The closest most of us have gotten to a real awards show is a few feet away from the TV screen. And, the closest we've been to a red carpet was that time we overturned a bottle of Merlot while laughing a little too hard at the show's opening sketch. From an outsider's perspective, an awards show is a surreal place; it combines the spontaneity of live TV with the entertainment factor of primetime — and it takes months of planning for it to go off without a hitch too many hitches. At home, we're quick to rag on presenters if they flub a line, but in reality, it's a wonder that the carefully orchestrated, technically complicated production isn't a bumpier ride for all. We asked awards-show pro and author of Front Roe: How To Be The Leading Lady In Your Own Life, Louise Roe, for the insider scoop on what gets lost in translation en route to your TV.
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Fact 1: The red carpet is packed early. Everyone except for the nominees is dressed and in place about 90 minutes before any actors arrive. This year, the security was extra tight, so I totaled about four and a half hours in those heels on our Access Hollywood stage.
Fact 2: Arrival times for actors are not random. This is a well-oiled machine! Publicists usually decide on an arrival moment — the bigger the star, the later they walk up. George and Amal Clooney caused the biggest commotion when they walked the carpet at their first-ever awards ceremony together, right before the show started.
Fact 3: Most awards ceremonies, including the Oscars, are dry, meaning that there are no snacks and certainly no bubbles while you watch. But, the Golden Globes are different. While everyone takes their seats, dinner is served, and once the live show begins, chocolates and Champagne keep circulating around the room. So, the heckling, laughing, and bustle in the room are real; people are partying.
Fact 4: The Golden Globe statues themselves are lined up neatly on a little table, by the side of the stage. Last year, I sat a mere meter away and was kind of astounded at how unguarded they are.
Fact 5: During the commercial breaks, people mingle like crazy. A man on a loudspeaker has to politely encourage everyone to please take their seats, but by the end of the show, it’s like a little party in there. My all-time favorite moment was a couple of years ago when Adele won for her Skyfall track. She had her high heels in one hand, her statue in the other, and came up to me asking if I’d help her find her way back to her table. She ended up tiptoeing across the stage in her tights while the show came back on air; the cameras missed her by a second.
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Fact 6: The best way to see all the action is by being a guest at the Hilton. Book a room! Unlike any other awards show, the Golden Globes awards ceremony and plethora of after-parties are all held under one roof: the Beverly Hilton Hotel. This year, I caught everyone from Melissa McCarthy to Diane Kruger to Adam Levine to Lorde just milling around in the lobby.
Fact 7: In fact, everyone has to line up for the parties, even the stars. This year, I queued up behind Maggie Q and Dylan McDermott.
Fact 8: For me, and a whole lot of other people in Hollywood, this is the night of no sleep. I behaved and left the party by midnight, but I had to be up at 3 a.m. to host a style segment on The Today Show. Then, it was straight to Access Hollywood to round up the night’s fashion hits and misses. And now, finally, a nap.