Monday, February 13. 2006:
The stars will be out in force today for the annual Academy Awards Nominee Luncheon in the International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. This will be the 25th time that the Academy has hosted the Nominees Luncheon. The first was held on March 9, 1982.
Seventeen of the 20 nominees in the acting categories will be among the more than 100
nominees from 24 categories who will get together at noon for the traditional pre-Academy Awards gathering. This is the time when the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) personally honors this year's Oscar contenders with the luncheon, presentation of a certificate, and some nice take home gifts. Previous luncheon gifts have included a commemorative Oscar sweatshirt, event posters, and a ball cap!
The event is especially sweet for the majority of talent who aren't household names (even though they'll forever have the distinction of being known as "Oscar nominee ..."). When drawing up the table arrangements, AMPAS planners go to great lengths to ensure that each table has an equal balance of guests from all categories, meaning that a Best Actress nominee and her guest might be seated with nominees from the Best Foreign Film, Adapted Screenplay and Visual Effects categories. A nominated director from the Best Motion Picture category might also be at her table, as long as he did not direct her nominated movie. Or, for another example, Best Supporting Actress Michelle Williams will likely be seated away from husband and fellow nominee (for Best Lead Actor) Heath Ledger and neither of them will sit with nominee Ang Lee who directed their movie "Brokeback Mountain." The arrangement is always a success as it allows for new introductions and encourages the shared camaraderie of this special time.
From the 78th Annual Academy Awards® Leading Actor and Actress categories Philip Seymour Hoffman ("Capote"), Terrence Howard ("Hustle & Flow"), Heath Ledger ("Brokeback Mountain"), Joaquin Phoenix ("Walk the Line"), Felicity Huffman ("Transamerica"), Keira Knightley ("Pride & Prejudice"), Charlize Theron ("North Country") and Reese Witherspoon ("Walk the Line") have RSVP'd to attend. Amy Adams ("Junebug"), Catherine Keener ("Capote"), Rachel Weisz ("The Constant Gardener"), Michelle Williams ("Brokeback Mountain"), George Clooney ("Syriana"), Matt Dillon ("Crash"), Paul Giamatti ("Cinderella Man"), Jake Gyllenhaal ("Brokeback Mountain") and William Hurt ("A History of Violence") are set to represent the supporting categories. All five nominees from the Directing category - Clooney ("Good Night, and Good Luck"), Paul Haggis ("Crash"), Ang Lee ("Brokeback Mountain"), Bennett Miller ("Capote"), Steven Spielberg ("Munich") - are also scheduled to attend. The only nominees in these categories that indicated they won't be there are Lead Actor nominee David Strathairn ("Good Night, And Good Luck"), Lead Actress nominee Judi Dench ("Mrs. Henderson Presents"), and Supporting Actress nominee Frances McDormand ("North Country").
Hotel guests, and perhaps a few door crashers, may be welcome to gather behind a velvet rope in a small area near the hotel lobby's entrance to watch the celebrities arrive for the luncheon. The celebs will also gather for the traditional
Oscar Nominee Class Photo, and be the subject of dozens of interviews. Watch for clips on this week's entertainment news shows like Access Hollywood and Entertainment Tonight, which are usually taped poolside in the beautiful Southern California sunshine.Photos: Oscar nominee Nicole Kidman with our teen editor at the 2002 Oscar Luncheon. Copyright LAStarz.com. Michelle Williams and Heath Ledger at 2006 Oscar Luncheon. Copyright Reuters.
