terrific). I asked them what it's been like to be on all these magazines in connection with their well-received film. "It's been incredible," Magyar said. "We're really proud of the film and to be recognized. It's amazing. i kind of felt like we had made a really kind of special film. I didn't really know what was going to happen with it - I try not to think about those things - but I hoped for the best."
LONI LOVEFEST: Readers of "Out In Hollywood" already know that I loved the series "NoTORIous" mostly because of Loni Anderson's hilarious portrayal of Tori Spelling's self-absorbed mom on the show. When I saw this still-gorgeous actress, I had to tell her how hard she made me laugh.
KOZ I SAID SO: There's Dave Koz! Looking so dapper. It was so good to see him and we joked about how my friend, Trevor Daley, and I were heading up the Dave Koz fan club. "I've been here many times but I've never presented so this is a very special night for me," said Dave who added that since he came out publicly a few years ago, "Everything got better."
Over the next few days, I will have a slew of posting about Q-MeCon and the GLAAD Awards. Last night I went to the opening night party and will write about that in the next post and today attended a few panels and got some exclusive stuff from the creator of "Brothers & Sisters" so stay tuned!
What an incredible evening put on by the Women's Sports Foundation and it was very exciting to be around all these sports legends. It was a privledge I will never forget. Since I was seated in the back, I was able to stand and dance to Elton John's 10-song set with my new friend Kennette Coffman. We boogied to "Bennie and the Jets," "Tiny Dances," "Rocket Man," "Philadelphia Freedom" and others. Since Elton wrote "Philadelphia Freedom" for Billie Jean, his close friend of more than three decades, it was particularly touching when during the song, they briefly showed a split-screen of him singing and Billie Jean watching from the audience.
"She's an amazing woman," Elton said of BJK. "She has the same energy and ambition that she had when she first came to England [to play Wimbledon in 1962] as Billie Jean Moffit. I really admire that in a person....She's one of the most motivational people I've ever met, one of the truest and loyalist people I've ever met."
As Elton sang, assorted sports legends would congregate in back of us. Cheryl Miller, Nancy Lieberman and Ann Meyers-Drysdale were huddling and giggling a few feet away from me after they presented an award, swimmer Diana Nyad and Olympic gymnast Dominique Dawes stopped by to gab with my seatmate Tuti B. Scott, a member of the foundation's staff. During "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me," 1994 Wimbldeon Champion Conchita Martinez walked by and I gave her a thumbs up.
I was seated at the table next to Dorothy Herrill-Doyle (pictured, right) who played on the baseball league that inspired the movie "A League of Their Own." Dorothy played for the Rockford Peaches from 1944-50 and 1952. She said to me, "What a wonderful occasion" and talked about how honored she felt to be a part of the event's parade of champions who took the stage. 
The evening was star-studded. Geena Davis, star of "A League of Their Own" charmed the crowd and paid tribute to King because "she bucked centuries of accepted practice" in her fight for equality in sports and society. Other presenters included John Amaechi, Jimmy Connors, Elisabeth Shue, Marilee Matlin, Deion Sanders, Rodney Peete, Davenport, Cheryl Miller and Nancy Leiberman.
"This is the most fantastic evening," Stone told the audience before the auction. "To see all these women athletes come out is just so thrilling...Billie Jean is an inspiration and has changed the way that we can live with the courage and inspiration by which she has lived."
Ben Affleck has had his critics over the years, but I'm not one of them. I think he's talented, smart, funny and handsome. I may be ridiculed for this, but I have seen plenty of movies far worse than "Gigli." He's rebounded with "Hollywoodland" and I wish him nothing but success.
Keaton has been a movie star since the early 70s when she made a splash with comic roles in such Woody Allen movies as "Play It Again Sam" and "Love and Death" as well as dramatic roles in "Godfather" and "Godfather II." Then was the Academy Award in 1978 for "Annie Hall" (the same year she starred in "Looking for Mr. Goodbar") and nominations i each decade since: in 1982 for "Reds," in 1996 for "Marvin's Room" and in 2002 for "As Good As It Gets." She has deftly mixed comedies ("Baby Boom," Manhattan Murder Mystery," "First Wives Club" and "Father of the Bride") with dramas ("Shoot the Moon," "Mrs. Soffel," and "Interiors."
Oh, how I love Lucy. So how cool is it that at next Saturday's TV Land Awards, "The Legacy of Laughter Award" will be given to the late Lucille Ball? Her two children, Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr. will be on hand in Santa Monica to accept the award which will be presented by Carol Burnett, a close family friend.
Desi Jr. was a teen idol right off the bat as Craig Carmichael and he was also in a popular band with one of Dean Martin's son (I think it was called Billy, Dino and Desi). He went on to star in various films like "Red Sky at Morning," "Joyride," and "Mr. and Mrs. Bo Jo Jones" and played his father, Desi Arnaz Sr., in the film "The Mambo Kings." He was a gossip magazine fave due to his high-profile romances with Oscar-winners Patty Duke and Liza Minnelli.
But Desi Jr. has not been as consistently committed to his show business career as his big sister who stayed with her mother's sitcom all six seasons then went on to star on Broadway in "They're Playing Our Song," "Lost n Yonkers," and "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" and on London's West End" in "Witches of Eastwick." Lucie also had her own sitcom "The Lucie Arnaz Show" for a season in the mid-80s and co-starred in the films "The Jazz Singer" and "Billy Jack Goes to Washington." She has always worked and clearly inherited her mom's hard-work ethic.
The GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles will be held on Saturday, April 14 and I'm really eager to attend even if it means I will have to miss the TVLand Awards which are being held on the same night. Don't these kudofests talk to each other? I missed the Writer's Guild Awards for the first time in five years because the Grammy's were on the same night.
Some people are doing a little head-scratching over Aniston getting the Vanguard but maybe there is a lot we don't yet know. But someone we do know a lot about and who deserves every award there is for courage and accomplishment is tennis Legend Martina Navratilova. Martina will be presented with the Stephen F. Kolzak Award by former NSYNC band member Lance Bass who, like Knight, came out publicly last year under a glare of publicity. In addition to Martina, the other prominent out athlete to appear will be former NBA player John Amaechi.
And that's just the gay people. Also on the program will be the wonderful Judith Light, "Ugly Betty" star America Ferrera, Katherine Heigl of "Grey's Anatomy" and...(I can hardly stand it!) Matthew Rhys who plays Kevin Walker on "Brothers & Sisters." Rachel Griffiths who plays his sister Sarah and Jason Lewis, who plays his lover Chad, are also on the bill. But I'm most excited to see Matthew and hopefully have a bit of a chat with him on the red carpet!
