What Does the Oscars Red Carpet Really Look Like?

The express lane in the center of the red carpet.

This might be one of my favorite videos this year because we decided to give you a full walk through the red carpet.  Did you ever wonder how long that red carpet was?  Well, it's 500 feet filled with media, cameras, and reporters all waiting to interview the celebrities. Did you know there was an express lane on the red carpet due to the crowds and traffic jams?  That express lane leads right to Tim Gunn's spot for the ABC show. So, come join me on the walk from arrivals tent to the grand staircase up to the theatre.  It's a long way in five inch heels. (And I was wearing my super tall Jessica Simpson shoes that day.)  Take a look and let me know what surprised you the most on that red carpet walk:

Who Are You Wearing: Oscars 2012

I have always said "it takes a village" to put me together for big awards shows and the 84th Annual Academy Awards were no exception. My team did an incredible job pulling together clothing, jewelry, and the right lip color for last Sunday.  Without them, I would have been on that red carpet in my yoga pants and Ugg Boots.  So, thank you to Team KB for making me look WAY better than I do in real life. Your early morning efforts were beyond appreciated.

Let's give kudos to them:

Stylist : Roni B 

- (http://www.RoniB.com)

Hair : Lisa Cavalone

- (http://www.Lukaro.com)

Make-Up : Carolina Groppa 

- (http://www.CarolinaGroppa.com)

Dress : Chagoury Couture (And an article about who they dressed this year!)

- (http://www.ChagouryCouture.com)

Jewelry : Charles Winston (Rings, Bracelets)

- (http://www.CharlesWinston.com)

Earrings: Swarovski Crystal

Shoes:  Guess (I've worn these a million times.)

Yes, my toes were blue to match my dress. 

On The Red Carpet at the 84th Annual Academy Awards: The Interviews

Can you tell I am excited to be there?

I was covering Hollywood's biggest night for Starpulse this year and you can read the article here. I am very excited by the interviews we were able to secure this year thanks to the new online media section on the red carpet.  It was the perfect place for us to be and you will see with our interviews with Tony Bennett, Demian Bechir, Meryl Streep, Berenice Bejo, and more that this red carpet was a hot one.  So, watch our interviews and let me know what you think.  Who was your favorite at the Oscars this year?

Oscars Week: Day 5

I'm not sure how I got behind, but I did.  Here's what happened on Day 5 this week with our Foreign Film nominees.  Now, we all know that Iran's A Separation won, but we had a chance to speak with Belgium, Poland, Canada, and Israel about their nominations.  If you think film is just a Hollywood thing, think again.  There are some incredible films coming from all parts of the globe.  Check out our short video with these filmmakers:

 Me and Jordan Carson goofing off at the Foreign Film photo op.  

I offer full array of Oscars Week services including set moving.

Impressions of the 84th Annual Academy Awards

Like the Oscar Nominees Luncheon, I decided to give you my stream of consciousness notes.  My videos from the red carpet should be up in the morning. Make sure to check back for all of my big interviews....and trust me, they were big. 

Tony Bennett called me sweetheart on the red carpet. Swoon. 

Meryl Streep answered my question about the fabric of her sustainable green dress by Lanvin.

Michael Moore directly snubbed me.  Only one to do so.  

Snarkiest answer.  Melissa Leo. It was a little rude. 

Funniest encounter.....Edie McClurg.  She did a Joan and Melissa Rivers red carpet stunt with me.  I think we have a show idea here.

The Dictator was the biggest red carpet moment of the night.  Bigger than George.  Bigger than Brad.  I kid you not.

Tom Sherak, President of AMPAS, promised a show running at 3 hours.  Did he deliver? (Yes, he did!)

Sandra Bullock continues to be one of my top girl crushes.  She’s genuine, sweet, and just a gal you want to have a cocktail with.

Hardest thing on the red carpet was staying warm.  The sun went down and so did the temperature.  All of the ladies were shivering in their gowns.  Goosebumps were the hottest accessory on the red carpet outside of Stacy Kiebler.

Hugo is dominating way more than anyone thought.....at least in the press room. 

As much as I love Cirque du Soleil, their performances are best enjoyed in the theatre.  A Muppets performance is enjoyable by all.  Yes, I am bitter.......I want The Muppets to sing.

