Emmy Party Diary: Inside the Weekend’s Star-Studded Bashes

September 20, 2015 11:58am PT by THR staff

Hugh Dancy, Claire Danes and Damian Lewis at Showtime's Emmy Party  AP Images

Nominees Claire Danes, Amy Poehler, Tatiana Maslany and Matt LeBlanc make the rounds.

Emmy weekend is in full swing as nominees dart around the town on the party circuit.

The Hollywood Reporter has been on the scene since Friday, when the weekend's festivities began in earnest. We will be updating this post with all things seen and heard as the parties continue following Sunday's awards.

Saturday, Sept. 19

TV Academy Performers Nominee Reception, held at the Pacific Design Center

9:00 pm: Transparent guest-actor winner Bradley Whitford, who took home gold last weekend at the Creative Arts Awards, was also on hand, but wanted to make sure people knew why he was sporting a slightly incognito look under a large-brimmed fedora. "I'm playing vice president Hubert Humphrey in All the Way for HBO," said Whitford of the Bryan Cranston-starring movie adaptation of the hit Broadway play. "They've thinned and darkened my hair for the role, so wearing a hat is just best for everybody right now."

8:15 pm: Veep supporting actor nominee Tony Hale -- attending the annual fete for acting contenders with his wife, makeup artist Martel Thompson -- said he and his costars miss departed showrunner/creator Armando Iannucci, but newly installed showrunner David Mandel has proven a perfect fit. "He's doing an amazing job so far, we're all sort of amazed," said Hale of the Curb Your Enthusiasm alum. The comedy also recently left its Baltimore, MD headquarters to shoot full-time in L.A., a transition that Hale said also been seamless. "In a lot of ways it's better, and not just the commute.”

Showtime, held at the Sunset Tower Hotel

8 p.m.: Helen Hunt and her longtime partner Matthew Carnahan, creator of Showtime's House of Lies, slip in right before Jakob Dylan and Jade take the stage. Execs David Nevins and Matthew Blank make their way around a packed room that includes Claire Danes (Homeland), Liev Schreiber (Ray Donovan), Matt LeBlanc (Episodes), Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie), Don Cheadle (House of Lies) and William H. Macy (Shameless).

7:30 p.m.: Homeland directing nominee Lesli Linka Glatter arrives, and dismisses predictions that she could take home a statuette on Sunday. Her pick: The Knick's Steven Soderbergh. She catches up with Homeland writer Meredith Stiehm, who says she won't be riding her bike to the Emmys with her Mad Men writer husband this year. Fortunately, he'll have many others joining him on the sweaty 17-mile ride. 

7 p.m.: Homeland star Mandy Patinkin is one of the first to arrive, settling in at a back table where well-wisher come by to greet him. Inside, ABC News' Dan Abrams is overheard joking about a Trump presidency. 

NBC, held at Boa

6:30 p.m: Orange is the New Black star Uzo Aduba, who will be part of NBC's holiday time musical The Wiz, milks her face time with NBC chief Bob Greenblatt. So much so that Jenna Fischer, "Pam" from The Office, gets tired of waiting to kiss the ring and moves on. Entertainment president Jennifer Salke pops in at one point to snap a quick picture with the duo. Nearby, the pint-sized actress who'll play a young Dolly Parton was all smiles, and Amy Poehler and her Parks and Rec creator Mike Schur make the rounds together. 

6 p.m.: Eva Longoria arrives in a white suit, black heels and her long dark hair slicked back off of her face, only to be greeted by fellow NBC star America Ferrera, who is wearing a white suit, black heels and, yes, her long dark hair slicked black off of her face. "I can't believe this," Ferrera says, howling with laughter, and then the actresses begin snapping pics of their matching looks. 

BAFTA Tea, held at the SLS Hotel

4:35 pm: Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes heads out of the event after chatting with cast member Laura Carmichael. "We're excited. It's always a good time," he says of the big day to come, adding that the only thing he's not particularly thrilled about is the weather forecast: "Unfortunately, this year it's supposed to be terribly hot!"

4:20 pm: Adrian Brody arrives to the party in sunglasses, and keeps them on throughout the entire afternoon -- even when he huddles with his two guests in a dark corner inside. Minutes later, Olive Kitteridge nominee Zoe Karzan arrives at the tea with partner Paul Dano just as the party is winding down. "Are we late?" Dano wonders aloud. "What time did this thing start?" Meanwhile, Orphan Black nominee Tatiana Maslany and her boyfriend don't make it through the doors until after 4:30.

