Stars celebrated the Emmys early at the Hollywood club Deep
HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Sept. 9, 2001–Some of the Industry’s most talented actors were in Deep this weekend–and no, we’re not talking about Robert Downey Jr. In fact, Deep is Hollywood’s hippest, most of-the-moment nightspot, where a select group of stars showed up Sunday night to receive an early round of kudos for their work from the Screen Actors Guild.
Although an assortment of famous faces strolled down the red carpet outside the club on Vine Street, the event was more a funky, casual bar bash than a black-tie, limo-laden fete–heck, many of the small-screen stars actually (gasp!) drove up in their own BMWs, Jags and SUVs themselves.
With less than a week to go before the Primetime Emmy Awards, excitement was running high. Besides the congratulatory backslapping, the party was held to encourage the actors to promote awareness of SAG’s Rule One, which dictates the working conditions that movie and film producers must adhere to when working with actors.
Many of the actors in the house were lured by an appearance by big-screen titan Kevin Spacey–a committed SAG supporter who donated a hefty sum to bolster the efforts of striking commercial actors last year. By recruiting clout-wielding big names like Spacey, SAG hopes to make life easier for lesser known working actors.
“Our forefathers, the actors of the ’30s and ’40s, created this union to look out for the little guy,” said The Sopranos star Joe Pantoliano, who has specialized in playing those very types on screen. “Now it’s our turn to look out for the little guy.”
Among those who turned out were Malcolm in the Middle‘s Emmy-nominated mom Jane Kaczmarek, who appeared to have recovered both from the reported migraines that have kept her from her set recently AND from being placed on People‘s Worst Dressed list. At her side was her husband Bradley Whitford, best known as Josh from the Emmy-nominated West Wing. Close behind were his Emmy-nominated co-stars, Allison Janney (a tall drink o’ water in a cowboy-meets-rock-star ensemble complete with leopard-banded hat) and natty Richard Schiff with wife Sheila Kelly (L.A. Law).
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Also on hand were Judging Amy‘s Tyne Daly, Robert Klein, Frances Fisher, NYPD Blue‘s Gordon Clapp and Esai Morales, Chazz Palminteri, Gary Busey (huddled on a bench with three nubile, twentyish blondes), Sally Kirkland, Tess Harper, That ’70s Show‘s Kurtwood Smith, Gary Cole, Barbara Bosson, Robert Forster, Maria Conchita Alonso (in an so-revealing periwinkle dress–at least, periwinkle in the places you couldn’t see through), The Sopranos‘s drop-dead gorgeous Annabella Sciorra and Elliott Gould.
Gould teased those of us wondering if he would be playing a Geller grandfather this season on Friends–either to Monica and Chandler’s or Ross and Rachel’s bundle of joy. “I love playing a grandfather–in real life,” he said, “but honestly, I haven’t seen a script yet.” Meanwhile, the other guests worked Deep’s labyrinthine interior and debated who would make the best SAG president between the two lead candidates, Valerie Harper and Melissa Gilbert–and from the buzz, it’ll be a tight race.
Subbing for her husband, current SAG president William Daniels (Boy Meets World), actress Bonnie Bartlett (Once & Again) climbed up behind the bar and glowingly introduced the host of the evening, who earlier had bypassed the red carpet and slipped in discreetly. “He’s won an Oscar, but he’s never won an Emmy,” Bartlett added playfully as Kevin Spacey took center stage amid cheers and whoops.
“No, I’ve never been nominated for an Emmy, but I feel like I’m not alone in the room,” Spacey joked, provoking a big laugh. After asking for a show of hands from those actors nominated for statuettes, he then asked for a sampling of hands from those “who should have been nominated!” He then encouraged those nominees who don’t expect to win to prepare a speech anyway–a lesson he said he’s learned the hard way.
Spacey also gave a special shout-out to actor Michael Emerson, who just a day before had nabbed the Creative Arts Emmy for dramatic actor in a guest starring role for his chilling–some might say Spacey-esque–portrayal of serial killer William Hinks on The Practice.
After that, the stars went back to doing what they do best when the cameras aren’t rolling: partying. Behind the bar, the curtain went up on two glass-enclosed chambers, where three sinuous and very, very limber go-go dancers strutted their stuff for the crowd. Huddled barside, Kaczmarek and Sciorra seemed as captivated by the bumping and grinding as the gents, leaving Kaczmarek’s hubby Whitford free to watch the girls gyrate without fear of domestic repercussions.
“What Emmy are they up for?” I asked him, nodding at the lissome lingerie-laden lasses.
“Whatever it is, they’ve won,” Whitford replied.