Following is a complete list of GLAAD Media Awards presented on stage at the 18th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York on Monday night starting with the Excellence in Media Award presented to Patti LaBelle by Jennifer Hudson. Most of the remaining photos include GLAAD President Nei Guiliano. Hey, I don't really mind. The man is very photogenic don't ya think? Not pictured are the winners of the Outstanding Film – Limited Release: Quinceañera (Sony Pictures Classics) which was accepted writer/directors Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glatzer, and star Jesse Garcia and Outstanding Reality Program: Project Runway (Bravo) which was accepted by: Tim Gunn
The "Dreamgirls" star appeared on stage at the very end of the show to present Patti LaBelle with a special achievement award. But the introduction turned into a 15-minute lovefest between Hudson, LaBelle and the audience. And for those who had any doubt about where Jennifer Hudson or Patti LaBelle stood on gay issues, they both made it very clear. They fully support the rights of gays and lesbians, including the right to marry. 
I admit, I was surprised and dismayed to watch Isaiah Washington receive a standing ovation at the NAACP Awards Friday night after he won the prize for best actor in a drama for "Grey's Anatomy" which won foiur awards overall. What was lingering in my mind was WHY? Why give him a standing O? For graduating from gayhab? For almost losing his job for spouting a gay slur at hs co-star?
I love Joan Rivers but I'm not so sure her and Missy are really fashion "experts." And that Cojo dude, as ridiculous as he looks at these affairs, he really should NOT be throwing stones, mmmmkay? Cojo named Nicole Kidman as his "worst dressed" which pretty much destroys his credibility. She was stunning. Give worst dressed to Sally Kirkland for goodness sakes!
Writes Daniel: "He, to me, is our generation's “Old Hollywood” in the making. The peak lapel of his Giorgio Armani tux is just right for his size; the dimple in his tie is perfect, and any man under 50 that can pull off slicked back hair so effortlessly without looking like a greaser from The Outsiders is a hottie in my book."
And no surprise here: Oscar winners Jennifer Hudson ("Dreamgirls") and Forest Whitaker ("Last King of Scotland") took home the best supporting actress and best actor prizes and winning best supporting actor was Oscar nominee Djimon Hounsou for "Blood Diamond." 
I'm getting hooked on Marc Malkin's 
10. Fashion Emergency
9. Supreme Surprise Diana Ross was invited to take part in the Dreamgirls medley. "But she didn't want to be on the show at all," Vilanch says. "I think she wanted to avoid a show that celebrated Dreamgirls." 
8. Three Amigos 
A few random snaps I wanted to share of Elton John and husband David Furnish at Elton's annual Oscar party which continues to raise millions for his AIDS foundation; Keifer Sutherland at Elton's party looking absolutely HOT, and Tom Cruise with Katie Holmes. Tom seems more humble these days doesn't he? I don't mean it snarky. He's not smiling so crazy big. I like it. I've always liked him as an actor and thought he was the best star around...until things just got too weird a few years back. I like how he's not hiding out, but keeping his head low a little more and focusing on moviemaking... 
The Academy might have chosen "The Departed" as best picture last night, but "Little Miss Sunshine" was the prefered winner, according to the results of Logo's annual online Queer Year in Film poll. LGBT filmgoers also differed from the Academy voters in choosing Eddie Murphy for best supporting actor. He was upset by Alan Arkin who won for "Sunshine." 
Poll participants agreed with Academy voters on the winners for Best Director (Martin Scorsese), Lead Actor (Forest Whitaker), Lead Actress (Helen Mirren) and Supporting Actress (Jennifer Hudson). 
* Favorite Comedy – The Devil Wears Prada
Gee, drinks with Daniel Craig? Sounds great! Oh look! Anderson Cooper (pictured w/Craig at the Vanity Fair party last night) already got to!. What does Anderson have that I don't have? Oh, that million dollar salary, that wonderful gray hair, those piercing blue eyes, that incredible camera presence...uh, OK, I'm really depressed now. I didn't even SEE Daniel Craig on the red carpet last night, he must've been one of the later arrivals. Maybe next year....
Funny thing: People kept calling me! Friends. A buddy Scott calls and says, "Hey, we're on the road. Do you know what radio station is playing the Oscars?" I whispered: "DUDE, I'm BACKSTAGE right now, I can't talk!" (For some reason I still call my straight college friends DUDE). Then my friend Evan texts me to tell me he grew up with one of the winners and to ask him something but I don't read the text until the guy was already out of the interview room.
So when Jennifer Hudson wins, it takes another hour or more before she arrives backstage because she had to sing with Beyonce and they were knockouts! When Jennifer did arrive, I stood to ask her a question and thought I'd remind her of how we sat together at the Oscar luncheon. She kinda looked at me blankly like, "Don't know ya." I guess I could have said: "You know, we chit chatted through the meal when you weren't texting your sister, I passed you the butter, I told you the quote on your T-shirt (an Academy gift) was from "Annie Hall" when you looked at it blankly, and told you that Mark's last name was Wahlberg. Remember me NOW?"
While Celine Dion was singing on the screen and the backstage interview was the foreign film winner who is speaking in German. What is there to do? Gossip with Richard Roeper! He heard that after losing the best supporting actor race to Alan Arkin, Murphjy left! If that's the truth, it's not very gracious of Norbit. After all, remember 10 years ago when poor Lauren Bacall, as much as a front-runner for "The Mirror Has Two Faces" as Murphy was for "Dreamgirls," smiled bravely and clapped after Juliet Binoche won (this pains me to this day) then not only did Bacall stay through the whole show, she went to the Governor's Ball and danced with Kevin Spacey.
Al Gore and the team behind "An Inconvenient Truth" were just wrapping up their backstage Q&A session and were almost out of the room when Melissa Etheridge's name was called as winner of best original song "I Need to Wake Up" which she wrote for the movie. Gore tip-toed back into the press room to watch Etheridge accept the Oscar. He clapped wildly and smiled ear-to-ear. He clapped again when Etheridge said "caring about the Earth is not red or blue, we are all green."
The real class act this year has been Helen Mirren. It could have been one of those situations where we would be sick of her since I've been there when she won the Emmy last fall for "Elizabeth I" then the Golden Globes and SAg Awards when she won for BOTH "Elizabeth I" and "The Queen." But ya know what? Helen Mirren is a highly intelligent, witty, sexy and hugely talented person and holds court backstage as good as anyone I've ever seen. She is in the moment, remembers people, is funny and relevant. She even told us what she'd been drinking: a vodka gimlet. I adore Helen Mirren. And Forrest Whitaker, such a class act. He was called away during the backstage interview to be photographed with Mirren, Hudson and Arkin but he insisted on coming back and picking up right where he left off. He's so much more animated backstage, not at all nervous like he gets on stage.
