Hollywood Panics Over Hillary Behind the Scenes at Emmy Parties

I ran into Republican pollster Frank Luntz at the HBO party after the Emmy ceremony at the sprawling Pacific Design Center. A few feet away, “Veep” winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus was fending off a crush of well-wishers while HBO chief Richard Plepler had just come from finding his lost cellphone.

What’s going to happen? a group of eager Hollywood acolytes wanted Luntz to tell them. Would Hillary Clinton manage a win?

Luntz was wearing a burgundy vest and his signature Prince Valiant hairstyle, and shook his head sagely. “She’s going to win, but I can’t say anymore that it’s for certain,” he said.

The group recoiled.

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Onstage at the Emmys, host Jimmy Kimmel and many others mocked Donald Trump. (After accepting her award for comedic directing, “Transparent” director Jill Soloway told reporters that Trump is an “inheritor to Hitler.”)

But offstage, Hillary Panic was rife at the pre- and post-Emmy parties, where Hollywood usually dresses up to celebrate television. This year, many Hillary supporters were seized by election nerves.

MSNBC anchor Lawrence O’Donnell was solicited for his opinions left and right. O’Donnell said he has sensed a profound disconnect between mainstream media and the electorate, which is why reporting on Donald Trump’s lies, his charitable non-donations, his debt-dodging bankruptcies, his holding back his tax returns, seems to have little impact.

And he noted that historically Clinton does not recover from downward slides in her polling numbers. “She’s going to have to break her pattern,” he observed.

But O’Donnell wasn’t the only one who was thinking and talking about the election. Pretty much everybody was. Robin Bronk of the Creative Coalition, producer Mike Medavoy, a longtime Democratic supporter – outgoing TV Academy president Bruce Rosenblum, actors who should’ve been thinking about their nominations. Politics was unavoidable. “American Crime” show runner John Ridley rubbed elbows at the Showtime party on Saturday night with Senatorial candidate Kamala Harris, in a tight race in California with Loretta Sanchez.

Luntz told HBO partygoers that Hollywood Democrats are out of touch with the rest of the country.

“Of the 20 closest people you know, how many of them are voting for Trump?” he asked. Long pause. “Exactly.”

Emmys After Parties: Toasting With the Winners (Photos)

A Victorious Verdict: "The People v. OJ Simpson" won big on Sunday night's show. Thus, Fox and FX's joint bash at the Vibiana was the party after the show. In the northeast corner of the patio at Ryan Murphy's table, Fox TV Chairman/CEO Gary Newman, winner Sarah Paulson, Murphy, and Fox TV Chairman/CEO Dana Walden took a victory lap.
Frank Micelotta/FOX © 2016 FOX BROADCASTING
Emmys virgin Marcia Clark (left) sat at Sarah Paulson and Ryan Murphy's table, balancing a cocktail and a plate of food on her lap at the Fox party.

"It was one giant, crazy, Hollywood party," is how the O.J. Simpson prosecutor summarized her Emmys experience. Clark cited John Oliver and Amy Schumer as her standout celebrity introductions. She also told TheWrap she's working on crime fiction and a pilot for NBC. Angela Bassett is at the far right.
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Here's a bigger company of those going home happy: Cuba Gooding Jr., FX Networks CEO John Landgraf, Sarah Paulson, Murphy, Newman, and Walden at the FX/Fox party which shut down streets and took over the Vibiana Cathedral. Heinekens flowed amongst champagne, chicken-fried steak and macaroni and cheese, as tunes like Michael Jackson's "Off the Wall" got a dance circle going, Louie Anderson relaxed in a throne-like chair on the patio, and "Fargo" breakout Jesse Plemons had a steady stream of greeters on the patio.
Frank Micelotta/FOX © 2016 FOX BROADCASTING
These two Emmy heroes would be headed for the "Winners Circle" at the back of the lushly decorated Governors Ball: Ryan Murphy and the face of "Mr. Robot," Rami Malek.
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Married actors Ryan Michelle Bathe and Sterling K. Brown wore genuine smiles to the Governors Ball.
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Also at the Governors Ball, Showtime chief Matt Blank hugs it out with Angela Bassett's victorious husband, Courtney Vance. Vance won for Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie.
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John Travolta hung on to someone else's Emmy at the after parties (probably one of "O.J." creator Ryan Murphy's). With wife Kelly Preston, these FX victors were welcome at the HBO party.
Jeff Kravitz
Aziz Ansari landed the trophy for writing the "Master of None" episode "Parents". On hand at the Governors Ball, brother Aniz Ansari (who has written for the show) and parents Shoukath and Fatima Ansari.
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It was a comics' homecoming at HBO: "Silicon Valley's" Kumail Nanjiani and Martin Starr palled around with Nikki Glaser, Amy Schumer, and Kim Caramele.
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Comedy writers also came home to HBO, as Alec Berg (center) and Larry David (right) hung with HBO president Casey Bloys.

