- Title: USA: Oscar nominees celebrate the honour with annual Beverly Hills luncheon
- Date: 8th February 2007
- Summary: BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (FEBRUARY 05, 2007) (REUTERS) (*** FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ***) LEONARDO DICAPRIO ARRIVING AT OSCAR LUNCHEON RINKO KIKUCHI ARRIVING AT OSCAR LUNCHEON MARTIN SCORSESE ARRIVING AT OSCAR LUNCHEON CLINT EASTWOOD TAKING THE "OSCAR CLASS PHOTO" (FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY) EDDIE MURPHY TAKING THE "OSCAR CLASS PHOTO" (GROUP PHOTO) GROUP SHOT OF "OSCAR C
- Embargoed: 23rd February 2007 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Usa
- Country: USA
- Topics: Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVAF2O9TOVPZ1RZ5BU6S6HC7BLLM
- Story Text: Oscar hopefuls lined the red carpet for the 26th Academy Awards Nominees Luncheon. The event, which has become a favourite for the nominees, was held Monday (February 5, 2007) at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Many of the nominees see it as the final chance to celebrate their achievement before the stress of the final weeks leading up to the Oscars takes over.
Jennifer Hudson, the American Idol winner and surprise star of Dream Girls has been nominated in the category Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
Arriving at the luncheon on Monday (February 05), she talked about working with Eddie Murphy.
"He never came and just told me anything, or said 'okay, let me teach you this.' But just watching Eddie was a lesson in itself. I mean, because he's very shy, very quiet, you barely know he's in the room. But as soon as they would say 'action,' he would just morph into this character, this person full of life, and it was just amazing to watch the transition. It was just a lesson watching all of them work," Hudson said.
Penelope Cruz was also out, singing the praises of director Pedro Almodovar, who directed Oscar-nominated "Volver".
"He really has written some of the best characters for woman in the history of movies. In "Volver," there are six woman of six different generations, he writes characters that are 80 years old, like in the case of our movie. I think he is right now the master of female confusion," Cruz said.
"Yeah. Yeah. Wooo," screamed Will Smith, who's nominated in the best actor category for his performance in "The Pursuit of Happiness." "This particular event is like the best one of all the things involved with the Oscar. And for me it's so not competition. And I say that and it sounds really cliche. But, it's really celebration for me right now."
Smith was among the 143 nominees attending the luncheon, that included the likes of Clint Eastwood, Leonardo DiCaprio, Penelope Cruz and Helen MIrren, who joked to the media about voting for herself.
"An awful moral dilemma descends upon you," said Mirren, who is up for best actress for her role in the "The Queen. "I think, I can't vote for myself, that's outrageous. You cannot vote for yourself, it's venal. And then you think, but maybe it's the one vote that may... So I tell you, it's an awful moment that I shall have nightmares about for the rest of my life."
For others, the luncheon represents an opportunity to meet and enjoy the company of fellow nominees, since the seating for the event mixes nominees from various categories and films, often resulting in a table that might include a leading actor, a documentary filmmaker, a music composer and an art director. The menu for this year's luncheon included Artichoke Salad, Smoked Salmon, Grilled Italian Chicken and Lemon Sorbet.
The 79th Annual Academy Awards will take place on February 25th. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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