I snuck over to the photo room and watched Octavia pose with her Oscars.  Holy flashbulbs.  No wonder we are still waiting for her here in the press room....she lost her sight.

First F-Bomb of the night by the Documentary guys.  Guess Melissa Leo feels better.  

My first snack of the night.....2 mac and cheese bites, 1 Tuscan chicken tender, 3 shrimp.  The cocktail sauce scares me a bit in my loaned Chagoury Couture dress.  Success!

George Clooney is a star. I don’t know what else to tell you, but this awards season has made me into a super fan.  

Did you know when winners come into the press room to be interviewed, reporters have a choice to ask questions or put on headsets and listen to the show?  It can often be a Sophie’s Choice moment.

Emma Stone is funny.  She’s charming.  She also needed to wear a bra with that dress.  

Everyone loved Chris Rock presenting and you want him to host.  Did you forget he was widely criticized for hosting in 2005?

The Academy provides librarians with Oscar history for reference materials.  I felt like an uber-Oscar geek when I asked a question.  

First question for the Doc Winners:  What about the F-bomb? They said the F-bomb came from the heart even though he apologized to the press for it. Second question:  Wondering if they were trying to top Melissa Leo’s F-Bomb.  They are going to be remembered for the F-bomb.  Classy, guys, classy.  

Thanks for passing out snacks to the Oscars audience. I’m hungry.....heading to the press room snack buffet.  

Second round of food:  2 pretzel bites with beer cheese, 4 cheese tortellinis, and one egg roll that I didn’t get to eat since I dropped it in the tortellini tray.  Shhh.....don’t tell anyone it was me.  

It’s quite an honor to have Christopher Plummer in the room.  Captain von Trapp forever!

It’s an hour later and we are still waiting on Octavia Spencer in the press room.  Just so you know, this is not her decision. It means she was held by production to return to her seat.  She might be needed in the audience if The Help is up for other awards that are coming up.  They do this for every nominee so there are five possibilities for each nominee should they win.

Christopher Plummer is still holding court and entertaining the press.  Big applause when he leaves.

Brett McKenzie is really cute.  So glad that he won after I made him sing on the red carpet.  “Man.....or Muppet!!”

How is it possible that “Rainbow Connection” never won an Oscar?  Blasphemy!

Michel Hazanavicius and Berenice Bejo were adorable on the red carpet.  Favorite new couple. And he thanked Uggie the dog....best thank you of the night. Uggie rules.  

The back of Berenice Bejo's gorgeous gown.

I know you all love Oprah, but I love Dick Smith. Don’t know who he is?  Here you go. 

8PM.....no Octavia Spencer.

Resting my eyes for a 30-second Oscar nap.  Okay, nap over.  Back to work.

Announcement comes over theatre loudspeaker.  They ask audience to NOT applaud during In Memoriam segment.  They don’t want anyone to be the most popular while dead.  

Normally you have to die by January 30th to be included in the In Memoriam segment. I imagine they included Whitney Houston to avoid any post-Oscars backlash.  

Hair call for me was at 6:30AM.  I am starting to feel the effects now despite two Cokes.  

Oooo, just realized that the snarky reporter who sat across from me last year is three seats away from me.  I’ve missed her snark.  She loathed Natalie Portman last year.  She rolls her eyes at the screen as Natalie walks out.  By the way, Natalie's fiancé, Benjamin Millepied, was wearing a wedding band.  Did those two get married on the sly?  Discuss.

Interesting reaction to the Jean DuJardin’s win in the press room.  A mix of groans and shock.  I’m not sure I am shocked since even I predicted his win......I think we were all looking for The Academy to shake things up a bit.  Guess not.

If y’all haven’t seen Albert Nobbs.  Add it to your queue.  Touching performances and a wonderfully thoughtful film about relationships and love.  Very topical in today’s political climate.  

Press room bursts into thunderous applause.  Meryl Streep wins.  I mentioned it on my Behind the Red Carpet segments a few weeks ago:  Academy voters are male, white, and over 60.....I said they would swing the vote....and they did.  

I’d like to thank the Academy for the suprise.  We needed one tonight.  Go, Meryl, go.  Grab that golden knight and put it on your shelf.  

