The enviable burden of toting around The Actor, the coveted trophy from the Screen Actors Guild Awards, proved to be quite heavy–bulked-up Jennifer Garner and Jamie Foxx had no problem with theirs, but Paul Giamatti wiped his brow as he set his down, Marg Helgenberger strained to cradle hers like an infant, Virginia Madsen tripped over Sandra Oh‘s and James Garner dropped his Lifetime Achievment Award on his foot, wincing in pain (actually, it never hit his toes–he was acting!). But if the award was heavy, the winners were light as they gushed about their victories, and their lives as actors, backstage:
“I’ve always said that I’m a cheat, because I am a stand-up comic, and if anything work out down the street wit Ray, I’m going to be in Poughkeepsie telling jokes. I’m going to be in Cleveland, will be in D.C., Atlanta,” joked Jamie Foxx, who won best actor in a film. “But I think this is actually the beginning and not the end.” Indeed, it could be a long ride staright to the Oscar, if his recent dreams featuring that much-discussed relative he mentioned at the Golden Globes comes true.”I dream about my grandmother. I’ve had some incredible dreams. I had a dream that my grandmother was young, like 35, 36, and I was driving somewhere and she was sitting with me and I just held hands with her for the longest time, and I woke up and I was holding onto my pillow. And it’s been a series [of dreams] like that, and I don’t believe in any of that, I don’t believe in the supernatural.”
The Sideways gang of Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh seemed inseparable after their joint win for best film ensemble, but the seeming quiet and cantankerous Paul had to insist he was happy for all the attention. “I don’t think you could possibly get a better award, than from actors for group acting,” he proclaimed. I’m very happy. I just have a hard time showing it.” For Virginia, all the attention from the film had defintiely eased that always nagging worry that plagues performers: “I’m working, and that’s the best thing it could have done, is to have me happily employed.”
Meanwhile, Thomas fielded questions about the balance of comedy and drama, as the actors statue features a naked guy sporting both masks. “Alexander [Payne] spoke many times about how you can’t really make the disctinction between drama and comedy. It’s a life movie, it’s the events of these people’s lives for a week, and just like anybody else’s life during a day, you’re going to go through periods of pathos and happiness and tragedy and poignance and hilarity.”
Valentino-clad Cate Blanchett‘s thoughts drifted to another performer: Katharine Hepburn, whom she played in The Aviator and earned the best supporting actress statuette. “She was a very educated woman, and very interested in show business, and one of the most inspiring things I’ve found about her is the longevity of her career,” mused Cate. “And her choice and desire to age gracefully.”
Although best TV comedy actress Teri Hatcher and her ensemble of Deperate Housewives co-stars couldn;t make it backstage due to their presenter duties, they sent back the rest of the series’ winning troupe of actors, Steven Culp, Brenda Strong, Ricardo Chavira, Mark Moses, Andrea Bowen, Jesse Metcalfe, Cody Kasch, Doug Savant and Shawn Pyfrom. “This is the spin-off,” quipped Mark, while Jesse was just glad to be there. “I’ve never won an award for acting. I won an award for being the best new hottie on a soap opera,” said the actor, who played Eva Longoria’s teen gardener/parmour on the series. The troupe balekd when asked which of the lead actresses were most like their character, but Doug Savant stepped up to the plate. “I think they each share attributes with their characters, whether they want to admit it or not.”
“I think I’m the most unlike my character in that I’m very much alive.” added Brenda Strong, looking quite vivacious in Max Azria Atelier halter specially designed to intertwine with her Martin Katz jewels. “I think the show has empowered women to be all of themselves and not just a stereotype and not just a role, but all of themselves, from their passions to their flaws.”
“How do I get into character?” wondered Tony Shalhoub, who took home another TV comedy trophy for his role on Monk. “I wake up in the morning. Monk is really sort of a part of me in the sense that I have a certain–all of us have fixations and compulsions. Some of us are better at repressing them, squelching them, and I just sort of uncork the bottle.”
Best TV drama actress winner Jennifer Garner (lovely in Alberta Ferretti and a mix of Neil Lane and Chanel jewelry) ducked the question when a reporter dropped the Ben-bomb, preferring to talk about her profession. With all the emphasis on action and costumes on Alias, Jen said as an actress her win “is such a much-needed reminder about what we do when we go to work each every day.”
Jennifer also recalled the pitfalls of acting, which include lots of ugly auditions. “I’ve had so many bad auditions and I’m sure there’ll be so many more,” she laughed. “I had an audition with another actor who coached me, and it was a screen test with a movie star. I did not get the role. He told me to make really wild choices in every line and he kind of coached me on what he thought those choices should be…I was in the final audition with the actor and I did something totaly different from what I had done in the previous audition. And I could see him look at me [wide eyed]: ‘I vouched for you!’ I flew all the way there across the country, and I had to fly all the way back thinking ‘God, what did I do?'”
Trumping Jennifer‘s awful audition tale, CSI‘s William Peterson (who won along with his co-stars for best TV drama ensemble) told his own. “I had an audition with Lana Turner for a dinner theater piece–Lana was about 68 years old and I played a guy who gets out of bed and gets murdered–it was a murder mystery. It was a lot of money to just be in bed with Lana and get out of bed and get killed. So I went to the audition, and I didn’t know that you weren’t supposed to take off your clothes in front of Lana. I thought that was the audition part, that Lana was deciding who she was going to be sleeping with for several weeks.”
“You didn’t get the part because of your ass?” asked his co-star Marg Helgenberger. “It’s a nice ass.”
“She FREAKED OUT!” admitted Peterson. “She said ‘What are you doing?? Put your pants on!’ And she ran out of the room.”
Meanwhilem, the CSI stars were pleased and slightly surprised with their victory. “They usually honor the shows in which the cast is allowed to emote.” said Marg (looking radiant in a Vivienne Tam frock and jewels given to her through the years by her actor huband Alan Rosenberg).
“[But] if science made the show so popular, then the Discovery Channel would get 30 million viewers a week.” George Eads pointed out. “These actors are almost telepathic. We’re all on the same page.”
