BRAD PITT a stand-up comedian?
It sure seemed like that on Monday night as he brought the house down during his deadpan and very funny appearance at the Hollywood Film Festival's 11th Annual Hollywood Awards Gala. Pitt was there to present the breakthrough actor award to CASEY AFFLECK, his co-star in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" which Pitt joked "is playing at a theater nowhere near you.'
Pitt told the audience that he had not really been aware of "Cassie Affleck" until they met "at the premiere of 'Ocean;s 13." [Affleck had appeared with Pitt in all three "Oceans" movies] "This guy was in 'Good Will Hunting." Did you know that? I didn't remember. ... He's been struggling, working hard, trying to make a name for himself ...
This guy's got talent, this guy's gonna do something."
Affleck, whose brother Ben received the breakthrough director of the year award last night for "Gone Baby Gone," reflected on the honor he was about to receive before the show began: "It always comes as a surprise. Wait. What am I talking about? It's never happened before ...It's really flattering. I'm not really sure who it is who made that decision but whoever that person or group of people are, I'm grateful. I've been around long enough I guess ... to not think it means more than it does but also to appreciate it."
Affleck had the one-two punch this fall of starring in both "Jesse James" and "Gone Baby Gone" :"People seem to have responded well to both which is great because I've experienced the opposite feeling."
Working with brother Ben "was really nice because I don't often get to see him on a day-to-day basis so that's got to be the best part about it."
BEN AFFLECK gives his brother much credit for the film's critical success: "The movie turned out better because [of]Casey's performance. I just happened to know the best actor for the role. I think anybody who's seen any of Casey's movies should see that there's a great actor there. I just happened to know that he was from Bostin and I happened to know that I wanted to make a movie about Boston and that he really understood that better than anybody. Mauybe it was a little bit of insider trading. I kinda got lucky and I got to look smart but I think it was really out there in plain sight. It certainly is now in my opinion now that the movie's come out to see that he's done an extraordinary job."
JOHN TRAVOLTA picked up two awards for "Hairspray" on Monday night: best supporting actor and best ensemble. Before the ceremony he said: "I feel proud and I feel like my courage in doing this paid off. It took a long time to decide but it all paid off...I always said that women have the best roles in musicals and now I was held to it because they said, 'We're offering you a woman's role so why don't you take it?' So there you have it. It was all worth it."
I wondered if, after playing a woman, Travolta now had the courage to take on just about any role: "Well, as long as something's well-written, I've always had the confidence to do something different."
Travolta was joined on stage at the ceremony by "Hairpray" co-stars ZACH EFRON, NIKKI BLONKY, BRITTANY SNOW and AMANDA BYNES.
RICHARD GERE was namked best actor for "The Hoax," JENNIFER CONNELLY supporting actress for "Reservation Road," MARC FORSTER best director for "The Kite Runner," and MARION COTILLARD best actress for her performance as Edith Piaf in "La Vie en rise."
Before the awards, Cotillard told me she was surprised to have been selected: "Well, I'm a French actress and I played in a French movie so it's quite unusual I think. All the people who worked on this movie were very proud of it. I had the greatest experience."
Among the presenters at the star-studded event were WILL FERRELL, CATHERINE ZETA-JONES, JANET JACKSON, MARCIA GAY HARDEN, CAMERON CROWE, KIRSTIE ALLEY and JANEANE GAROFALO.