The Artist wins......on stage and on the red carpet.  Their PR was in full force and very organized.  Thanks for making my job easy, Weinstein publicity.  It really is appreciated.  

I missed the dessert table.  Good thing my Girl Scout cookies and Devil Dogs shipment from the East Coast arrives tomorrow.  Yes, this was done on purpose.  There is no fat in Oscars.  

Guess who got sunburned at the Oscars?  Oh me.  Red carpet hazards.  

The shouting begins in the room next door.  Guess Meryl, Jean, Octavia, and Christopher have arrived.  Still waiting for Octavia to arrive.......

Guess what, Octavia is here!  She’s asked that The Academy keeps the Q&A short.  Um......it’s part of your job and you just won. I’m not sure how I feel about that request.  

She’s pleasant and she’s here a long time.  Guess it was her publicist's request.  Make sure to have a nice publicist.  It reflects upon your reputation with the press. 

A reporter asks her about the physical makeup of the voting members of The Academy which is primarily white, male, over 62.  She cuts off the question and says, “I don’t want to get on that bus”. Laughter abounds in the pressroom. 

Another reporter asks Meryl if she is gunning for Katherine Hepburn’s record. “Oh, she has more?”  “Four” says the reporter.  ‘Oh”, says Meryl.  Hilarious.

She’s very moved that her makeup artist, J. Roy Helland, won on the same night she did.  

“Never give up” is her advice to women.  I like it.  Simple, but true.  Meryl's words of wisdom. 

“But I’m so thirsty”. She says this before her final question.  Haha.....she wants alcohol.  My kind of gal!  

What did you see when you first saw the margaret Thatcher makeup?  “I first saw my dad.  Maybe my dad looks like Margaret Thatcher”.

Jolie-ing the leg is a new verb.  Adapted Screenplay winner, Jim Rash:  “We have exactly the same legs and I wanted to show everyone.  It was a loving tribute”.  I'm not sure Angie saw it that way, but use it in a sentence at work tomorrow.  

Alexander Payne is talking about his next film.  I really enjoy his films, so I hope I don’t have to wait five more years for another Payne film.


I had 64 bobby pins in my hair tonight.  

Oscars 2012: Animated Feature Symposium

Waiting my turn to speak with Javier Mariscal who nominated for Chico and Rita.

I know my posts are all out of order now, but I can't keep anything straight and my producer/editor, JD, is working his fingers off to edit all of the pieces as fast and furious as humanly possible.  We were able to attend the Animated Feature Symposium which honored the work of the five nominees in this category.  Not all of the nominees were in attendance, but we were able to speak with the nominees from Kung Fu Panda 2, Chico and Rita, and A Cat in Paris.  The diversity of the nominees speaks volumes about the sophistication of animation in this decade and we certainly do not see a Pixar nominee in the bunch this year.  They normally dominate this category, but Cars 2 did not make the final list.  Check out our two minute highlight video of the evening:

Making good use of the interior mirrored doors at The Academy.

Getting Red Carpet Ready

I don't know how it is possible, but it is the night before the Oscars.  This week has flown by and I am sitting quietly on my couch trying to calm my nerves.  My team has assembled my wardrobe, makeup, jewelry, and hair look over the last several weeks.  I am so excited to see it all pulled together tomorrow morning as I sit back and start getting ready at 6:30 AM.  Yep, that's my call time.  It takes hours to get glamorous.  I've always said, it takes a village.......

Team KB hard at work.....Roni B and Charles Winston consulting over a few jewels.

This year we were fortunate to have my Oscars jeweler, Charles Winston,  in town to talk about red carpet looks and what we might see come Sunday.  Also, the infamous Roni B. talks about this year's Oscar look and how we pulled it all together. I'm glad we were able to do a fashion segment this year, so let's take a look at what it is all about........fashion and a few hints about what I am wearing.

Which ring did I choose?  Find out in the video above. 

Awesome shot of Roni's store!

Oscars Week: Day 4

This is one of my favorite events of the week:  the Governor's Ball Food and Beverage Preview with Wolfgang Puck.  I always come hungry and ready to taste Wolfgang Puck's delicious food that he plans to serve to all of the nominees and winners after the big show on Sunday night.  This year was rather interesting since the tent where the event was happening was hot and the reporters were rather cranky.  Watch the video to get the inside scoop on what happened, it's pretty hilarious.



