Emmys 2008: The Backstage Report

Image credit: Steve Granitz/WireImage

JEREMY PIVEN Backstage, the Entourage star sounded off on the Emmys' odd opening: ''I thought we were being punk'd as an audience.''

It was a quiet night backstage at the 60th Annual Emmy Awards. Many winners (Dianne Wiest, Tom Wilkinson) simply didn't attend the ceremony, while others (Jon Stewart, Tina Fey, the Man Men crew) were escorted back to their seats in anticipation of other categories in which they were nominated, coming to the general press tent behind the Nokia Theatre only after the show had ended. Still, there managed to be plenty of notable moments in the press area, including in-depth examinations into why Sarah Palin remained a popular topic of conversation during the evening, the power of Jeff Probst's dimples, and why three-time winner Tina Fey was having a surprisingly bad night.

Ladies and gentlemen, Ari Gold
Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy winner Jeremy Piven (Entourage) said his third win ''was more shocking than the first two'' — which probably means he hasn't really followed the Emmy Awards all that much. Although he could have just been reeling still from the bizarre opening of the show. ''I thought we were being punk'd as an audience,'' Piven said earnestly. ''There was this really great line about Sarah Palin's bridge to nowhere, but it was confusing.'' Less confusing were Piven's feelings about the question whether he would ever be considered for a leading actor award instead of a supporting actor. His answer at first was standard PR non-speak — well, it would be nice, and Ari Gold certain is becoming more front-and-center, so who knows, you'd have to ask HBO about that — but then, suddenly, Piven cracked, ''In other words, you want to say, 'Step it up, f--- face.' Is that what you want to say to me?''

Sympathy for Samantha
Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy winner Jean Smart took time to continue her praise of Samantha Who? cast mate Christina Applegate. ''I've never seen an actress so beloved by a cast and crew as Christina, and that was before she came upon some tough times,'' said Smart, referring to Applegate's recent battle with cancer. ''I was shocked when she told me, and I started to cry a little bit.''

Hey, Best Comedy Director winner Barry Sonnenfeld...
...why did you have to watch your mouth during your acceptance speech? ''I would have started by talking about my penis,'' said the Pushing Daisies helmer. Ah. Good point.

And the winner of the Stewart-Colbert Funny-Off is...
...Stephen Colbert, hands down. Best Variety, Music, or Comedy Series winner Jon Stewart was, frankly, surprisingly unfunny, greeting questions like Why are politics and comedy synonymous? with a slight scowl and no humor. (Well, okay, he did crack a smile at one point, muttering, ''It's been a long f---ing night, hasn't it, people?'') Colbert, by contrast, joked that he wasn't happy with The Daily Show taking the series award (while his show took the writing Emmy): ''Even when I worked for [Stewart], I did not wish him well.'' Colbert went on to explain that of course he was happy for Stewart, since they see their two shows as ''two flavors of the same DNA.'' A reporter piped up: ''Like Entertainment Tonight and The Insider!'' Colbert grinned. ''It's exactly like ET and Insider. We talk about that all the time.'' And whereas Stewart punted by answering that Tina Fey, hot off her send-up of Sarah Palin, should also play Barack Obama, Colbert had some novel suggestions for who should play the Republican ticket. ''Don Rickles would play McCain,'' Colbert said. ''[And] maybe me for Sarah Palin, because I also have absolutely no business being vice president.''

NEXT PAGE: Sarah Palin, Bryan Cranston, and Jeff Probst's dimples