Hollywood gets ready for Golden Globes

The Associated Press, Sunday, January 17, 2010, 7:30am (PST)

By MSNEnt

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- "The Hurt Locker" director Kathryn Bigelow is going hiking. "Precious" director Lee Daniels plans on meditating. And "Crazy Heart" actor Jeff Bridges will be happy just to know if he's coming or going as Hollywood prepped for the 67th Annual Golden Globes Awards.

From screenings and fittings to gift suites and pre-parties, eager anticipation was everywhere this weekend in advance of Sunday night's big show. Here's a sampling:

A SPOT OF TEA: Nominees for Sunday night's Golden Globes made the rounds this weekend — to stylists and gift suites and to a number of major red-carpet events, including the 16th Annual Awards Season Tea Party, hosted by BAFTA-LA, the Los Angeles arm of the British Academy of Film & Television Arts.

The event, held at the Beverly Hills Hotel, attracted acting vets Jane Fonda, Joan Collins and current Globe nominee Helen Mirren ("The Last Station"). Relative newcomer Jeremy Renner was there, too — just hours after his Iraq-war drama's Best Picture win at Friday night's Critics' Choice Awards.

"It's tremendous," Renner said, when asked about dressing up for the weekend. "It's awesome. You get to wear fine clothes. Armani really hooks you up with some fine things. I've got Andrew Buckler on today, which looks great. I'm the same dude, just looking a little bit better."

Former Globe contender Maggie Gyllenhaal decided only recently to go to the Globes, in part to show support for her "Crazy Heart" costar Jeff Bridges, who is nominated for best Actor in a drama. "When I've been nominated, you get like 20 dresses and you try them all on and you do the whole thing," Gyllenhaal said. "I came out here actually for work, and only decided last minute, actually, to go to the Globes. And I tried on one dress and that's the dress I'm wearing."

"Up in the Air" nominee Anna Kendrick observed, "It's really strange when you're rolling up to something that's a special night, you feel like you should be able to kind of give your skin and your hair a break. And it's been kind of nonstop. I'm wearing makeup like all day everyday. I'm sort of waiting for the most disastrous breakout any moment."

As for her dress? "I think it's really special and I'm really happy with it," the diminutive Kendrick replied. "And my roommate basically said the magic words when I put it on. He said it made me look tall."

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ALL ABOUT THE GLOBES: Sandwiched between Friday night's Broadcast Film Critics awards and Sunday night's Golden Globes was the 35th Annual Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards on Saturday night.

Among the big LAFCA winners: "The Hurt Locker" and its Kathryn Bigelow for best picture and director, Jeff Bridges for best actor in "Crazy Heart," and Mo'Nique for best supporting actress.

But the talent talk on the carpet was all about the Globes, including Mo'Nique, a nominee for supporting actress for her work in "Precious."

Asked about her wardrobe plans for Sunday night's ceremony, Mo'Nique replied with a laugh, "It's really what you wear under the dress that makes the dress great."

For "Young Victoria" actress nominee Emily Blunt, getting her dress on for the Globes will be a relaxed affair. "I mean, I try to keep it really low key," she explained.

She will assemble her prep team early, Blunt said. "Everyone has a catchup, and has some breakfast together, and we all just hang out, and then we all start getting ready. And then there's no mad rush of, 'Makeup person has an hour. Hair person has an hour. And then you've got to get in the dress.'"

"I like to be on time," noted Julianne Moore, nominated for a supporting actress Globe for "A Single Man." "That to me is the most important thing," she continued. "As long as I feel like I'm managing my time well and I get out of the house at the right time, (I'm all right.)"

"Getting ready is really a little weird," said Gabourey Sidibe, nominee for best dramatic actress in "Precious." "Yeah, I've got to pick out a dresses and things like that," she said. "But, also, I have to find time to do it, and that's a little stressful. And also getting nails done, hair done — all of it. It's a little crazy. And it's winding down to the 11th hour, and I don't have anything ready yet. I might show up in a garbage bag."

Let's hope Bridges simply shows up. "I've been doing this (the awards circuit) for a while now, explained the "Crazy Heart" nominee. "We just got back from Nashville, New York. I don't know if I'm coming or going. You know what I'm saying?"

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GLOBES GLEE: The cast of TV's "Glee" said they were developing new rituals to prepare for Sunday's Golden Globes, where the Fox show is up for best comedy series and stars Lea Michele, Matthew Morrison and Jane Lynch are nominated for their performances.

"I've never done an award show so I guess I'll have to start a ritual," said Lynch, who plays mean-spirited cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester on the show. "I bet I will probably get up and have coffee like I always do."

Other "Glee" stars dreamed of more luxurious preparations.

"I will cleanse myself in the waters of Nepal," said Mark Salling, who plays Puck.

"I should have a ritual, like I should bathe in milk or something extravagant," said Jayma Mays, who plays the show's prim and proper school counselor. "I'll come up with something."

Lynch said she was overwhelmed by the whole thought of the Golden Globes, but her biggest concern was what to wear.

"My greatest worry was the dress and I found one," she said. "So that is psychological relief and now I might be too stupid to be nervous."