Also, it is great to be in such great company with all of my entertainment reporters.  I have met so many incredible friends from this experience over the last two years.  It is even sweeter when friends from other parts of the country get to enjoy this unbelievable journey with me.  So, any moment spent with James Molnar of The Gold Knight Blog and Jordan Carson of WOTV in Grand Rapids is such a thrill for me to share fun memories on the red carpet with them.

James interviewing me about Sunday's show.

Hanging with my pal, Jordan, on before the Food and Beverage Preview.

The Wrap's Pre-Oscars Party

Dress by V.Mora. (Details to come next week!)

We hit a hot red carpet on Wednesday night thanks to TheWrap.com who hosted a fantastic Pre-Oscars party at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills.  If you have seen any of my recent press junkets, they also usually happen at the Four Seasons, so yeah, the doormen know me at that hotel.  I am officially a part of the regular press circuit now.  That's pretty cool.

But, back to that red carpet!  How does Oscar Nominee, Demian Bechir in a custom cut suit sound to you?  So hot and so nice.  I also had the opportunity to speak with Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close nominee, Max von Sydow, who is just such a lovely man.  While I was not a huge fan of the movie, I must say his nomination is well-deserved.  Other celebs included Missi Pyle from The Artist who bonded with me over our love for Chagoury Couture as well as Jane Seymour, and Dennis Haysbert.  

Check out our night of interviews and my custom dress from V. Mora Designs. I will talk more about the dress next week and give you the inside scoop on the charity we are donating it to.

   

Oscars Week: Day 3

Today was the official unrolling of the red carpet on Hollywood Boulevard and in the video below, I give you a glimpse of what it looked like before.  We will show you plenty of after shots as the week progresses.  I also found my spot on the red carpet and in the backstage pressroom during the official walk-thrus today.  We received the usual speech about not photographing your credentials and posting them to the various social media sites. (I talked about it here.) It may sound silly, but it is a rule they take very seriously.  Any breech of contract results in a loss of your credentials.  You don't want to be that person and I can guarantee you someone has already had their creds yanked by now.  Now if the Academy only ran the TSA, we would never see another terrorist in this country again.  That's how strictly their rules are enforced.

Later, I went to a fantastic red carpet hosted by TheWrap.com which is one of my favorite awards season sites. (Hit up Steve Pond's column for Oscar insight.)  I had the opportunity to interview Acting nominees:  Max von Sydow from Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and Demian Bechir from A Separate Life.  I will post those interviews soon, but let me tell you.....the happy crying has officially begun.  For whatever reason, year 2 at the Oscars is even sweeter.  I feel like I belong.  

Oscars Week: Day 2

Day 2 has come and gone, but man, I am tired!  Can you imagine being a nominee during a week like this?   I don't know how they do it and still look pretty all week long.  Yesterday, I hit Roger Neal's Hollywood Style Gifting Suite and received the celebrity treatment.  What is it like to get all of those free gifts?  Take a look....



If you read my Day 1 post, I alluded to a bit of show gossip and I hinted that the group I saw getting credentials might mean that there will be singing at this year's show. (I named them in the tags.)  I sleuthed around and here's what I am hypothesizing for now....

1.  The group will be singing as a part of some tribute, perhaps during the infamous and always controversial "Hollywood Death" segment.  Sounds possible, but it's a group of kids singing, that's too morbid.

2.  How about this better theory:  They ARE featuring the two Best Original Songs from The Muppets and from Rio.  My guess is that the Muppets will make an appearance to sing because Miss Piggy and Kermit are already in the building to present an award.  The kids' chorus will be a part of the Rio song.  This would make me very happy if Theory 2 actually happened.

I did ask my insider sources to confirm this.  When I offered up my Muppets theory, the response was met with silence.  My other source could not confirm nor deny.  Hmmmm, am I on to something here?  What do you think, let me know in the comments below.

Oscars Week: Day 1

It's the last year as the Kodak Theatre.  I wonder what the name will be next year?

It feels like Christmas to me and I am bouncing off of the walls.  I picked up my credentials today and received my official badge that will get me on the red carpet and in the press room on Sunday. Now, please don't ask to see a photo of my badge.  I can't do it.  Find out why and what to look for in today's edition of Behind the Red Carpet....

