Hollywood is gearing up for the Oscars. Officially known as the Academy Awards, they are the American film industry's highest honors and they will will be given out on February 26. Many of the nominees turned out for a nominees luncheon on Monday. They shared their thoughts on this year's competition.
Glenn Close has been nominated as best actress for her starring role in Albert Nobbs. She plays a woman in 19th century Ireland who dresses and passes as a man.
This is the actress's sixth Oscar nomination, but Close says she doesn't get excited about whether she'll win or not. She's just pleased to be a nominee.
“Because if you just do the simple math, the amount of people who are in our two unions, the amount of people who in our profession are out of work at any given time, the amount of movies that are made every year, and then you're one of five," said Close. "How could you possibly think of yourself as a loser.”
Gary Oldman has been nominated as best actor for his role as spymaster George Smiley in the espionage thriller Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.
Oldman says he is also honored by the nomination. But he's decided not to get nervous about it.
“And I've decided just to completely embrace it, and I'm having the time of my life," he said. "It's a fairy tale.”
George Clooney is a double nominee for co-writing the adapted screenplay for The Ides of March, a tale of presidential politics, and for his starring role in the The Descendants, a family drama set in Hawaii.
Clooney earned an Oscar as supporting actor for the 2005 thriller Syriana, and has been nominated once before as a writer, for co-authoring the screenplay for Good Night, and Good Luck, a film about the iconic American newsman Edward R. Murrow.
“For me it's fun because this is my second nomination as a writer," said Clooney. "Well that's fun because we're always pitching projects and it's nice to be able to go in and say, I think we could actually do the screenplay and they let us now."
Octavia Spencer is a nominee for her supporting role in The Help, about black domestic workers in the American South of the 1960s.
“This is my first time to the party and I'm going to enjoy every aspect of it," said Spencer. "So I am. This smile is real.”
Not all the nominees showed up for this first party. There are five nominees each for best actor and best actress and nine nominees for best picture. It's a sure bet that most of the nominees, in all categories, will be on the red carpet on February 26.