Dish Of Salt: My 2010 Emmy Recap, Part I

First Published: August 31, 2010 2:59 PM EDT Credit: WireImage

Caption Access Hollywood’s Laura “Dish of Salt” Saltman catches up with Ricky Gervais

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- It was a whirlwind Emmy weekend for me and I’m just now reflecting on what all went down in the last 48 hours. There was tons of action backstage, on the red carpet and at the parties with the celebrities. Here’s a minute-by-minute synopsis of all my Emmy activities.

10:00 AM My first stop on Saturday was inside the Nokia Theater where I had an all access pass to the P.F. Chang’s Home Menu Frozen Moments Gift Lounge presented by On 3 Productions. My favorite “Glee” teacher, Matthew Morrison, was the first nominee to stop in the lounge. Both nominees and presenters were invited to visit the gift lounge during the top-secret show rehearsals. For every celebrity that stopped by a donation was made by P.F Chang’s to the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation. Each celebrity was also asked to break open a giant fortune cookie and write down the TV moment they would most like to see frozen in history. Ricky Gervais was one of the first presenters to stop by the gift lounge and had a surprising TV moment he wanted to freeze. “The time I met Elmo,” the British comedian wrote. When I chatted with Ricky he informed me was presenting the Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series. He told me that if Conan O’Brien wins he would piggyback him around the stage! Sadly, Conan was beat out on Sunday by Jon Stewart in that category so we didn’t get to see that moment (which would have been hilarious!). Check out my interview with Ricky HERE.

10:30 AM Blair Underwood stopped in the lounge with his family. The TV moment he wanted to freeze in time was “Janet Jackson’s Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction.” Blair, I think Janet would like to forget all about that moment! The star of NBC’s new fall show “The Event” revealed, after he picked up a two-night stay at the St. Regis Monarch beach, that he and his wife, Desiree, actually had their rehearsal dinner at the hotel in 1994 the night before they were married. So, he was looking forward to bringing her back to share that special memory. So sweet!

11:00 AM “Modern Family” beauty Sofia Vergara stopped by the lounge quickly. She was able to grab a few things but told me she had to run to a meeting. She loved the AMC Signature Pass, which allows each person to attend movies free for a year. She told me her son loves it. He’s a huge movie fan.

11:15 AM Two of TV’s funniest men popped into the gift lounge at the same tame – CBS nominees Neil Patrick Harris and Jim Parsons. “The Big Bang Theory” star shocked me when he revealed the moment he would most like to see frozen in time was when the Houston Rockets won the 1994 NBA Finals. I never would have pegged Sheldon Cooper as a sports fan! Jim told me he was frantically searching for the good luck charm I had brought him at Comic Con this year. He promised to find it and bring it to the Emmys on Sunday. It was a little purple penguin I named Bazinga He kept his promise for sure! He was clutching Bazinga when he went up to collect his award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. I was so proud my good luck charm worked! I’m thrilled for Jim. I’ve been rooting for him so much and he deserves the win. Check out my interview with Jim HERE.

11:30 AM “True Blood” newlyweds Stephen Moyer and Anna Paquin arrived in the gift lounge together. Their work schedules have kept them from taking a honeymoon after their recent nuptials. However, the couple revealed while they were picking up jeans from Vintage Revolution that they plan on going to London once they go on hiatus. The premium denim lines hits stores this Fall so the lucky celebs who snagged a pair got them before anyone else. From what I have heard these jeans give you the best butt ever!

12:00 PM Neil Patrick Harris was still making the rounds inside the gift lounge. He looked like he was having a blast trying on men’s shoes from Magnanni Handcrafted Men’s Footwear. See, men can get just as exited about new shoes as us ladies!

12:45 PM Matthew Perry and Lauren Graham pop into the lounge together. Everyone is buzzing wondering if they were a couple. I informed folks that they have been close friends for years and years and are not dating. In fact, on Sunday I spotted Matthew at the HBO party with actress Lizzy Caplan, whom he has been rumored to be dating since last year.

1:00 PM Although she was in a sweatshirt with minimal makeup, “Law & Order: SVU” nominee Mariska Hargitay looked absolutely gorgeous from head to toe. She revealed one of her hair beauty secrets was that she is a Moroccan Oil loyalist. Lucky for her, they were giving away a fantastic gift set that included tons of the product. On a side note, earlier I informed the ladies at Moroccan Oil that Matthew Morrison uses Lubriderm in his trademark curly locks. When asked why he said, “I have no idea!” So he agreed to give Moroccan a try. Next time I see him I will have to see if it works!

1:15 PM Mariska’s co-star, Christopher Meloni, was enjoying making the rounds inside the lounge. He told me he is looking forward to the new “Law & Order: Los Angeles” show and hopes to do some crossover episodes

1:30 PM I went to grab some lunch at the Access Hollywood trailer and when I came back I ran smack in to Sue Sylvester… aka Jane Lynch. Without thinking, she told me she was rehearsing for the opening number where she would be playing her infamous “Glee” character. I was then told I had to be sworn to secrecy about it so the news wouldn’t get out. I kept my promise. To have a little fun I had Jane do an interview with me as Sue. Check it out HERE.

2:15 PM Presenter Maura Tierney, star of ABC’s new show “The Whole Truth,” stopped in and seemed to be having a blast trying on sunglasses. ‘Truth’-fully, she looked great in every pair she tried on. OK bad pun, I know.

2:45 PM Had some downtime inside the lounge so I decided to do a little backstage tour of the hallways. Jimmy Fallon’s dressing room was just across from the lounge although he was too busy with hosting duties and missed all the festivities inside the gift lounge. I spotted signs on doors where I learned that Tina Fey and Betty White were sharing a dressing room, as were “Glee’s” Cory Monteith and Chris Colfer. Jane Lynch had her own room, as did Lea Michele and Tim Gunn.

3:30 PM The legendary Ann-Margret, a winner of a guest actress Emmy at last weeks Creative Arts Emmy Awards, stopped in the lounge to fulfill the charity angle. She left right after saying that she had so much stuff she had no room for anything else in her house!

4:00 PM “Vampire Diaries” beauty Nina Dobrev, looking adorable in a Lakers hat, dropped by the lounge and revealed she was already a fan of the Bossa Nova juice drinks which were being gifted. I had to see why she loved them so much. So I popped open a bottle of the blueberry acai and promptly spilled it all over my dress! Fortunately, the stain came right out. I certainly tasted good despite my clumsy handling of it!

4:30 PM Randy Jackson made a quick pit stop in the lounge for the P.F. Chang charity aspect. I think he spotted me armed and ready to ask about the new “American Idol” judges and made a quick exit!

5:45 PM So what do Jane Lynch and Kate Gosselin have in common? They both now own the same watch! They each picked the same white Aqua Swiss watch with an orange face. While Kate refused to pose for photos inside the lounge, Jane graciously posed at each and every station. She is truly one of the nicest actresses in Hollywood. Others could learn a thing or two from her.

I’ll have more from Emmy Weekend in Part Two of my recap!

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