And finally, Martin Scorsese! Was there a happier man in the Kodak Theater? And was there anyone people were happier for? All the major winners were such feel-good stories and people who you could root for. I may have been operating well below-par with this sinus infection thing, but I wouldn't have missed it for the world...and didn't! 
How embarrassing. I forget that I had committed to doing this Canadian radio show this morning with a cool guy named Shane Fox so when his producer calls, she totally wakes me up and when I get on the air, my voice comes out as a croak. I have this frog the size of Kermit and can't get rid of it the entire 20 minutes or so I'm on the air. But that didn't stop me from sharing my memories of Oscar night. 
Leonardo DiCaprio was the most handsome man on the red carpet, in my opinion. His hair slicked back and a nice air about him, he is a real movie star and knows how to act like one and is the best actor of his generation. Nicole Kidman (pictured below w/Meryl Streep), wearing this red dress, was THE standout in my mind. She's like a model on the red carpet but also has this air of grace and dignity. Like DiCaprio, she excudes true movie star quality AND is one of the best actresses of her generation.
I thought Jodie Foster looked dazzling as she always does whenever she decides to attend these events and when I asked her who she was rooting for for best director, she smiled and said, "Awww. Martin Scorsese." It was sweet the way she looked when she said it because you knew she had long been rooting for the man who directed her to her first Oscar nomination 30 years ago in "Taxi Driver." 
Will and Jada went by with their son and look so happy all the time. Jada Pinkett Smith is someone who I always want to see on the red carpet. The "Prada" girls, Emily Blunt and Anne Hathaway, glided by me too and Emily I think was with Michael Buble who is, I think, her boyfriend. Also saw Dave Koz, looking so dapper, but was unable to get his attention through all the madness. And it IS madness. You'd think these people had never been to the Oscars before. Sheesh!
I'll provide you with some kind of more complete wrap-up of the Academy Awards tomorrow. I'm glad to have made it through a long day while still under the weather. I'm gonna get out of my tux, make a cup of hot tea, and get some sleep. But wanted to share how proud I was of Ellen DeGeneres as the host. she reminded me of Johnny Carson, one of the most successful hosts of the show ever, in that she was pleasant and fun but didn't detract from the proceedings by trying to be too edgy etc. I love how she mingled with nominees in the audience and just was her fun self.
And a big shout-out to Melissa Etheridge, winner for best original song who beat out three strong entries from "Dreamgirls." "This is the only naked man who will ever be in my bedroom," she said of her Oscar as she stood backstage taking questions. As one of the world's most famous lesbians, she was asked about thanking partner Tammy Lynn Michaels as her wife in her speech and giving her a big kiss before taking the stage.
The road comedy "Little Miss Sunshine," the gem of 2006, won the top prize at the Spirit Awards on Saturday night and is considered a serious best picture contender at Sunday's Academy Awards. I'm so glad to see that the co-directors, the husband-and-wife team of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (pictured, right), won as well. The were nominated for the DGA prize but somehow passed over for an Oscar nod. But on Oscar morning, they gave interviews to reporters, including me, anyway. And they were funny and so happy for the other Oscar nods. Class acts. Screenwriter Michael Arndt took the Spirit for best first screenplay and Alan Arkin won for his supporting role as a junkie grandfather. Both are up for Oscars as is Abigial Breslin for supporting actress.
Stopped by the Kodak Theater today to get my picture taken for Academy Awards press credentials. I'm dragging a bit from the flu still so didn't wander like I usually do but I'm told I missed Joan and Melissa Rivers by about an hour and that Mary Hart was the first person to get her pix taken this morning.
...also, this Saturday night (Feb. 25) I will appearing on KABC (790 -AM) radio's Mark Isler Show to talk about the Academy Awards. I'm told my segment begins about 10 p.m. and might last as much as an hour. This marks the third time in recent months that I've appeared with Mark and I am always happy to do so.
I've had fun watching some of John Barrowman's co-hosting of the E! pre-show and especially loved when he saw Jake Gyllenhaal follow Daniel Craig down the red carpet and said what any red-blooded gay man was thinking: "Jake Gyllenhaal and Daniel Craig behind us! Hot! Hot! I'll fight you for every one of them [He said to a female fashion expert]. OK, you have one, you have one, I'll have the other.
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."
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 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. 
Why not have Joan Baez, who looked amazing and is a legend, present with Henley? That REALLY annoyed me. Apparently she is about to record an album. She asked Henley if he had any advice for her. He said: "No." And he seemed to mean it.
Tony Bennett, that ageless wonder, spent loads of time with us backstage talking about how he has always strived to make timeless music that would still be listenable 50 years from now. He! has certainly accomplished that. Tony is 80 years old, an amazing 80 years old, and talked about how finding something that you love in life and doing it, keeps you young. He is living proof. He is a living legend who now has 14 Grammys, the first won in the early 60s for "I Left My Heart in San Francisco."
Anyway, one of the Chili Peppers, Chad Smith the drummer, made a face at her behind her back and she saw him. Busted! Most peeps would laugh it off, but gold coat lady was incensed. I was convulsing in laughter. It was so third-grade...and so funny! When Chad walked back into the press room earlier, he looked around and said: "You guys are stuck back here the whole time? Why? Why? Were you bad in college?"
This should be a kick. I've never covered the Grammys before but I'm giving it a go and am about to head out to Staples Center in a bit. Best part: no tuxedo required! This awards season, I've started to feel like an extra in "Happy Feet."
My ticket must have been lost in the mail. Because after the show, the closest I got to the Governors Ball was when I walked by the front doors of the shindig with a laptop computer bag slung over my shoulder. I was going direct from the interview room at the Kodak Theater to a bus shuttle parked on Orange Avenue that took me and other journalists back to the Arclight parking structure.
Then the table right next to us fills up and i realize I am sitting back-to-back with Leonardo DiCaprio. I've seen both "Blood Diamond" and "The Departed" in recent weeks and tell him how good he was in both. I also tell him how moved everyone was by his tribute to Martin Scorsese a few nights earlier at the Directors Guild of America Awards. Mark Wahlberg is also at that table and I congratulate him on his supporting actor nomination.
Jennifer (as in Hudson) is with her acting coach but spending a lot of time on her Blackberry. I later find out that it's her sister she's communicating with and they are dealing with their mother who is fretting over what to wear at the Oscars. 
I'm sitting here trying to process my afternoon at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, site of the Academy's 26th annual luncheon for Oscar nominees. I got there kinda early to watch the stars walk in and saw Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith nearly cause a riot when they entered the lobby and fans were lined up with cameras. I don't think there is a nicer couple in Hollywood when it comes to fans. They posed for pics, signed things and looked happy and relaxed. 
