This year's Emmys are driving some nominees to drink.
Several celebrities teased on the red carpet Friday night at the Emmy performers nominee reception that they would start imbibing early in order to prepare for Sunday's Primetime Emmys, the three-hour ceremony honoring all things television at the Nokia Theatre in downtown Los Angeles.
"Friday Night Lights" actress Connie Britton hoped to enjoy "some caviar and champagne" with her best girlfriends as she primps for the show, while "So You Think You Can Dance" host Cat Deeley revealed that she would partake in a "margarita and a swim" before the ceremony.
The plan for "Mildred Pierce" actress Melissa Leo was decidedly more dry.
"Everything is all picked out," said Leo. "There is no last-minute decisions for me, so I'll probably hop in the lovely little sauna over there at my hotel, and have a nice little sit in there, probably have a little something to eat early in the day — better than later on in the day. Eventually, the team will come over and start fluffing and primping."
Leo, who won a supporting actress Oscar for her role in "The Fighter" earlier this year, is nominated in the outstanding supporting actress in a miniseries or a movie category. Deeley is a first-time nominee in the outstanding reality TV host category, while Britton is up for her second time as outstanding lead actress in a drama series.
Dozens of this year's celebrity nominees were feted during an annual pre-Emmy soiree at Wolfgang Puck's Spectra inside the Pacific Design Center. On a stage out on the event space's balcony, nominees were presented with certificates by Academy of Television Arts and Sciences chairman John Schaffner, who individually posed for photos with each nominee.
Schaffner and "Modern Family" actress Sofia Vergara, who is nominated in the supporting comedy actress category, are in for a surprise when they peep their picture: Vergara's co-star and fellow Emmy nominee Eric Stonestreet jokingly stuck his head in the background. Stonestreet is up for the supporting comedy actor trophy, which he took home last year.
Inside, attendees feasted on a summer-inspired buffet created by Puck that included such savory dishes as sweet corn tortellini, heirloom tomato salad, roasted chicken, striped sea bass and slow braised short ribs. For dessert, partygoers plucked heavenly cupcakes and brownies from pedestals that were positioned underneath a display of large, fluffy clouds.
"I will probably just pace in the hotel room," said "Downton Abbey" actress Elizabeth McGovern, who is nominated for a miniseries or movie lead actress trophy, of her Emmy morning plans. "It starts pretty early, doesn't it? I don't think I will do too much. I will go probably get a coffee, come back, pace some more, probably read my book to calm down."
Celebrities toasted at lavish pre-Emmy bash
