Even for a television superstar like Julia Louis-Dreyfus, it ain’t easy to look radiant at 5:30 in the morning, but she definitely pulled it off when she showed up to announce this year’s crop of Emmy nominees—and her efforts paid off handsomely as she walked away with a nod for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her hit CBS sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine.
Dreyfus, who previously took home a supporting actress for her work on the classic series Seinfeld, joined fellow Emmy-winner Brad Garrett on stage at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ North Hollywood headquarters to announce the nominees for the 58th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. They showed their comedy skills before sunrise when the 6’8” actor “accidentally” stood atop Dreyfus’ raised step at the podium, leaving him towering even higher above her. When he got to the comedy lead actress category he bypassed the usual alphabetical order to announce his co-presenter’s name last, leaving Dreyfus looking even sunnier than when she showed up.
“This has been a lot of fun,” said Garrett.
“Yes indeedy!” agreed a breathless and surprised Dreyfus.
But if Dreyfus’ nomination seemed a no-brainer to everyone but her, the rest of this year’s Emmy noms bypassed other expected “givens”—last year’s powerhouseDesperate Housewives was shut out in all of the major categories, for example—while several new faces were added into the awards race.
The Fuss Over Dreyfus
“I don’t know what was going through my head. I was just sooo grateful I can’t believe it,” Dreyfus told Hollywood.com after the nominations. “I wasn’t sure if I was hearing it or not. It was really exciting. I was thrilled, absolutely thrilled.”
Much has been made of how Dreyfus’ comeback vehicle has finally broken the so-called Seinfeld curse, but the actress said she hadn’t really planned on bringing her back into the Emmy mix. “You always dream, but you never know,” she said. “I just know that when I read the script, I loved it and it spoke to me and struck me as unbelievably funny, so I thought ‘Okay, this is the one to do.’”
And even though the show has already proven to be one of the few network sitcoms in recent memory to find a broad audience, she thinks the added attention of an Emmy nomination can only bolster its fortunes. “It’s definitely important to the show, there’s no doubt about it. I think it’s certainly better to be nominated than not, let’s put it that way!”
Dreyfus, who wore a bold, lacy white Dolce & Gabbana dress with a daintily tulle décolletage, said she was especially excited to see her former Seinfeld boss Larry David and Watching Ellie co-star Steve Carell also get Emmy nods (they’ll go head to head in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series category). She has a busy few weeks ahead as she preps for the Emmy ceremony in August. “We go into production on the show, and then I’ve got to figure out what to wear to the party on the 27th.” And how soon does the dress shopping get serious? “I’m starting in about 10 or 15 minutes.”
For the moment, though, she had one major plan in place to celebrate the occasion: “I think I’m going to take a nap, because I’ve been up since one in the morning!”
Funny Business
The early morning call was not nearly as hard on Brad Garrett, or so the actor claimed. “It wasn’t tough because I was never home from the night before. I came straight from the Olive Garden.”
Hollywood.com asked Garrett, no stranger to the Emmys with five nominations and three wins for his role as Robert Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond, which series he thought would dominate in the upcoming race. “It’s up for grabs,” said the actor. “It’s a very different slate from last year. A lot of shows from last year were nowhere to be seen today. I think a lot of that is because [the voters] are looking at individual episodes and not a whole body of work.”
Although some prior favorites like Desperate Housewives came up emptier than expected, a few old Emmy warhorses like The West Wing snagged nominations amid big grabs for a sea of fresher faces, including Grey’s Anatomy and The Closer’s Kyra Sedgwick.
“I think people in the Academy take the time to look at the work, and I think they vote on how they’re moved,” said Garrett. “You have to remember there are very few shows out there that people really love, and I think that’s why we see a lot of repeat [nominations], because it’s hard for the new stuff to break in. But this year some of it did – I’m thrilled for Kevin James, who I think is terrific.” James, who has appeared on Everybody Loves Raymond, was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his long-running sitcom The King of Queens.