Forest Whitaker was also working the line tirelessly as was Penelope Cruz. When Abigail Breslin, the little girl from "Little Miss Sunshine" was giving an autograph, I thought: 'How cute, some star is letting her daughter give a fan an autograph." Duh! I soon realized who it was! Mellissa Ethridge, looking terrific, caused a frenzy and radiated such great energy as she interacted with fans.
Once the stars made it past the fans and a roomful of photographers, they entered the ballroom with an entrance crammed with superstars, legends and other nominees. When former Academy President and Oscar winner Karl Malden, now into his 90s, made his way to the door, Clint Eastwood quickly walked over to warmly greet him.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Wahlberg chatted against a back wall, out of eyeshot of most people. Djimon Hounsou stood near the entrance with his manager, looking dapper in a dark suit.
A few minutes later, I see O'Toole hugging the very funny Bruce Vilanch who is usually on the writing staff for the Oscar telecast. They chat for a long while and at one point, O'Toole is petting Vilanch's trademark mop-top of blonde hair. After they parted, I walked over to Vilanch, who I have met several times in the past and said, "Do you and Peter O'Toole go way back?"
At one point, I stopped and took in my surroundings. Literally within a 10-feet radius of me are Penelope Cruz talking to Guillermo del Toro, Forest Whitaker, Will and Jada, Eddie Murphy and Sherry Lansing. It's surreal, and really terrific fun.
Then you had Hudson, one of the most wonderful a star is born stories in Hollywood history. First movie role results in a Golden Globe Award, a SAG Award and an Oscar nomination. Her performance in "Dreamgirls," especially her show-stopping number "And I'm Tellin You I'm Not Going," is one for the ages. She is still inexperienced at these events and read her tribute to Bill Condon off a sheet of paper instead of a teleprompter and stumbled a few times. But in the end, enough of her warmth and personality came through and she did Condon proud.
Matellas and I spoke on the red carpet before the show and he was hopeful that awards recognition would get his film, about children living with leukemia in a pediatric hospital in Lithuania cancer, more widely seen. "It is not a film just about the pain...It's about our destiny, our faith, our friends, our whole lives."
"It's fun, it's overwhelming, it's exhausting, it's everything," he said. "It's a great honor to be nominated with people like Martin Scorsese and Stephen Frears and Clint Eastwood it's already a huge honor for me. I knew this film would take me a lot of time, three years of my life. A liver, a piece of my heart. Film can kill you!"
Bill Condon may not have been nominated for an Academy Award for directing the fabulous "Dreamgirls," but he was nominated for the prestigious DGA prize by his peers. He lost, as he predicted to me a few weeks ago, to Martin Scorsese but it was a night where he and other gay directors were prominent. 
Rob Marshall, who won the top DGA prize for directing "Chicago" a few years back, won other DGA award Saturday night, this time for directing a Tony Bennett special for television. "Working on this was a gift for me, I'm telling you...Seeing [Bennett] sing 'I Left My Heart in San Francisco' standing two feet away from me was the thrill of my life."
It was a heckuva night on Saturday at the star-studded Directors Guild of America Awards where the great Martin Scorsese finally won the prestigious industry prize for "The Departed." He was presented the trophy by Steven Spielberg and said: "It's the first time I've been given this recognition...I didn't think I'd be standing here tonight I can tell you that...I am greatly honored."
But just as touching was earlier in the evening when a dashing Leonardo DiCaprio, star of "The Departed" as well as Scorsese's "The Aviator" and "The Gangs of New York" showed such class and respect when presenting his mentor and "teacher" a nomination medallion. (What's cool about the DGAs is that all the five feature film nominees get a big presentation from one of the stars of their film so everyone is a winner on this night). DiCaprio, easily the most handsome man in the room, said he was "foirever changed" by the seven years he has spent working with Scorsese. "He's not just a director, he's an educator."
Host Carl Reiner, who would remark about all that had gone on, left that one alone. But Maria Bello took the stage in a red dress with a plunging neckline and said to the audience: "Please, dear God someone tell me if my boob falls out. Please, be brave." She then jokingly covered her breasts with both hands for a second before reading the nominations.
But the LeeLee fin was not over. Presenter Steve Martin took the stage and said: "Sorry I was a little late. I was backstage trying to convince LeeLee Sobieski that the best way to remove double-sided tape is with saliva."
Here is some of the barely coherent things I dictated to my colleague, Armando Hernandez (no relation) as I stood near the entrance of the red carpet: Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher just walked in, sending the bleacher crowd in to a frenzy. But that was nothing compared to the reception for nominee Jennifer Hudson of "Dreamgirls." Hudson is wearing a vintage plum-colored gown and showing lots of cleavage, she waves to the fans and just missed runnning into Mirren at the ET booth by a fraction of a second...Also causing excitment was super couple Warren Beatty - and his wife Annette Benning, nominee tonight....
"Ugly Betty" star America Ferrera - who's is looking more like "Gorgeous Betty" in an Emerald-green gown...fans in the bleachers go nuts...Steve Carell and Greg Kinnear just walked by. They were two feet away from me and didn't bother to say hello. They are OFF my Christmas card list!
I then climb into the bleachers and start gabbing with fans and security people and it's a blast. We see Mariska Hargitay...sooooo beautiful, then we see Shirley Jones and her biggest fan, Marfty Ingles...There's Justn Kirk from "Weeds," Edie Falco from "Sopranos," Eric Nabius from "Ugly Betty."
"First of all, it's about those 10 cast members sitting over there," Wilson said, refering to her castmates, "And the other one in rehab." 
Some of my favorite movies of the year did well with the cast of "Little Miss Sunshine" surprising absolutely everyone and winning the best ensemble award over the casts of "Dreamgirls," "Babel," "Bobby" and "the Departed." Just before I left the Shrine for the night, I watched cast members Steve Carell (who played a depressed gay man getting over a break-up in the film), Greg Kinnear (very cute), the adorable Abigail Breslin and Alan Arkin doing an interview with one of the E! anchors around this little table. They looked tired!
Before and during the show you are in such a frenzy and once it's over, I felt kinda goofy in that punch-drunk way. So my colleague Sandra Bererra and I were sitting at a table in the press room when the service elevator opened and there stood Helen Mirren - someone else carrying her two SAG trophies - along with her husband, the director Taylor Hackford. I couldn't help but yell out: "Hey! Congratulations!" And I waved. Helen Mirren, very down to earth, waved back and shouted out "Thank you!" It was a funny moment. But apparently, i wasn't through being a reporter/blogger/fan for the night. Sandra and I pack up our laptops and are about to leave when the damned elevator opens again and damn if there isn't Jennifer Hudson and her group. I'm a madman. I yell out: "Hey! Can we ride down the elevator with Jennifer Hudson?" They say, "Sure!" So Sandra and I nudge our way in and I start gabbing with Effie.