3:45 pm: Better Call Saul's Jonathan Banks and wife Elena Adams Banks can't seem to find their way out of the SLS hotel. "Excuse me, do you know where the exit is?" the Breaking Bad alum begins asking random guests. The couple ends up on the opposite end of the room before they're finally pointed in the right direction.

ICM Partners, held at Chris Silbermann's Santa Monica Home

1:15 p.m.: AMC/Sundance chief Charlie Collier arrives, revealing that his Emmy night cufflinks will once again be show-themed. On one arm: Mad Men; the other: Better Call Saul. Meanwhile, Paula Abdul says her hellos, while others in spitting distance whisper at how the one-time Idol judge seems not to have aged. Nearby, Inside Comedy's David Steinberg and Modern Family co-creator Chris Lloyd make the rounds.

12:30 p.m.: Nominee Tatiana Maslany and Orange is the New Black's Pablo Schreiber were thrust into a picture together by a photog by the buffet line. Once the shot was snapped, Maslany sheepishly introduces herself. Nearby, Better Call Saul's Vince Gilligan proves the party's biggest draw, a position for which the southern showrunner still seems somewhat comfortable. AMC's Joel Stillerman, Syfy's Bill McGoldrick and star Alfre Woodard each find (much-needed) shade.

Principato-Young, held at the Huntley Hotel

11:45 a.m.: ABC's Black-ish family arrives together at Principato-Young's first Emmys weekend brunch, celebrating the management-production firm's 29 nominees. In the ocean-view Penthouse at the Santa Monica hotel, star Tracee Ellis Ross poses for photos with co-star (and outstanding lead actor in a comedy series nominee) Anthony Anderson and their TV kids Marcus Scribner, Yara Shahidi, Miles Brown and Marsai Martin. Ross reveal to THR that she and Anderson will present the outstanding writing for a comedy series Emmy on the telecast. "We've got some fun stuff planned," she says.

Friday, Sept. 18

WME, held at the Hammer Museum

12:15 a.m. Manager Michael Dean Valeo of Emery Entertainment - who recently signed hot newcomer Lee Jones of FX's The Bastard Executioner - says he's been fielding a lot of requests, but for another very different client. Actress AJ Langer, who co-starred with Claire Danes in ABC's 1990's cult drama My So Called Life, recently became the Countess of Devon after marrying Brit Charles Courtenay, and lives with her family in the English countryside. "We're getting a lot of offers for reality shows right now, but she wants to have a normal life for awhile," said Valeo. "But yes we'd definitely consider doing a show in the future."

11:45 p.m. Screenwriter and Ray Donovan creator Ann Biderman make the rounds with friend and fellow scribe Ron Nyswaner (fresh from a TIFF bow for his award-season film Freeheld) and reflect on her first season away from the Showtime drama after being let go last year. "I haven't watched this season," she admits. "I do really miss the characters though." Meanwhile, Showtime's David Nevins, chatting with WME TV chief Rick Rosen and former ITV Studios America chief Orly Adelson, declines to offer a prediction of whether his shows will walk away with Emmys on Sunday. However, he's quick to note that Ray Donovan is "the highest-rated summer show on premium cable."

11:15 p.m.: WME's recent spending spree has altered the makeup of its Emmy party. Manager James "Babydoll" Dixon, whose New York-based Dixon Talent was acquired by WME earlier this year, holds court with client Bill Simmons, the former ESPN writer-analyst who left for HBO this summer (via a rich deal negotiated by Babydoll). Two of Dixon's other high-profile clients, Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel, could not attend because they were busy hosting their shows.

10:30 p.m. Rectify actress Abigail Spencer suggests she was surprised by the polarized reception of her other show this summer, HBO's True Detective. She also reveals she was close to landing a different role other than that of Colin Farrell's estranged wife. "I was actually also up for Rachel [McAdams'] part," she says. "But honestly I didn't care who I played. Working with Colin was amazing." And how did she manage shooting two series at once, with each on opposite coasts? "I flew back and forth for months. It was little nuts."

