Every year my personal "six degrees" with Oscar nominees continues to shrink.
And I can't tell if that's a good thing, or just a really bad karmic joke at my expense.
Probably both. I mean, isn't that always the case?
Let me just state, that I've had the ongoing misfortune of spending countless Oscar ceremonies at home in front of the television, while my husband gets to don a tuxedo to be part of the "Red Carpet" scene each year. I have lost track of how many times my kids and I have waved goodbye as he drove up to LA in his old Volvo, leaving the three of us at home to scan the "pre-show" sea of reporters all feeding at the red carpet.
My husband is the pop-culture reporter for The Orange County Register, and has actually been quite fortunate to land covering this gig for several years in a row.
He's usually easy to spot in a crowd. He's 6'6" and wears Buddy Holly-esque glasses. And he's nice to people and asks great questions of those wise enough to answer them.
He's not going to dish about gowns and Spanx, he'll ask about your work or your family and/or career. So, his ability to come home that night and tell us what really went on that day on the red carpet continues to be something of a family tradition.
After all, I have long since resigned myself to the fact that not only have I never set foot anywhere near the "red carpet," I probably never will.
Instead of weeping into my beer about this, I choose to bombard him with important questions, like:
"Okay, so who was really as pretty in real life as they looked on screen?" or "Who was an asshole?" "Who was sincerely nice and who was a dork?"
For the record, he's always says Cate Blanchett is one of the most consistently beautiful woman there, year after year. He's also been rather partial to Winslet, too, but, this year, he'd better be rooting for my old school chum, Melissa Leo, because, well, those are the rules.
I've vaguely known a few winners at various times, over the years, in fact, a couple of years ago my first cousin, Brad Lewis, picked up an Oscar for producing Ratatouille: Which turned out to be a very unexpected moment of family pride.
"Unexpected" mostly because I'd recently spoken at his father's funeral prior to this occasion, and had no idea he'd even be nominated. One minute I'm up in Fresno (always a scary thought) sharing an impromtu speech at his beloved father's funeral and then suddenly there's the same cousin giving an interview to my husband just prior to picking up a little gold man for Best Animated Feature. Surprise! Who knew? This is what makes life cool, nobody ever realy knows what's going to happen next. And it's unexpected quirks like this which make it all that much more exciting.
This year, however, just feels different. Maybe it's because I don't just know one nominee for one of those "BIG" awards, but actually, two of them this year: Frank Langella, nominated for Best Actor this year, as well as Melissa Leo, who is nominated for Best Actress.
Pretty interesting coincidence. Especially since I happen to think they both actually deserve being recognized for producing 100% quality work.
Not that the other nominees, don't deserve recognition (bla, bla, bla...) but, actors like Leo and Langella aren't your usual picks.
They aren't always on the radar, so when they are, and deserve to be: I cross my fingers that we'll actually get some new blood on the "A" list, for a change. I'm one of those fools who has zero to gain, but still hold my breath for them, anyway.
Seriously, I'm sick of the same four or five "stars" getting the all the leads year after year. All I can say is, at least we're not having to sit through one more evening of Zellweger and Kidman, again. All that collagen freezes my face just thinking about it.
As I've mentioned in any earlier posting, Melissa, I knew from the tiny school we attended in Vermont, but how I met Mr. Langella is an entirely different story.
I was an apprentice at the Williamstown Theater Festival one year and Langella was staring in a production of Cyrano De Bergerac which I happened to land a bit part in. Also, in an odd twist of fate, I landed the job of being his "personal assistant." Who would have known what a kiss of death that would be to my social life that summer.
Instead, I got a crash course in "theater" as well as the meaning of "ambition." For better or worse. And, no, it's not quite the story you think it is, either. Really.
I've always kept copious journals, which isn't something I brag about considering they are mostly horrific accounts of disastrous attempts at real life.
However,in this case, the journal I kept the summer of 1980, is not just deliciously cringe-worthy, but jaw-dropping in gossipy detail regarding some very familiar names. However, to tell all would break a certain unspoken creedo of theater.
After all, what happens during a show; lives and dies with that show. It's not real life. And trust me: This kind of loyalty was hardly earned, I just feel like it would be dishonorable to share everything I witnessed that summer.
Anyhow, I digress.
What I just want to state, again, is that my fingers really are crossed for people like Melissa Leo, and even the nefarious Mr. Langella, this year.
Hollywood needs some new blood in order keep some real talent flowing in Hollywood.
