Celebrity Gossip /By Liz Smith
Harris proves he’s the man
Ithought I’d wait a beat with thoughts on the Emmy telecast. First off, I have to join in tipping my hat to the remarkable Neil Patrick Harris. He was even better here than he was hosting the Tony Awards. While still not totally into the groove—sometimes he tries too hard—he is genuinely charming, funny and knows how to keep it moving.
There was a wonderful article in New York magazine last week on Harris, about his evolution from child actor to adult star of the hit sitcom, “How I Met Your Mother.” He has also deftly handled coming out, and perhaps Neil will truly be the big “crossover” gay male star. Maybe he already is! (Time magazine also gave Neil two pages. He’s smokin’ hot.)
The show? It moved! Three hours zipped by with a lot of zesty, self-deprecating humor about the sorry state of network TV. This awards orgy was pomposity-free and admirably lighthearted. Everybody seemed to spout his or her dialogue with a spoonful of sugar and a dash of vinegar.
Favorite wins? Bryan Cranston for his spectacular work on the equally spectacular “Breaking Bad.” This is a show that I have been urging the world to see all year. And most people look blank when I mention it so why doesn’t AMC bear down on promotion?! ... Toni Collette, the big surprise of the night for her dazzling multiple personalities in Showtime’s “United States of Tara” (Toni has given one brilliant performance after another since her “Muriel’s Wedding” breakthrough in 1994—“The Sixth Sense,” “Changing Lanes,” “Little Miss Sunshine” are but a few.) ... Alec Baldwin, for “30 Rock.” I love this guy. I will defend him to the death ... “Mad Men,” even though you really have to have seen the last season to understand what’s going on this season ... HBO’s “Grey Gardens” and Jessica Lange as Big Edie. Drew Barrymore should have been up there too, for her take-no-prisoners portrayal of Little Edie, but she looked thrilled for the winning genius of Jessica. Drew is a very special person. A star since childhood, professional jealousy is beyond her. And “Grey Gardens” deserved every one of its six Emmys. ... I loved how Ken Howard, who has been toiling in TV for decades without one nomination, took his own “Grey Gardens” statuette with a nod to Ruth Gordon. When she picked up her “Rosemary’s Baby” Oscar at the age of 72, she said, “You have no idea how encouraging a thing like this can be!” So, 65-year-old Ken echoed Ruth, commenting, “I’m very encouraged.” (Ken is probably best known for “The White Shadow,” which ran several seasons in the ’70s) ... And Cherry Jones—a Broadway legend—was splendid in her acceptance speech for her role on “24.” She displayed impressive posture and regal shoulders in her simple black gown. Ms. Jones looked like John Singer Sargent’s “Portrait of Madame X.”
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You can go elsewhere for bitchy fashion reviews. I thought everybody looked pretty good. Many women were stunning, and then there were a few misguided ladies who listened to their stylists too slavishly. I did like the “Little Dorrit” winners, three British women, lovable and slightly dowdy, as they came up looking like authentic humans. Nothing made me scream, “What the hell is that?!” (I didn’t watch the preshow red carpet event, so I missed a lot of the scream-worthy outre.)
The men were all divine. Almost every one wore a dinner jacket. Nothing on this Earth flatters a man more than this classic look. And no man looked better than “Mad Men’s” John Hamm. I did gasp when he appeared.
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