ME: "Do you need to add a room to your house to put all these trophies?"
So my colleague and awards show buddy Sandra Bererra and I are waiting outside the Beverly Hilton last night for a shuttle to take us back to our cars that are parked in Century City. We notice that a VERY curly-haired Will Ferrell is standing on the sidewalk with his wife waiting for his limo. I don't really know Will but I used to a little bit. It was back in 1990 or so and we were both part of a class that put on a weekly newscast on public television. I didn't think much of Will then because he was very quiet and seemed to take himself very seriously. But as he got famous on "SNL" about five or six years later, I dug up a VHS tape I had of one of our "Around and About Orange County News" shows and realized that I introduced one of his pieces when I was anchoring the program. It was on the water company or something. I mangled his name too! I had trouble with the W's and the L's. Try saying it fast three times.
I've been strolling around seeing what I can see. No stars on the red carpet yet but I spotted some of the TV hosts. The great Joan Rivers and her annoying daughter/sidekick Mellissa Rivers made a grand entrance wearing mermaid-like dresses. (This picture is from last year. I'll find an updated one to sub out later) Joan has a pretty good figure for a 70-something woman. Mellissa was walking behind Joan on their way to the TV Giide booth...forever in her mother's shadow...
I'm not credentiaed to be on the red carpet but from the lobby of the hotel, I have a pretty good view of who is coming and going so far. Zach Braff is the only nominee here so far. When ya show up early like that, EVERYONE interviews you so Zach iks very in-demand right now....There's Josh the intern from "The Tonight Show"! I'll bet he's gonna giggle his way through the night. He's a hoot!...Mark McGrath, I thought was co-hosting the "Extra" pre-show but now Mario Lopez is in the booth playing co-hist with the woman with the really big hair...I mean BIG hair....OK, Nancy O'Dell is walking to her booth. The queen has arrived. She looks regal in a black dress...she looks hot!...And there is the lovely Deborah Norville hosting for "Inside Edition." She looks great, kinda like Felicity Huffman. I chatted with her last year when I was doing the red carpet interviews. I sided with Jane Pauley all those years ago in the "Today Show" flap but now, I feel like Norville was in a no-win.
It's getting to be like the "Minority Report" at the hotel. Every time you go into a secure area, they scan your badge and your face pops up on their screen. It's like Tom Cruise's eyeballs in "Minority." So, Alec Baldwin just walked by me in the lobby. He looks very red. I don't know if he is sunburnt or if he is mad at someone. Ya never know...You can tell that "Lost" star Josh Holloway used to be a model. He is perfect in posing for the camera and very gracious and friendly in his interviews. His long flowing hair is perfect and he's got the ideal stubble. Who know rhat sulky Sawyer was such a ham!...I spotted the always friendly James Denton who is one of the more down-to-Earth TV stars around...I'm most excited about seeing Aaron Eckhart, a nominee for "Thank You for Smoking." He's always overlooked but he's here tonight and he looks like a real movie star...David Spade walked past real fast with people around him. I feel like saying to him, "and you are?????"...Peter Horton is here as one of the producers of "Grey's Anatomy" but he'll always be Gary from "Thirtysomething" to me! Remember when he died on the show? My roomate at the time was a wreck over it. He kept saying, "Gary died."
I just saw Marty Scorsese! He's gonna win tonight for "The Departed." I know it....Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon are here with one of their kids I think. They are going on 20 years of marriage and seem as tight as ever....Speaking of couples, I spotted Nicollete Sheridan and Michael Bolton getting interviewed. When the HELL are they gonna get married? They've been engaged for about three decades now. Time to get hitched! I also spotted Robert Duvall getting interviewed standing next to Patricia Arquette who is quite beautiful...
I hate to be catty, but Vanessa Williams is here and her hair is huge. It's like Diana Ross on a windy day. It ain't a good thing. I'm a little frightened of that hair. So, I just got hurried along out of the lobby. They leave you alone as long as you keep moving but sheesh, I kept stopping to scribble down a note or two and they busted me!
McDreamy is now in the house (sigh). I just spotted Patrick Dempsey. Women and gay men are fainting as he makes his way by. There's nominee Mark Walhberg whose come a long ways from being on a billboard in his underwear.
Now it's time for the big stars to show up. I see Sean Combs, Justin Timberlake, Leonardo DiCaprio, Will Smith, Naomi Watts. There's Courtney Cox and David Arquette, awe....Cate Blanchett looks stunning. Will Farrell's hair is very big and curly, not unlike the woman from "Extra." OK. Jack Nicholson has just arrived with a really young blonde. I'd think he was a perv buit it's his 16-year-old daughter who is this year's Miss Golden Globe. She is the one who will hand the trophies to the winner. 
As usual, Jada Pinkett Smith is one of the best-dressed women on the red carpet. Emilio Estevez has arrived. He looks three feet tall. Salma Hayek is causing a rukus because she is gorgeous... BRAD and ANGIE!!! They just walked in. They look like perfection. He's all blonde and moviestar like and she is beyond gorgeous. When they are not in Africa, they clean up goooooooood.
OK, now it's Warren and Annette. Beatty is taking the Cecil B. Demille so we know they are winning something since Annette will likely lose in both her categories. Hillary Swank is here. She's got a flower in her hair. It looks kinds stupid. Joan Rivers is gonna make fun of her as soon as she turns her back.
Jeremy Irons won best supporting actor in a TV movie for "Elizabeth I" to go along with the Emmy he won last fall for the role. "This is a nightmare," he says. Says he can't remember anyone's name He is thanking Helen Mirren. Says the movies was ignored in England and didn't get any attention until it was shown in the U.S.
I'm shameless.
I was in the interview room when "Babel" won and it was a surreal expeirence. I rushed in and leaned against a wall and noticed that standing three feet away were Beyonce and Jennifer Hudson! I'm wondering what the heck they were doing there as the 'Grey's Anatomy" cast was on stage. Then I notice Eddie Murphy right behind me. He's so small! But he's cool. Very cool. When the producer Larry Marks and director Bill Condon show up, I realize they are there to talk about winning for best picture-musical or comedy.
Not only has "Ugly Betty" won best comedy series, but its star America Ferrera just won best actress in a comedy series over some heavy-hitters. She was so emotional and natural, choking back tears: "Oh my God! I'm so sorry I'm such a mess right now."
