Party Report: Pre-Emmy Festivities, from Glenn Close to Paquin & Moyer

As of Sunday morning, everyone’s still a winner.
 
When almost all of the Emmy acting nominees gathered on stage for a photo at Spectra at the Pacific Design Center during the Emmy Performers Nominee Reception on Friday night, Bryan Cranston yelled out “Happy Birthday Aaron Paul." A chorus including Glenn Close, Kathryn Joosten, Elizabeth Moss, Connie Britton, and Catherine O’Hara proceeded to sing a full version of “Happy Birthday” to the 31-year-old “Breaking Bad” nominee.
 
Earlier inside, nominee Fred Willard shared a table (and a bowl of fries) with fellow nominee Eric Stonestreet.
 
At the Entertainment Weekly/Women in Film event at the Sunset Marquis later on Friday night, a leather jacket wearing Jeremy Piven entered moments behind his current on-screen nemesis, Autumn Reeser, who plays a disgruntled former agent on “Entourage."
 
As usual, the EW bash was 80/20: 80% of the guests were household names from major shows everyone knows and the other 20% were well connected industry-ites. An ABC exec bemoaned their network’s policy to skip on hosting Emmy and/or Golden Globes parties, while NBC’s bash pushed 1,200 guests (see below).
 
Also at the Sunset Marquis, a suited Seth Green welcomed Zach Levi with an intricate dance/hug. The “Chuck” star was the most casual person in the zip code with a green t-shirt and Converse all-stars.
 
Organizers were upbeat that newlyweds Anna Paquin and Steven Moyer made their first public appearance together at the event since getting married last Saturday night.
 
For the crush of 40+ paparazzi, autograph seekers, and lookie-loos perched outside on Alta Loma, Kathy Griffin was a ripe target. Who does she not want to win on Sunday night? “Someone like some skinny b**ch from “Mad Men." Photo at right: Griffin with Jesse Tyler Ferguson.
 
“Star Trek” and “Cowboys and Aliens” producer Damon Lindelof was considering continuing the night after EW. Have fans heard the last of the popular “Lost” podcast he used to produce with partner Carlton Cuse? “I’m sure you have not heard the last from us,” he said before heading off for the CAA party with his wife.
 
(Earlier in the week at the Writers Peer Group Nominee Reception, Lindelof accepted his nomination certificate in jeans, telling the room full of his fellow nominees “Sorry about the jeans.  My wife is out of town…this is how I rebel. It’s better than (strip club) Spearmint Rhino.”)
 
The fashionably late Cat Deely, who hosts both the British and U.S. editions of “So You Think You Can Dance” said that Brit award shows are more fun because Brits are more fond of drinking.  Her boss, Nigel Lythgoe, echoed the same sentiment at Saturday’s BAFTA/LA tea party, saying that Brit award shows are more like a roast.

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