The day was filled with scoop as I sat to get my hair done. I cannot tell you where or who I sat near lest I break the sacred hair salon code, but oh boy, this person has their choice of Monique Lhuillier dress or Badgley Mischka for Sunday's activities and I cannot wait to see them on the red carpet.

Also, I think the producers are misleading us about not highlighting either of the two Best Original Song nominees....or they are featuring music in some way during the show.  I saw a group today that involves music roaming around Hollywood and Highland.  Mark my words.....we will hear some singing come Sunday night.  (And that is exclusive scoop.  If you look around, I named the group somewhere......did you find it yet?)

Now watch my one minute video and let me know what you are most excited about this week!

Chelsea Handler Is Pretty Darn Cool

Last Friday, I posted my interview with Reese Witherspoon from the recent press junket for This Means War for iVillage.  I received some interesting reactions to the piece about Reese's behavior on Facebook.  I have to be honest...what you see is what you get and it was a little disappointing to me since I have been a fan for a long time.  I'm going to chalk it up to a bad day at the office and I will go in with an open mind and good attitude the next time I interview her.  We all have off days, right?

That same day, I had the opportunity to interview all around kick ass, cool chick, Chelsea Handler.  This interview was exactly what I needed:  funny, spontaneous, a bit of dry wit, and an unexpected party crasher.  Watch the video and let me know what you think.

Oscars Friday Five

Here's an Oscars Friday Five to help kick off what is going to be a very exciting week in Hollywood.  It will be filled with interviews, multiple wardrobe changes in my car (which I am getting quite good at.) and meals on the run.  I can't think of a better way to spend my week...

1. News Talk 690:  Tim Lewis labeled me a "red carpet diva"-the best compliment ever.  Listen to our interview and see the article.  Tim asked incredibly insightful questions and I really enjoyed my time on air with him.

2.  Red Carpet Report:  My insider's look at the Best Actor and Actress Oscar race. Who did I pick?  Find out:


3.  Kodak Theatre:  If you heard the news this week, the Kodak Theatre name is coming down due to Kodak's bankruptcy issues.  I am going to refer you to this post I did in 2009 and I mentioned my love of this theatre in my recent feature in The Gold Knight Blog.  The theatre has a significant role in my career and I will be sorry to see the name go away.......

4.  Chagoury Couture:  I'm not ready to reveal my Oscars dress until February 26th (Trust me, it's gorgeous!), but I want to give a little love to Marco D'Angelo and Gilbert Chagoury for continually dressing me every time I have a big event.  My Oscars dress last year was executed divinely and my Tonys dress was probably my favorite dress of 2011.  Go visit their site and see what everyone is raving about.

5. Reese Witherspoon:  Check out my iVillage interview with the 2006 Oscar winner, Reese Witherspoon, about her new film, This Means War.  The movie is a fun ride and if you are looking for a fun romp at the movie theatre this weekend, buy a ticket to this flick. (And after seeing her in person, she's definitely not pregnant.)

Where in the World is KB?

I'm not sure where I am either.  Actually, I am in my last few days in Chicago with Toyota Live, but here are a few places where you can find me in the next week or so.  Remember, Red Carpet Closet will be the hub for all of my Oscar coverage over the next week, so come back here for all of the awards show magic.

1. News Talk 690:  I am on Idaho's News Talk morning show today at 6:45AM PT/9:45AM ET.  Click here and find the tab in the upper righthand corner to listen live.  I'll be talking about the Oscars for sure and I am going to guess there will be a Whitney reference or two.

2.  Driving with Gass:  As many of you know, this is my weekly #RadioBurtt appearance.  I will be on again on Monday for an in-depth look at Oscars Week.  Kevin Gassman has been also kind enough to provide a podcast of my appearance from Monday.  We had a thorough discussion of Whitney and the prevalence of prescription drugs in Hollywood. Listen here and give me your thoughts in the comments below.

3.  Cocktails and Conversation:  I will be making two appearances on the show pre and post-Oscars, so make sure to mark Saturday, February 25th and Saturday, March 3rd at 5AM PT//8AM ET.  Listen here.

