And the award for comedy duo with the toughest gig this Oscar season goes to...
Scotland’s Mr Showbiz drops us a postcard from Hollywood
Some famous duos secretly hated each other behind the scenes – like Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, or Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. A comedy duo I can reveal are unable to be in the same room as each other are...tina Fey and Amy Poehler. The funny pairing don’t despise each other though – they’re just embracing Hollywood’s new normal! Tina and Amy, stars of Saturday Night Live, Baby Mama and Sisters, will host this year’s Golden Globes. The pairing have done it four times before, but this is obviously the first year they’ll be doing it with Covid in mind. Both will be in separate rooms – on different coasts – at the awards ceremony on February 28. Fey will be live from Rockefeller Center in Manhattan while Poehler will present from the ceremony’s usual home of the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. It’s great to see this pairing back together again, they’ve done fantastically in previous years. The pals have been working in comedy together since both were on the improv scene in Chicago back in the ’90s. They’ve had some cracking jokes while hosting The Golden Globes, like when George Clooney received a lifetime achievement award.
“George Clooney married Amal Alamuddin this year,” began Tina. “Amal is a human rights lawyer who worked on the Enron case; was an adviser to Kofi Annan regarding Syria; and was selected for a three-person UN commission investigating rules of war violations in the Gaza Strip. So tonight...her husband is getting a lifetime achievement award.” it funny. And speaking of that lifetime achievement award, Jane Fonda is receiving one this year. I’ve interviewed Jane a couple of times and no one deserves it more. I’m Fonda Jane! Lots of Brits have been recognised in the nominations, which were announced on Wednesday. The most high profile is probably Sacha Baron Cohen in the hilarious Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. Producers haven’t announced who will be at the split ceremony – Olivia Colman, James Corden and Hugh Grant are among the other Brits up for acting awards – but it’s hoped by having an event in two locations, more celebrities will be able to attend. It all depends on what Covid restrictions look like by the end of the month. And the same goes for the big one – the Oscars. Normally in February I’d be gearing up for that ceremony but it is, of course, delayed until late April.
Who knows where things will stand by then, but industry insiders believe the vaccines and spring will have made a difference to coronavirus infection rates and hospital numbers.
So I might just get the chance to stand on the red carpet again... but who knows if I’ll be shoulder to shoulder with the rest of the rabid press pack. I’ll iron the tartan waistcoat regardless! Ouch! Luckily George found