February 12, 2001: Oscar nominations out this morning. Nicole Kidman called in personally to talk to reporter Chris Gardner. Miramax called looking for me, wanting to see if the magazine is running a post-nomination Screening Guide. We aren't. They were the only studio to ask; it’s been a record year for them.Billy Bob Thornton was not nominated. I thought that was notable despite all of the
'For Your Consideration...' ads I’ve seen in both trades for Monster’s Ball, Bandits and The Man Who Wasn’t There. Actors like Thornton . Maybe there’s some old-guard defense of Laura Dern, she's part of an acting dynasty. Thornton’s father-in-law Jon Voight was nominated for his Howard Cosell role in Ali. Baz Luhrmann wasn’t nominated for Moulin Rouge- bizarre, seeing as he modestly revitalized the musical genre. It’s happened to Steven Spielberg and Darren Aronofsky. Halle Berry got nominated for Monster’s Ball and I’m thrilled. Sissy Spacek nominated, 21 years after the Coal Miner’s Daughter win.
February 15, 2001: Got up and used the 7-Eleven ATM instead of my regular one. The schizo clerk at the counter got pissy with me. I had to snatch my money out of his hands and sent pennies flying while he gasped in shock. I’m not a morning person as it is and it all started with him ordering me not to lean on the counter when I was nowhere near it! I worked at a motherfuckin’ 7-Eleven in college and would never lean on those dirty a$$ counters.
February 16, 2001: Tracey Takes On…is hilarious. I’d excel at a show like that where I could play so many characters. I’m always working on different accents and paying attention to character traits. I did a good Cockney one at work today. Steve Brennan said it was completely authentic and he's Irish. Multi-character formats are a dream. Filmed or live.
February 21, 2002: Working the 22nd annual American Film Market (AFM) in Santa Monica and it’s a meet market. The Reporter is one of the sponsors for this market of independent films. People come into our suite all day with news and press releases. One of the director/producers of a horror film came in today and offered me a part in the sequel, in front of the writers. We had a good natured laugh because it would be like 'Karl Gibson in 'Bonkers, Part 2' or something like that.
Took a break and went to a press junket I wasn't covering. Later, in the green room suite, one of the media outlet reporters called his studio contact and said, “You guys are on a bad streak. Hart’s War is in seventh place?! Who thought?” He hung up and talked to his male reporter friend who wondered aloud, “Should I cut my hair? I was thinking of a mushroom cut?”
I didn’t want to say that no male really should willingly want a mushroom cut. His colleague said the mushroom would look cute, then he gazed at himself in the full-length hotel mirror and looked exhausted. “I’m so ugly,” he cried and slid down the wall in a concave slouch, hands over head. It was a private little meltdown like I hadn’t seen by a writer prince. I’m used to the actor's variety of this. No one said anything in response.