4. Toyota Live:  I have four more days at the Chicago Auto Show, so come on down to McCormick and join us at the top of every hour.  Shows begin at 11AM with the last show at 8PM. (There is no 4PM show, a girl has to eat!)  We have a few Chicago Bears, Chicago Fire, jellies from the Shedd Aquarium, and Ramblin' Ray from US99 coming through over the next few days.  For the full schedule, click here. Thank you to everyone who has stopped by to say "hi".  It's been so nice to see old friends and meet new friends here in the Windy City.

My News Page will also be updated with the latest appearances, so be sure to check back there often.

Chicago Auto Show 2012: First Weekend

Here we are again:  back in Chicago and up on the Toyota Live stage and on the huge LED wall.  This year, our guests include Bears, Cubs, Turtles, Snakes, and Fire.  Yes, some are local sports heroes while others are visitors to from the Shedd Aquarium.  Either way, the Windy City always provides colorful characters on our stage....especially 1985 Chicago Bear, Steve McMichael.  If you've ever met him, you know what I am talking about!

Check out my insider's perspective on the Toyota Prius for the Chicago Auto Show's daily web series. (And holy close-up shot.....back up, camera dude!)

 Dancing on the stage at the Charity Preview to the Biebs. "Baby, baby, baby, oh!"

 There's a turtle on the stage....we named him "Prius" since he is hydrodynamic like the hybrid which is aerodynamic.

Hanging with Steve McMichael after the show.  He's pretty funny and larger than life.  

 I just have to say that Earl Bennett liked me way better than my co-host.  Hahahaha.......

Um, I had the opportunity to wear a Superbowl ring.  POW!  It was huge on my little fingers.  Thanks, Steve!

Behind the Scenes of the Oscar Nominees Luncheon

Last week was the Oscar Nominees luncheon which is an intimate look at the current crop of Hollywood's finest.  I offered my coverage with Mingle Media TV in video form, but I thought it would be fun to give you a look into my notes written in a stream of consciousness form.  I cleaned up any spelling or grammar errors since I was typing on my iPad, but it's a true insider's look on how it all went down.  Enjoy!

Notes:

Learned my lesson last year. Eat before you go. Starbucks run.  Front row this year. Reporter to my left is trying to get the scoop on my marital/dating status, reporter to my right is fantastically wacky.  I like her.  

11:33AM George Clooney:  Go big or go home.  Came early for "free booze". Repeated question that each reporter asked--total media pro. It's good to be a friend of George--Viola/ Brad stay at Lake Como. Sam from KTLA wants to know how he can stay here. Ah, the media is so funny.  Sooo handsome. Oooo, he dropped an F-bomb. Awesome. Rooting for Alexander Payne. Delicious...reporter next to me giggles because I uttered that comment out loud.

Hear my question at the 5:15 mark.....

11:42PM Rooney Mara:  Slight and quite bashful. Ah, my first dress question gets answered. No dress yet. "people send you things and you find something you like.  I dont like a lot of color". " Pierced one nipple, not both. She's keeping it for now, doesn't want to pierce it again. "Everything happened so fast., trying to take it all in." Mugler jacket/ASOS jumpsuit which she pronounces as "A-S-O-S".

11:58AM Max von Sydow: What an honor. Media asking who he was excited to meet. Christopher Plummer. He's so distinguished. How about the ladies? asks a reporter.  He responds, "Yes, some of the directors too." Ah, a sense of humor. Moves in to hear a question. Standing in front of me. Should I hug him?  Nominated 29 years ago for Pelle the Conquerer here. Yes, someone finally asks him a good question.

12:05PM Viola Davis:  Hot, hot in hot pink. "if you guys could see me at home with my cornrows...."  Great story about getting George's villa for her honeymoon. "Greatest gift anyone could have given us". Lost her hair at 28 after reading bad review about her Broadway show due to stress. "At 46, let so much of that go.  Define joy and happiness for yourself. and I've got my hair." She has the room memorized. It's quiet in here. Sign of a star. Wearing JC Abando that day.

12:11PM Jonah Hill/Brad Pitt:  Matching gray suits. Brad has shiny hair. Everyone talking to Brad. Jonah is hanging back, kind of quiet. Lots of Latin outlets asking about Demian's performance. "a story of value and getting second chances." (Pitt). Pranks:  Brad is the "bobby Fischer is pranks...a masterful art form with this guy", says Hill.