I don't think there was any group having more fun last night than the cast of CBS's "The Class" which was named favorite new comedy at the People's Choice Awards. The cast, headed by the adorable Jason Ritter, all seem to genuinely like each other as they did all of their red carpet interviews and picture posing as a group. They also gave each other a chance to talk with no one hogging the spotlight.
But let's face it, Jason is the star and his clowning around backstage reminded me so much of his late father, John Ritter. Anyway, there was a funny moment backstage when Sean Maguire (he plays gay man Kyle Lando on the show) was asked where the absent Christian de la Fuente (who plays his boyfriend Aaron) was. Joked Maguire in his natural British accent: "He's at home with the children where he should be. He's a wonderful man and a wonderful lover!"
Covering the Screen Actors Guild Award nominations this morning, the interview I enjoyed doing the absolute most was chatting on the telephone with surprise nominee Shirley Jones who is beloved for her starring roles in classic musicals "Oklahoma," "The Music Man" and "Carousel." Her dramatic performance in "Hidden Places" got her into exclusive category of best actress in a TV movie or niniseries alongside Helen Miiren and Annette Bening, among others.
Despite her 1960 Oscar win for best supporting actress in "Elmer Gantry," Jones told me she has had trouble breaking free from her wholesome image from her beloved 1970s sitcom``The Partridge Family.'' 
Here are my thoughts (you knew they were coming): I hope Shirley Jones, who has given us so much wonderful entertainment for so long, gets some really meaty roles as a result of the awards attention she is getting. She is a showbiz survivor, a mother beloeved by her sons and husband, has kept herself out there since the 50s and is still going strong. I hope she goes on forever.
Sandra Oh, looking smashing in an Oscar del la Renta knee-length dress, announced the nominations with cute Elijah Wood who was under the weather but kept his promise to be there. Both Oh ("Grey's Anatomy") and Wood ("Bobby") were nominated in the ensemble categories.
The SAG awards go to television projects as well and the real highlight here is the cast of "Ugly Betty" being nominated an America Ferrera getting an individual nomination. It will compete against "Entourage" which has a gay character played by out actor Rex Lee, 'The Office" which has a gay character played by Oscar Martinez, and "Desperate Housewives" which, of course, has kay teen Andrew Van De Kamp (Shawn Pyfrom) who has been criminally underutilized this season. 
Last year, four of the five PGA nominees went on to claim a best picture nomination from the Academy. The other nominees are "Babel," "The Departed" and "The Queen."
Then, there is Bond, James Bond. All the skeptics who said he was too blond, not good looking enough blah, blah, blah. He is, in my opinion, the best Bond yet and that includes Connery, Sean Connery. He was mesmerizing at times, so athletic, charming, sexy, tough, funny and best of all, real. He wasn't a cartoon and he made me a fan of the franchise all over again.
BEST GAY-THEMED TV EPISODE: The "Forever Blue" episode of the CBS drama "Cold Case." This was an episode that got no real promotion but plenty of reaction - much of it positive. In this "Brokeback Mountain" like same-sex love story, the show's team of present day detectives who work to solve unsolved murder cases, focused on the 1968 murder of a cop named Sean Cooper (Shane Johnson). It first appears that he had been a “dirty? cop on the take from a local drug dealer but it soon become clear that he had been secretly gay and involved in a romantic relationship with his married beat partner Jimmy Bruno (Brian Hallisay, pictured). While "Cold Case" has occasionally had gay-themed episodes - and very good ones - this was notable because it contained a passionate, extended kiss between the two men. Jimmy, in a heartbreaking speech, tells Sean that they are “the lucky ones? because they know true love when most people, gay or straight, never do. The kissing scene was up on YouTube and other sites quickly but ordered down by CBS. Maybe they realize what a nerve they touched and are preparing for a heavily-promoted repeat. We'll see.
BEST GAY-THEMED MOVIE OF THE YEAR: "A Love to Hide." Set in 1942, this moving and heartbreaking drama is a movie that I recommend every gay person see so you can gain some perspecitve on what incredible lives we have now. Now on DVD, this French-made wartime epic about gay life and love in Nazi-occupied Europe was easily the best movie I saw at last summer's Outfest. In "A Love to Hide," two gay lovers, Philippe (Jeremie Renier) and Jean (Bruno Todeschini), living in Paris hide their love from their families and from the occupying Nazi army. Philippe works with the Resistance while Jean runs his family business, a dry cleaner. When Jean’s childhood sweetheart Sara shows up their door, her family murdered by the Gestapo, they take her in and nurse her back to health, it's still a struggle keeping this ragtag family safe from the Nazis. Jean’s brother is a collaborator and his dad a sympathizer. Tragedy closes in as Jean is accused of being a member of the “third sex? and having an affair with a Nazi officer. It is an important and beautifully-acted film. I cannot recommend it enough or give enough praise to the filmmakers. "A Love to Hide" is released by Picture This! Home Video.
CLASSIEST COMING OUT EVER: Neil Patrick Harris. The talented television and Broadway star was being pressured by bloggers - mainly the aggressive Perez Hilton - to come out after a publicist mistakenly said that Harris, who had never diuscussed his private life - was NOT gay. To clear matters up, the star of the CBS sitcom "How I Met Your Mother" released the following statement to People.com: “I am happy to dispel any rumors or misconceptions and am quite proud to say that I am a very content gay man living my life to the fullest and feel most fortunate to be working with wonderful people in the business I love..." Then Harris simply got back to work on his show and also kept his obligations to host a local drama awards gala in L.A. the next week then announced the People's Choice Award nominees after that. He is in a relationship with actor David Burka but they remain low-profile with occassional pictures of them walking their dogs surfacing. This is quite a contrast to the...
CLUMSIEST COMING OUT OF 06: Sorry Lance Bass, but you struck me as a fading star who had nothing to lose and everything to gain by coming out in the cover of People magazine. I cringed when I read that first interview as Bass described himself and his circle of friends as "Straight Acting Gays" or SAGS. Since then, Bass has not really had anything very profound to say but has certainly been basking in the limelight with boyfriend Reichen Lehmkul at various events around the country. It's the most attention he's received since his days with NSYNC. Lehmkuhl, in discussing how blogger Hilton pushed Bass of the closet by posting photos of the pair wearing each other's clothes on different days, said Bass and Harris had been "lanced." It hasn't caught on. But it is nice to see Bass become more comfortable with being out and about as a gay man and I hope he will eventually have something to say or do some work of note.
ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Tennis star Amelie Mauresmo, who has been an openly-gay player on the women's tour for nearly a decade. She may have lost her number one ranking last month to Justine Henin-Hardine, but she beat Justine in the finals of the Australian Open then came from behind to defeat her in the Wimbledon final as well. It was glorious and her speech after the Wimbledon win showed the world just how articulate, charming and thoughtful this beautiful woman is. Winning two of her sports' biggest prizes came after years of talk that Amelie would never live up to her grand potential. But she has done so now and has always remained true to herself along the way. She had a great role model in Martina Navratilova who retired from tennis one month shy of her 50th birthday. And Martina went out a winner as she won the mixed doubles title at the U.S. Open with Bob Bryan.
COMEBACK OF THE YEAR: Former "Queen of nice" Rosie O'Donnell quit her popular daytime show before she publicly came out and seemed content to do things like raise her four kids with wife Kelli Carpenter O'Donnell, speak out for adoption rights for gay parents and for marriage equality, launch a gay family cruise line, and make the occasional appearance here and there on television or stage. But then came Meredith Viera's departure from "The View" and Barbara Walters' brilliant decision to replace her with the outspoken Rosie (pictured, left, doing her imitation of Donald Trump's combover and face). The show's ratings are up, the hot topics segment often makes news (and gets Rosie in hot water) and Rosie again has a platform to be Rosie - the real Rosie this time, not the Tom Cruise crush Rosie. As a very out lesbian, her presence on this show each day is really helping to change the world and to give a lot of viewers the gay friend they never thought they'd have and really like.
DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR: Bill Condon. "Dreamgirls" is a dream come true and the openly-gay Condon is largely the reason why. He brought this stage show to the screen and made it dazzle. He deserves all credit for directing a newcomer like Jennifer Hudson to such a landmark performance and for allowing Eddie Murphy the opportunity to give the performance of his career. Musicals are always tricky but Condon masterfully pulled this off with his talented cast and crew. What a gift he has given us, a classic musical just like they used to make - one that we'll want to see again and again and again...
I watched an advance screener of the show last night (it will air on CBS on Dec. 26 at 9 p.m.) and I gotta say, the absolute highlight is Betty Buckley belting out "Memory" from "Cats" as part of the tribute to Andrew Lloyd Webber who was honored this year along with Smokey Robinson, Dolly Parton and Steven Spielberg. Buckley's performance was spellbinding, astonishing and absolutely glorious. She was crying. Webber cried. Good God, I cried.
As for the other performances, you'll want to see Christine Ebersole's "As If We Never Said Goobdye" and Josh Grobin's "Music of the Night," both part of the Webber tribute. Smokey Robinson, so deserving of this honor, was feted by Aretha Franklin who I love no matter how heavy she gets, how outlandish her clothes or wacky her hair. When it's Aretha, you just sort of have to say, "You are the queen!" She called "Smokey her "oldest and dearest friend" but unfortunately she only sang a bit of "Natural Woman" acapella. The rest of the numbers, including one by the Temptatiions, just seemed a little flat to me - an absolute lover of Motown music.
In between her first and most recent nods, there were wins for "Angels in America," "Adaptation," "Sophie's Choice" and "The French Leuitenant's Woman" and nominations for "The Mancharian Candidate," "The Hours," "One True Thing," "Music of the Heart," "Marvin's Room," "The Bridges of Madison County," "Postcards from the Edge," "Ironweed," "A Cry in the Dark," "Out of Africa," "Silkwood," the comedies "She Devil" and "Death Becomes Her" and the TV movie "First Do No Harm..."
First of all, I've been up already for nearly five hours. I have just enough adrenaline to make it to maybe noon then I gotta have a nap or I'll go INSANE! Why was I up so early you ask? To cover the Golden Globe Award nominations LIVE from the Beverly Hilton Hotel where we had to be by 4:30 PST. To read my early morning ramblings from there, please click 
Anywho, some of my personal faves made the cut even though Daniel Craig was not one of them. I was hoping he'd get a supporting actor nod for "Infamous" but didn't happen. That category is overflowing with star power with Brad Pitt (Babel), Ben Affleck (Hollywoodland), Jack Nicholson (The Departed), Mark Whalberg (The Departed) and...Eddie Murphy for "Dreamgirls." I think Eddie will and should win. It's the performance of his career.
I was hoping "Little Miss Suinshine" would do better buit am thrilled to see the always-terrific Toni Collette nominated for best actress in a comedy or musical and the film itself nominated for best picture - comedy or musical. But Collette will lose to my absolute fave, Meryl Streep, up for her delicious role in "The Devil Wears Prada" whicxh got three nominations overall. In addition to Streep, who already has xx Golden Globe trophies, the movie itself is up for best picture- comedy or drama, and the hilarious Emily Blunt got a well-deserved nod in the supporting actress category. My friend Eddie and I were doing lines from "Prada" in Palm Springs over the weekend and the one that really cracked us up was uttered by Blunt when she is in the hospital after getting hit by a car and says to Anne Hathaway's character (who gets to go to Paris instead of her): "You eat CARBS!"
So let's talk TV. How about that Sarah Paulson? YES!!! The beautiful and out actress who lights up "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" was nominated for best television supporting actress. Maybe she will win a Globe to put on the mantle alongside to two Tony Awards won by her partner, Cherry Jones. She's up against double nominees Blunt ("Gideon's Daughter) and Collette ("Tsunazmi, The Aftermath") as well as "Grey's Anatomy" star Katherine Heigl. But who do I think should win? There is not a better comic performance on television than the one Elizabeth Perkins turns in each week on ":Weeds."
I'll be covering the Golden Globe nominations live Thursday morning at 6 a.m. on the Daily News blog "On the Red Carpet" which you can connect to through DailyNews.com. I'll just be letting it fly as the nominees are announced.
Although Steve Carell's performance as a depressed gay man in "Sunshine" didn't make the cut, the entire cast was nominated for best ensemble, Alan Arkin for supporting actor, Paul Dano for young actor and the amazing Abigail Breslin for young actress. "Sunshine" also was nominated for comedy movie and writer (Michael Arndt).
Gay fave Meryl Streep received a best actress nod for "The Devil Wears Prada" which, ya gotta know by now is my other favorite movie of 2006 (completing my top four, in no particular order, is "Casino Royale). "Prada" also is competing for comedy movie honors.
Other gay connections: In the young actor category, Joseph Cross (left) was nominated for his performance as a gay teen in "Running With Scissors," out singing star Melissa Etheridge is nominated for best song for her "I Need to Wake Up" from "An Inconvenient Truth," and foreign language film nominee "Volver" was directed by openly gay director Pedro Almodovar.
