Nominees for Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for the 84th Academy Awards attended the Oscar Nominees Luncheon in Beverly Hills, February 6th, 2012. Pictured left to right: Gary Oldman, Jean Dujardin, Demian Bichir, Brad Pitt and George Clooney. Photo credit: Todd Wawrychuk / © A.M.P.A.S.Beverly Hills was the place to be Monday as this year’s nominees for the Academy Awards piled into the Beverly Hilton Hotel for the Academy’s Nominees’ Luncheon.
Beverly Hills was the place to be Monday as this year’s nominees for the Academy Awards piled into the Beverly Hilton Hotel for the Academy’s Nominees’ Luncheon.
The bash is designed to create a winners’ atmosphere for all the people recognized for their achievements in film in the past year.
Oscar nominees Stan Chervin (left) Glenn Close (left-center), Jean Dujardin (center), George Clooney (right-center) and Christopher Columbus (right) at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Oscar¨ Nominees Luncheon. Photo credit: Greg Harbaugh / ©A.M.P.A.S.
And judging by the comments from the different actors, all were having a great time mixing it up with their fellow nominees.
George Clooney has two nods this year: Adapted Screenplay for The Ides of March and Lead Actor for The Descendants.
“It’s always nice when people are kind to you and like the products you’re making and that’s a fun time because that doesn’t happen all the time as you know,” Clooney says. “It’s also fun because I get to spend time with people. I think a lot of people at home think we all just hangout together. I think they think we’re always at the Hilton drinking champagne and the truth is I hadn’t seen Brad [Pitt] in about a year when I saw him at the [Golden] Globes. So, it’s fun to catch up and it’s fun to see people I like and I haven’t seen in a long time – and get to meet people.”
George Clooney (left) and Brad Pitt (right) at the Oscar Nominees Luncheon. Photo credit: Todd Wawrychuk / ©A.M.P.A.S.
Clooney’s buddy Brad Pitt, who has his acting nod for Moneyball, agrees that events surrounding the Academy Awards are a perfect time to celebrate the industry in style while reconnecting with friends.
“It is a nice time for us that we get to get together and pay our respects,” Pitt says adding, “It’s really nice.”
Clooney and Pitt met, and spent time, talking with fellow acting nominee Gary Oldman, who Clooney “enjoyed spending time with.”
The idea of competition between them appears to be mostly hype. Oldman, who has given remarkable performances in the past as both heroes and villains since the early ‘80s, was digesting his first Academy Award nomination for Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy.
“I’m deeply honored to be part of it,” Oldman begins. “I’ve decided to completely embrace it and I’m having the time of my life. It’s a fairytale. With just a shift of perception I think you can either be incredibly overwhelmed by it or embrace it and run with it. So, I’m thrilled and having a ball. I’m hanging out with George Clooney and Brad Pitt.”
Oldman is also considering what the nod means for his career at this stage of the game. One thing is for certain, whatever roles he chooses aren’t always based on a big paycheck.
“The Oscar’s better than the money,” he says smiling. “The villains are the one’s you do for money. They’re expensive…well they will be now.”
Fellow Brit, Kenneth Branagh has been nominated four times before this year’s supporting nod for playing acting legend Sir Laurence Olivier in My Week with Marilyn. But, he was never able to attend the luncheon before Monday.
“I’ve always, always been working,” Branagh explains. “The main thing about today is being in the company of people next door. And already the sort of camaraderie is as I imagined it might be at this point, which is just to feel the delight at being at this stage of things and not being quite so pressurized today and to celebrate what a lovely thing it is to be recognized like this.”
Melissa McCarthy is a newbie to the Oscars. Though she’s known for her starring role as Molly on the TV series Mike & Molly, McCarthy turned in one of the year’s funniest film performances as the uber-masculine Megan in the wild comedy Bridesmaids.
The actress has gotten a heap of praise and a supporting nom for her work in the movie, but she’s still trying to adjust to the idea of being recognized by the Academy.
“It’s been a pretty amazing, surreal world and I kind of keep pinching myself,” McCarthy acknowledges. “I’m really hoping that I don’t get the call where someone goes, ‘Kidding. Just kidding.’ ”
Viola Davis, who got her leading actress nod for portraying Aibeleen Clark in The Help, is actually happy she got the recognition in her 40s as opposed to her 20s.
“When I was 20 years old I was on Broadway and I just thought I could handle that success and I lost my hair,” she confesses. “I lost my hair because I was stress out because I think I read a bad review. I could not handle stress at all at that age. Now at 46, I just let so much of that go. At the end of the day you really have to define joy and happiness for yourself and I’m so glad that all of the scrutiny and exposure is happening now that I’m halfway done with my life ‘cause I’m wiser…and I got my hair.”
Glenn Close has been validated by her acting nomination – playing a woman disguised as the man Albert Nobbs in the pic Albert Nobbs. Close not only starred in the flick, but produced and wrote the screenplay as well. Her costar Janet McTeer also got a supporting nod for playing Hubert Page, another man in the pic, which made the recognition from the Academy all the sweeter.
You see it was 14 long years ago that she first optioned the original material and it took all that time to get the story from the page to the stage. But Close never gave up on her dream to get the movie made.
“I’m a Yankee,” she says with a laugh. “I don’t mean a general Yankee, I’m a real Yankee. I’ve got Stonewalls in my veins. It’s crazy. You have to have a very, very subjective belief in what you think is good. I love telling stories that I think will have an emotional connection with people and as an actress I like to be challenged by something that I’ve never tried before. So, this had all those elements. I wasn’t willing to throw in the towel and I’m glad I didn’t.”
The Academy Awards ceremony airs live from the Kodak Theatre on ABC, February 26th.
Check out the sound from the Academy’s Nominees’ Luncheon. The talent listed in order are: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Gary Oldman, Kenneth Branagh, Melissa McCarthy, Viola Davis and Glenn Close.