10 p.m.: Silicon Valley co-creator Mike Judge says his expectations for a series win are pragmatically moderate, but raised slightly by its three Creative Arts Emmys. Disappointed that his show’s stars were snubbed this year, he also comments on how well they've adjusted to their growing fame. “Some of them get a little overwhelmed, but Kumail [Nanjiani] loves it — he eats it up.” But one of the most popular guests seems to be Rami Malek, star of USA's summer critical hit Mr. Robot. Malek, attending the party with manager Ben Curtis, says he's leaving early because he'll be on a morning flight to film a movie out of town. So no Emmys for Mr. Robot. 

UTA, held at Jay Sures' Brentwood Home

8:45 p.m.: Transparent writer Micah Fitzerman-Blue asks a small group to handicap his show’s chances for the comedy series Emmy, while Modern Family co-creator Steve Levitan affably dismisses a good-luck wish: “We won’t win,” he says. “But we’ll smile!” Parks and Recreation creator Mike Schur heads in, as Don Cheadle awaits his car.

8:30 p.m.: King Bach (aka Andrew Bachelor), fresh from his Viner of the Year win at The Streamy Awards, names YouTuber Freddie W as the digital creator he admires and follows most. “When I started doing videos, I watched all his stuff,” he says. “And now he’s got a TV show!”  So that’s the goal even for the dominant digerati? “Yeah, definitely,” says Bach, who adds he's in talks about a half-hour produced by Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele.

8:20 p.m.: NBCU cable maven Bonnie Hammer and USA chief Chris McCumber chat with AMC's Charlie Collier, while Fox's Peter Rice, FX's Nick Grad and Eric Schrier and Discovery's Rich Ross mingle nearby. Elsewhere, newly named CBS entertainment chief Glenn Geller is being congratulated left and right, while a pregnant Shiri Appleby fields her own set of compliments for both her summer breakout, Lifetime's UnReal, and the passed apps, catered by her restaurateur husband and Animal co-owner, Jon Shook.

7:30 p.m.: There are plastic heel covers on offer to help prevent female guests’ stilettos from sinking into the dewy ground, plus young male escorts positioned at both staircases (an agency newbie just out of Stanford among them) to offer steadying arms for ascent and descent. 

CAA, held at Bouchon

9:15 p.m.: At the CAA party, Mad Men's Matthew Weiner (surrounded by AMC well-wishers) says hello to his longtime friend Jenji Kohan (Orange Is the New Black), whose famously wild hair seems to have morphed from purple to a lighter shade of blue. Across the seemingly endless cheese bar, Laura Dern chats with a journalist who two CAA publicists say was definitely not invited to the party.

9 p.m.: The bash lures top execs including NBC's Bob Greenblatt, AMC's Charlie Collier, Fox's Peter Rice, Dana Walden and Gary Newman and HBO's Len Amato. Even non-CAA client Vince Gilligan is making the rounds with Better Call Saul showrunner Peter Gould.

8:45 p.m.: CAA has taken over its client Thomas Keller's Bouchon restaurant in Beverly Hills for a food-centric bash. Nominated guests, which include Mark Burnett and wife Roma Downey (The Voice), Jerry Bruckheimer (The Amazing Race), Weiner, Lorne Michaels (Saturday Night Live) and Kohan, are invited on a kitchen tour that includes stations with lamb pigs-in-a-blanket, chicken croquets, fries in CAA-branded containers and a custom pizza bar. 

Entertainment Weekly, held at Fig & Olive

9 p.m.: Empire actor Rafael de la Fuente explains that Taraji P. Henson deserves to win for her work on the Fox hit because she’s “an amazing artist -- and she’s an amazing human being.” As for the show’s recent THR cover? “I just posted it on Instagram,” he laughed. Minutes earlier, a Sandro-clad Zoe Lister-Jones, an actress on Life in Pieces, is overheard reminding a journalist that the premiere of her show is on Monday and she plans to watch from her couch “with my husband having a glass of champagne, like I end most nights.”

8:45 p.m.: Witney Carson of Dancing With the Stars fame, a nominee at last weekend's Creative Arts Emmy Awards, jokes with a journalist who asks her if she ends up marrying her boyfriend, Carson McCallister, if he could take her last name, making him Carson Carson. A pregnant Cat Deeley announces that she's wearing Marchesa (a black satin slip dress with gold embellishments) and she picked it because it's makes her feel "like a Spanish bullfighter's widow."

8:30 p.m.: Modern Family's Eric Stonestreet is the first guest to arrive and it’s not because he wants to make sure to get in a lot of interviews done before the party starts. The actor star whizzes by every media outlet and straight into the party as one journalist hissed, "Is this what the whole weekend is going to be like?"