Besides, a little healthy competition is good for the mega-stars, too, right?
Probably both. I mean, isn't that always the case?
Let me just state, that I've had the ongoing misfortune of spending countless Oscar ceremonies at home in front of the television, while my husband gets to don a tuxedo to be part of the "Red Carpet" scene each year. I have lost track of how many times my kids and I have waved goodbye as he drove up to LA in his old Volvo, leaving the three of us at home to scan the "pre-show" sea of reporters all feeding at the red carpet.
My husband is the pop-culture reporter for The Orange County Register, and has actually been quite fortunate to land covering this gig for several years in a row.
He's usually easy to spot in a crowd. He's 6'6" and wears Buddy Holly-esque glasses. And he's nice to people and asks great questions of those wise enough to answer them.
He's not going to dish about gowns and Spanx, he'll ask about your work or your family and/or career. So, his ability to come home that night and tell us what really went on that day on the red carpet continues to be something of a family tradition.
After all, I have long since resigned myself to the fact that not only have I never set foot anywhere near the "red carpet," I probably never will.
Instead of weeping into my beer about this, I choose to bombard him with important questions, like:
"Okay, so who was really as pretty in real life as they looked on screen?" or "Who was an asshole?" "Who was sincerely nice and who was a dork?"
For the record, he's always says Cate Blanchett is one of the most consistently beautiful woman there, year after year. He's also been rather partial to Winslet, too, but, this year, he'd better be rooting for my old school chum, Melissa Leo, because, well, those are the rules.
I've vaguely known a few winners at various times, over the years, in fact, a couple of years ago my first cousin, Brad Lewis, picked up an Oscar for producing Ratatouille: Which turned out to be a very unexpected moment of family pride.
"Unexpected" mostly because I'd recently spoken at his father's funeral prior to this occasion, and had no idea he'd even be nominated. One minute I'm up in Fresno (always a scary thought) sharing an impromtu speech at his beloved father's funeral and then suddenly there's the same cousin giving an interview to my husband just prior to picking up a little gold man for Best Animated Feature. Surprise! Who knew? This is what makes life cool, nobody ever realy knows what's going to happen next. And it's unexpected quirks like this which make it all that much more exciting.
This year, however, just feels different. Maybe it's because I don't just know one nominee for one of those "BIG" awards, but actually, two of them this year: Frank Langella, nominated for Best Actor this year, as well as Melissa Leo, who is nominated for Best Actress.
Pretty interesting coincidence. Especially since I happen to think they both actually deserve being recognized for producing 100% quality work.
Not that the other nominees, don't deserve recognition (bla, bla, bla...) but, actors like Leo and Langella aren't your usual picks.
They aren't always on the radar, so when they are, and deserve to be: I cross my fingers that we'll actually get some new blood on the "A" list, for a change. I'm one of those fools who has zero to gain, but still hold my breath for them, anyway.
Seriously, I'm sick of the same four or five "stars" getting the all the leads year after year. All I can say is, at least we're not having to sit through one more evening of Zellweger and Kidman, again. All that collagen freezes my face just thinking about it.
As I've mentioned in any earlier posting, Melissa, I knew from the tiny school we attended in Vermont, but how I met Mr. Langella is an entirely different story.
I was an apprentice at the Williamstown Theater Festival one year and Langella was staring in a production of Cyrano De Bergerac which I happened to land a bit part in. Also, in an odd twist of fate, I landed the job of being his "personal assistant." Who would have known what a kiss of death that would be to my social life that summer.
Instead, I got a crash course in "theater" as well as the meaning of "ambition." For better or worse. And, no, it's not quite the story you think it is, either. Really.
I've always kept copious journals, which isn't something I brag about considering they are mostly horrific accounts of disastrous attempts at real life.
However,in this case, the journal I kept the summer of 1980, is not just deliciously cringe-worthy, but jaw-dropping in gossipy detail regarding some very familiar names. However, to tell all would break a certain unspoken creedo of theater.
After all, what happens during a show; lives and dies with that show. It's not real life. And trust me: This kind of loyalty was hardly earned, I just feel like it would be dishonorable to share everything I witnessed that summer.
Anyhow, I digress.
What I just want to state, again, is that my fingers really are crossed for people like Melissa Leo, and even the nefarious Mr. Langella, this year.
Hollywood needs some new blood in order keep some real talent flowing in Hollywood.
Besides, a little healthy competition is good for the mega-stars, too, right?
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