“There are a couple of huge shockers,” Garrett continued. “I can’t believe James Gandolfini and Edie Falco were left off, but then again it’s great to see Mariska Hargitay and Denis Leary on.” Garrett has taken a year off from primetime, but returns in the fall with the CBS sitcom ‘Til Death—nevertheless, he feigned shock over the omission of his name from this year’s list.
“I couldn’t believe I was snubbed, I don’t mind saying that. I know I wasn’t eligible, but there is a blue ribbon panel and most of them are over 70, so they don’t know we’re not on anymore.”
Keep reading for list of Emmy nominations…
[PAGEBREAK]Outstanding Comedy Series:
Arrested Development
Curb Your Enthusiasm
The Office
Scrubs
Two and a Half Men
Outstanding Drama Series:
Grey’s Anatomy
House, M.D.
The Sopranos
24
The West Wing
Outstanding Made for Television Movie:
Flight 93
The Flight That Fought Back
The Girl in the Café
Mrs. Harris
Yesterday
Outstanding Miniseries:
Bleak House
Elizabeth I
Into the West
Sleeper Cell
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series:
Steve Carell, The Office
Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Kevin James, The King of Queens
Tony Shalhoub, Monk
Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series:
Peter Krause, Six Feet Under
Denis Leary, Rescue Me
Christopher Meloni, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Martin Sheen, The West Wing
Kiefer Sutherland, 24
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie:
Andre Braugher, Thief
Charles Dance, Bleak House
Ben Kingsley, Mrs. Harris
Donald Sutherland, Human Trafficking
Jon Voight, Pope John Paul II
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series:
Stockard Channing, Out of Practice
Jane Kaczmarek, Malcolm in the Middle
Lisa Kudrow, The Comeback
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine
Debra Messing, Will & Grace
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series:
Frances Conroy, Six Feet Under
Geena Davis, Commander in Chief
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Allison Janney, The West Wing
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie:
Gillian Anderson, Bleak House
Kathy Bates, Ambulance Girl
Annette Bening, Mrs. Harris
Judy Davis, A Little Thing Called Murder
Helen Mirren, Elizabeth I
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series:
Will Arnett, Arrested Development
Bryan Cranston, Malcolm in the Middle
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men
Sean Hayes, Will & Grace
Jeremy Piven, Entourage
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series:
Alan Alda, The West Wing
Michael Imperioli, The Sopranos
Gregory Itzin, 24
Oliver Platt, Huff
William Shatner, Boston Legal
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie:
Robert Carlyle, Human Trafficking
Clifton Collins Jr., Thief
Hugh Dancy, Elizabeth I
Jeremy Irons, Elizabeth I
Denis Lawson, Bleak House
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series:
Cheryl Hines, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Megan Mullally, Will & Grace
Elizabeth Perkins, Weeds
Jaime Pressly, My Name Is Earl
Alfre Woodard, Desperate Housewives
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series:
Candice Bergen, Boston Legal
Blythe Danner, Huff
Sandra Oh, Grey’s Anatomy
Jean Smart, 24
Chandra Wilson, Grey’s Anatomy
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie:
Ellen Burstyn, Mrs. Harris
Shirley Jones, Hidden Places
Cloris Leachman, Mrs. Harris
Kelly Macdonald, The Girl in the Café
Alfre Woodard, The Water Is Wide
Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Series:
The Colbert Report
The Daily Show
Late Night with Conan O’Brien
Late Show with David Letterman
Real Time with Bill Maher
Outstanding Reality Competition Program:
The Amazing Race
American Idol: The Search for a Superstar
Dancing with the Stars
Project Runway
Survivor
Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Special:
The 78th Annual Academy Awards
Bill Maher: I’m Swiss
George Carlin: Life Is Worth Losing
Paul McCartney Live in St. Petersburg
Turin 2006: XX Olympic Winter Games
Outstanding Reality Program:
Antiques Roadshow
The Dog Whisperer
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List
Penn & Teller: Bullshit!
Outstanding Animated Program (Less Than One Hour):
Camp Lazlo
Family Guy
Foster’s Home , Imaginary Friends
The Simpsons
South Park
