They say, “It’s not just TV–It’s HBO.” And when the classy pay-cable net throws a Golden Globes after-party, it’s not just a party–it’s a major celebration. The Hollywood glitterati gathered around the recently revamped pool court of the Beverly Hilton hotel, and here’s how you knew it was the Hilton: not only did the adorable socialite Nicky Hilton, whose family built the place, sashayed through the party with a cell phone glued to her ear and her new beau Kevin Connolly, of HBO’s Entourage, glued to her arm, her mom and pop, future reality stars Kathy and Rick, held court poolside with a coterie of their moneyed 90210 buddies. Of course, HBO had its royalty on hand: two of the three Sex and the City gals, Kristin Davis and back-to-blonde Cynthia Nixon, arrived with their arms wrapped around each other. Sarah Jessica Parker was in New York and Kim Cattrall was in London, but Sarah at least made a cameo appearance at the party by text messaging Kristen repeatedly during the bash. Drea de Matteo got a kick out of taking photos of a pair of guy fans who approached her, actually snapping shots after she appeared in them. “I always have a good time,” she told me as we each puffed cigarettes, showing no divided loyalties for HBO family and her NBC pals, who were partying elsewhere in the hotel. “I love HBO. I’m here tonight for The Sopranos.” Drea admitted she doesn’t really get a thrill out of the big red carpet events. That’s just not my thing. I love acting. The rest of it is gravy. This is not the perk for me. The perk is the work.” Asked if she met anyone who’d rocked her world at the bash, Drea didn’t hesitate to answer: “Oh my God! Emily Watson! I’m a really huge fan of hers, so when she tells me my work is good, it means the world to me. To be with her and Charlize Theron and Anjelica Huston–I couldn’t ask for a bigger reward.”
I always love chatting up Curb Your Enthusiasm‘s Cheryl Hines, because she always tells it like it is: “For me, Curb was not nominated, so it was a little less pressure–you’re just showing up and supporting everyone else and drinking and having a good time. We supposed to shoot tomorrow but it was cancelled, so it’s a holiday and now I’m just mixing and mingling like a regular person. It’s nice.” Cheryl was a little dismayed at the crunch outside the party when the Beverly Hills Fire Marshal shut down access to not one but three post-Globes parties simultaneously: “It’s very crowded out there,” she said, “and at one point we were literally pushed together in a line and it made me feel like I was at Disney World and it’s 100 degrees outside and your waiting for the Mad Hatter tea cups. I was like ‘What am I doing in a gown, squished against all these people?'” Globe winner Anjelica Huston, who triumphed for HBO’s Iron Jawed Angels made the rounds, The Life & Death of Peter Sellers star Geoffrey Rush stayed relatively stationary at a table full of pals, and Deadwood‘s Ian McShane was congratulated by his co-stars, like Molly Parker, who told Hollywood.com, “I’m so happy for Ian and Deadwood. I think he’s wonderful and I think he really deserves it.” While Sopranos starlet Jamie Lynn DiScala perched on the knee of her husband, A.J. DiScala, Entourage‘s Kevin Dillon shook it Travolta-style on the dance floor with his gorgeous date. Hugh Hefner and his bevy of busty, cleavage-baring blondes crashed the party, which has become his Globe night custom, provoking emotions ranging from dismay and delight from the guests. “HBO is such a generous, creatively-driven-minded company, and their party kind of follows suit,” said Armani-ensconced Gabrielle Union. “So it’s kind of like anything goes, and you never know who’s going to be in there going nuts!” Ultimately, the other nuts included the likes of Mark Wahlberg, Halle Berry, Michael Imperioli, Aisha Tyler, Star Jones, Scrubs stars Sarah Chalke and Judy Reyes, Nip/Tuck‘s Kelly Carlson, Shannen Doherty, David Hasselhoff, Janice Dickinson and the entire American Idol crew. Oddly absent were any stars from Six Feet Under, who apparently considered their Globe chances D.O.A.