Can we hope to be celebrating "Curb Your Enthusiasm" Emmy wins in 2017? Less partying Larry David, more writing please!
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Up at the Sunset Tower in West Hollywood, winners Jeffrey Tambor and Jill Soloway flank Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who Soloway recognized from the stage hours earlier.
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At the Governors Ball, waiters stationed every few steps stood armed with Sterling Vineyards bottles ready to pour on the fly, but only winners (like top-prize nabber David Mandel for "Veep") got to step in to the winners circle for a choice pour and a liquid parting gift.
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"Game of Thrones" capped the telecast with a Best Drama win, and hit the HBO mega-bash at the Pacific Design Center in force. Inside the water-themed playground, showrunner David Benioff hung with lead Emilia Clarke and HBO chairman and CEO Richard Plepler. Clarke grabbed Tom Hiddleston for a cheek-smooch on the stairs as she was leaving and Tom was arriving around 11:25 p.m.
Jeff Kravitz
After an emotional acceptance speech on the heels of her father's death days ago, perennial winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus gleefully crashed Jimmy Kimmel and wife Molly McNearney's arrival pic at the Governors Ball.
Lester Cohen/Wireimage
JLD would get her own closeup at the HBO bash with network president Casey Bloys (left) and Plepler.
Jeff Kravitz
Netflix netted 9 Emmys in total, but their biggest win may be the coming out party for "Stranger Things". The child stars slayed the industry crowd as the Emmy's audience warm-up with a rendition of "Uptown Funk". At the Governors Ball, Millie Bobby Brown and Caleb McLaughlin cozied up to "Unreal" nominee Constance Zimmer.
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Key and...
Alberto E. Rodriguez
... Peele of "Key & Peele" delivered the bright spot for Comedy Central on a night when their win total fell below recent years without Amy Schumer or Jon Stewart racking up trophies.
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The scene at Amazon...
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...where "Transparent" star Gaby Hoffman was ready to let loose after a long Emmys campaign season.
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The night began with Kimmel handing Jeffrey Tambor a prop Emmy as a fait accompli in a monologue bit, and it ended with the real thing for the "Transparent" lead. His agent Leslie Siebert (right) is happy on the inside.
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Bob and producer wife Naomi Odenkirk are no sore losers. They hit the after party scene.
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No trophies for Matthew Rhys (with "Narcos" and "Game of Thrones'" actor Pedro Pascal) though strident defenders of "The Americans" still claim that it came out a big winner from the Emmys.
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Lorne Michaels (with HBO's Richard Plepler) finished off Emmys weekend at HBO, and a win in team SNL's column with Kate McKinnon's victory in "Supporting Actress, Comedy". Michaels' Broadway Video also produced the graphics for the telecast itself.
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Check out TheWrap's 9 Best & Worst Moments of the show!

Also Read: Emmys 2016: 9 Best and Worst Moments (Photos)
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Sarah Paulson, Marcia Clark, Rami Malek, John Travolta, Sterling K. Brown, Jeffrey Tambor party across LA after television’s biggest night in Hollywood

A Victorious Verdict: "The People v. OJ Simpson" won big on Sunday night's show. Thus, Fox and FX's joint bash at the Vibiana was the party after the show. In the northeast corner of the patio at Ryan Murphy's table, Fox TV Chairman/CEO Gary Newman, winner Sarah Paulson, Murphy, and Fox TV Chairman/CEO Dana Walden took a victory lap.

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