Last night's Ribbon of Hope Celebration 2006 started off much like many other award events with red carpet intervews, a pre-show VIP party, hellos and hugs. But after settling into my seat at the Television Academy Theater, the heaviness of the reason why we were all there took over. In addition to honoring actress/activist Judith Light, several television projects were recognized as responsible programming that educated and raised public awareness of this devastating epedemic for which there remains no cure - treatement yes, if you can afford it. But no cure.
"General Hospital"Shifting the focus to AIDS in America, the long-running daytime drama "General Hospital" was recognized for its continuation of an AIDS storyline surrounding Robin Scorpio (portrayed by Kimberly McCullough, left) was was infected as a teenager by a boyfriend she loved. Robin is the portrait of a survivor who grew up to become a research pathologist but she still faces the everyday struggles of living with HIV. The AIDS storyline this year involves Robin's new love, Dr. Patrick Drake, who is exposed to HIV after cutting his finger while operating on a patient with AIDS. "We made a promise that we weren't going to let this storyline go away," GH writer Karen Harris said when she accepted the award. "Whatever Patrick's results are, we will continue to explore this subject. It is my hope that Robin will continue to live a full and joyous life."
Showtime's "The L Word" was selected to receive Ribbon of Hope's first honor outside the area of HIV and AIDS for its storyline on breast cancer during its third season. It followed the wrenching journey of Dana Fairbanks (Erin Daniels) from the discovery of a lump to her death from an opportunistic infection contrracted when chemotherapy weakens her immune system. "Lesbians have been virtually unrepresented in the popular culture," said Ilene Chaiken, the series' creator and executive producer. "It's a privledge to be taking part in television that makes a difference." 
Shortly before his cancer diagnosis, Peter Jennings started work on a one-hour documentary devoted solely to the issue of AIDS in Black America. Black Americans make up 13 percent of the U.S. population but account for over 50 percent of all new cases of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. That infection rate is eight times the rate of whites. Among women, the numbers are even more shocking—- almost 70 percent of all newly diagnosed HIV-positive women in the United States are black women. Black women are 23 times more likely to be diagnosed with AIDS than white women, with heterosexual contact being the overwhelming method of infection in black America. The hour includes tough interviews with the likes of Jesse Jackson and a very telling interview moment from the 2004 vice presidential debate when moderator Gwen Ifil exposed Dick Cheney's absolute lack of awareness on the subject.
ABC's Terry Moran, who completed the work for Jennings, made some comments on his behalf: "He had a natural confidence that good journalism could make a difference. I know that Peter would be honored by this award - I am as well." 
Judith received the evening's only standing ovation and it was heartfelt and filled with love for a woman who has more than done her share, for decades, in the battle against AIDS. Before the show began, I chatted with the two-time Emmy winner ("One Life to Live") and beloved star of the long-running sitcom "Who's the Boss?" who currently has a recurring role on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."
"You can't live in a country where you tell everybody you're compassionate and you love everybody and then treat the gay community like they don't exist and let them die. You cannot do it. I mean, you're doing it but I'm going to tell you that it's absolutely unconscionable. So I began to see how much homophobia was really layered underneath this AIDS crisis and why people weren't talking about it. You know that if this was a good ol' white boys disease, they would've been on it in a heartbeat. I'm not saying that we shouldn't take care of everybody but the point is, it was purposeful. People may say, 'Oh no, people would never really do that.' But whether it's conscious or unconscious, that was what was happening and I just didn't want to see that happening to people who I knew and loved."
This seems to be a big day, week and month for Daniel Craig news and I am only too happy to share all of it with you. The new James Bond has been nominated for a Film Independent's Spirit Award in the best supporting actor category for his fine performance as a cold-blooded killer who happens to be gay in the Truman Capote biopic "Infamous." As a blond and buff Craig dazzles the world as Agent 007, it's nice to see him recognized for this smaller film which has suffered by coming out a year after "Capote," a film with an identical storyline. But the film is solid and Craig's performance as one of the killers Capote writes about in his novel "In Cold Blood" and seems to fall in love with is not to be missed.
Leading the pack in Independent Spirit nominations is one of my favorite films of the year, "Little Miss Sunshine" which earned five nods including best picture. Even though Steve Carrell, who played a suicidal gay man in the film, did ot receive an individual nod, his co-stars Alan Arkin Paul Dano did. Also nominated were co-directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris and screenwriter Michael Arndt. This movie gem about a dysfunctional family on a road trip is out on DVD Dec. 19 with many bonus features ncluding four alternate endings, audio commentaries, music video and more. 
And here is a well-deserved Indie Spirit nomination: up for the John Cassavetes Award, given to the best feature made for less than $500,000 are out filmmakers and real-life couple Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland for "Quniceanera." Their film has several key gay characters and won both the grand jury prize and the audience award at this year's Sundance Film Festival.
My American Music Awards experience was pretty fun. Here is a link to take you to the Daily News blog 
STARSTRUCK MOMENT: I've met many stars and am usually Mr. Cool but once in awhile, when I do not expect it, I just get weak in the knees lkind of starstruck. It happened three years ago when I met Jaclyn Smith at the premiere of "Charlie's Angels" and again last night when I turned around and there was the stunning Katherine McPhee. I actually said: "Oh my God! It's YOU!" Real professional, real cool. That's me.
HOT (male division): Taylor Hicks! (Not kidding! He is not the same man he was on the show. He's slim, good haircut, cool threads), Mario Lopez (could he look bad?), Tyrese Gibson (sexy!) and Jamie Foxx (what. a. fox.)
ANNOYING: Britney Spears (why is she celebrated for leaving her loser second husband, losing baby weight and cutting her hair?) and Paris Hilton (To quote Nancy Reagan: "Who does this dame think she is?").
SWEETEST: Josh Grobin (I just wanted to hug him, then give him a haircut!), the Cheetah Girls (Never heard of 'em but they were a lotta fun) and Billy Ray Cyrus (absolute gentleman. such a proud dad).
There's Jamie Foxx with his family having a group hug. Carrie Underwood approaches Jamie to say hello. Photos were snapped and they went their separate ways. Suddenly I'm struck in this big crowd but it's OK because I'm standing next to Tyrese Gibson. Wow! I think I'll stand here awhile. And finally, William Shatner and his wife are waiting for a shuttle or a limo (probably a limo, he has TWO shows on ABC now!) And finally, there's Isaiah Washington, walking out in good spirits, along with his wife and his now-relaxed publicist. I leave them alone. 
Greg Hernandez has covered the entertainment industry for the Daily
News since 2001. He's considered a bit odd by some for his obsession
with box office numbers, has been known to camp out near the kitchen
at premieres for first crack at the hors d'oeurves, and Greg's never
seen a red carpet he didn't want to stroll down.