12:18PM Janet McTeer:  Wearing a formal suit. Says it was hard "trying to play an Irishman in front of an Irish crew. That was really scary." Their reaction was "what the f--k was that?!".  HA!   Second f-bomb of the day. Rooting for Glenn. Her cell phone rings. She quickly says "have a little bit of respect for the talent.  It's a text". Hilarious. Hid her hands a lot in the film because the are"quite girly".  Didn't wear men's underwear in the film.  (Just in case you were wondering.)

12:23PM Glenn Close:  Hawaiian jacket. "You are one of five...how could you possibly think of yourself as a loser. " Inspiring to hear how she got Albert Nobbs done. 1998 is the year she took out the first option on this movie.  You are awesome, Glenn. 

12:27PM Octavia Spencer: "It will hit me two weeks later and I will enjoy it......and I am a symbol of hope for all of the other actors that have been doing it as long as I have". "I've mauled everyone" since she's near Brad, Meryl, George. What was it like to maul George? That's what I wanted to ask. Behave. Didn't like people misinterpreting her words during the press junket process for The Help. It's tough, but a part of the process. Waiting for food. No alcohol until then. Smart lady. Sings "Oscar nominee" into the mic over and over.  

12:32 Kenneth Branagh:  First time at luncheon even though it's not his first nomination. Enjoys working with Dame Judi Dench. Emma Watson in her first grown-up role resonated with him. 

12:36. Berenice Bejo: speaks Spanish, talks about life in Argentina. Preparation the same as a film. Experience is different for audience. (I asked her whether it was different for an actor to prepare for a silent movie.)  Dress is done. "No, it's like Christmas. You don't say a thing". Guess we won't find out her Oscar designer today. Wants husband to like her dress. Today's dress:  Elie Saab 

12:39PM Jean DuJardin: Movie poster controversy question. Skip it says the moderator.  Yep, keep the questions conservative.  Oooooooo...French. Translator is here. The Artist is an LA film. Likes "energy, playing with extras, the food.". (Wait, playing with the extras??)  Back to French. Back to food likes cinnamon rolls. Not preparing a speech. He "wants element of surprise".

12:43PM Gary Oldman: Finally an Oscar nominee after all of these years. "it's a fairy tale". "I'm having a ball". He likes hanging out with Brad and George. Me too. Talks about Academy recognizing people in their 20's thru 80's. Interviewed Ben Gazzara about 5 months ago who just passed away.  "Oscar is better than the money. The villains are the one you do for money they"re expensive. They will be now." Yes, sir, they will....your agent will be happy too.

12:50PM Lady next to me is wielding an unwieldy pen. I'm wearing a DVF dress, watch out!

12:50PM Melissa McCarthy:  Everyone gets excited. Gorgeous in green. Gets teary-eyed looking at Oscar behind her.  Ah, I'm afraid she's going to burst into tears. No competition with her friend Octavia. Melissa is smaller in real life. No idea who her designer is, but she's wearing Neil Lane jewelry.

12:54PM Michelle Williams: Very Mia Farrow-looking today. So luminous. Oscar dress question. No dress yet. "should I have?". Her advice for other nominees?  "Bring a snack".  Word.  That is so true.  Oscar Day is a hungry day. Dress is awesome. Doesn't know designer of her dress today. So charming 

12:57PM Nick Nolte: He is sweaty and very red. Starts out with a joke. Looks like Santa Claus. I am just stunned. Tells a story about leaving a party at 5am and how he needs stricter rules. Story about Jimmy from Pittsburgh. Who is Jimmy?  I'm confused.  Still going at 1:02. PR Guy makes him shorten story. WTF???

1:03PM Demian Bechir: Like Javier Bardem last year, he gets big cheers. Handsome. He likes hanging with Brad and George too. They're like the cool kids in the club. First Mexican actor nominated since Tony Quinn. Spanish, blah, blah.....I catch every other word. Immigration debate continues due to subject matter on film. "it's a human issue, not a political issue". He's doing a play in Mexico. Flew in this morning. Everyone fighting to be the last question. He's popular.

Photo: Courtesy of A.M.P.A.S.