Oscar noms -- the stage-ies

First off, congrats to all the acting nominees, and here's hoping we every last one of them rather than a bunch of casually dressed ent journalists (like myself) on the picket line free red carpet on Feb. 24.

I'm sure every last one of them took a drama class and did crappy summer stock in Cincinnati way back in the day. The cool thing about some of these nominees is that several of them continue to work on stage to this day. Because it benefits their craft. Because the better roles are there. Because they hate their agents, whatever.

I've waxed on at some length in this space about Hal Holbrook (best supporting actor, "Into the Wild") who -- in addition to being a real gentleman -- will turn 83 a week before the Oscars, and continues to play Mark Twain in "Mark twain Tonight!" wherever and whenever. He likely doesn't have a prayer ("No Country's" Javier Bardem figures to gun him down), but it's really cool to see HH even up there. And it would heavily SUCK if the writers strike prohibited him from being there to enjoy it.

There's also...

Amy Ryan (best supporting actress, "Gone, Baby, Gone"): A New York stage fixture, though perhaps not for long, now. She headlined David Linsey-Abaire's "Rabbit Hole" in September 06 at the Geffen Playhouse, playing the same role that won Cynthia Nixon a Tony award. Unless voters are in a Cate Blanchett frame of mind, She-who-is-not-Meg has got a legitimate chance.

Laura Linney (best actress, "The Savages"): She rocks. She'll play the sinister Marquise de Merteuil in a revival of Christopher Hampton's "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" in April on Broadway...and she probably doesn't have a prayer against Julie Christie or Marion Cotillard.

Philip Seymour Hoffman: (Best supporting actor, "Charlie Wilson's War") Given how much he works, I don't know how he finds time to return to the stage. But return he does, both as actor and director. He's been a member of the LAByrinth Theater Company in New York since 1995, and his brother Gordy used to run the 85 hour Shakespeare marathon out of the MET Theatre in L.A. Already an Oscar winner (for "Capote,") he'' also probably be Bardem-ed on Oscar night.