Oscar nominees including Meryl Streep, Lee Daniels and George Clooney get together for lunch

The annual Oscar Nominees Luncheon is always such a great event because the stars are so relaxed. I was not there this year but have wonderful memories of past years. Two years ago, I sat right next to George Clooney and the year before that, I was placed right next to Jennifer Hudson! (seating is done via lottery so I was twice lucky).

I was also there last year but Meryl Streep, nominated for Doubt, was not present which was a pity. But the 16-time nominee did make it this year and looked fabulous. It’s smart of Streep to show up since ballots are still out and she appears to be in a tight race with Sandra Bullock for best actress.

Out director Lee Daniels is a first-time nominee while the five best actor nominees are a dapper bunch with Clooney once again in the running, Colin Firth getting a nod for A Single Man while Jeff Bridges is the clear front-runner for Crazy Heart.

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