Life At The Top

Nick & Holly

Former soap star Holly Vallance is to get hitched to her (reputed) billionaire boyfriend property developer Nick Candy this Saturday in Los Angeles at a wedding bash that is said will cost up to $2M. Guests like Sir Elton John  and Simon Cowell are expected to celebrate with the couple.

Erica & James

Meanwhile in Sydney local billionaire James Packer and his beautiful wife former model Erica


have just welcomed the birth of their second baby daughter Emmanuelle yesterday.
 James is selling off the last of the media empire he inherited from father Kerry Packer for around $1B while he expands his gambling and casino empire.

Ain't life grand !.

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And from the Emmys actor Tom Hanks demonstrated a new use for the award : he taped one to the bonnet of his car and drove around LA.

A Night For Awards

the Emmy's kick off this morning in Los Angeles with two Australians up for awards : Nicole Kidman for her portrayal of Martha Gellhorn in the film Hemingway and Gellhorn while the reclusive Judy Davis ('best actress in the world' :Woody Allen) will be attending to see if she picks up the Best Supporting Actress gong in the political drama Page Eight.

Nicole Kidman as Martha Gellhorn with co-star Clive Owen

Trevor Ashley : Diamonds Are For Trevor

In the evening the stars of the Australian stage and local Hollywood types will gather at the Sydney Opera House for the Helpmann Awards. The Shuttle will be on hand to see if the brilliant rising drag star Trevor Ashley picks up an award for his superb show Diamonds Are For Trevor while Tim Minchin is nominated for Best Comedy performance.

Judy Davis' husband Colin Freils may get Best Actor in A Play for Red and no Sydney theatre event is worth it's salt without either Cate Blanchett in attendance or getting a Best Actress Award as she may for her role in Gross Und Klein. And Miranda Otto should be there along with the Otto clan including dad Barry Otto ('best actor in the world' : John Gielgud). Miranda has been nominated in the supporting role in The White Guard.

Bruce Beresford has been nominated for his direction of the opera Mice And Men.
Prince, Kylie Minogue, Foof Fighters, Sade and Keith Urban have all been nominated in various categories.
For the full list go to the Helpmann Awards website and check back at the social shuttle later tonight.

Guy Up For An Emmy

Guy Pearce has been nominated for an Emmy as best Supporting Actor in A Miniseries for the re-make of Mildred Pierce. Actor Bryan F.O'Byrne has been nominated for the same award in the same film.

The mini-series is a re-make of the 1945 film which starred Joan Crawford at her campest and which starred Zachary Scott in the part played by Pearce. The new series has been nominated for a staggering 21 Emmys including Kate Winslet for best actress  in the lead role.

Pearce first found world fame in the Oscar winning movie Priscilla Queen of The Desert but Aussie TV viewers knew Pearce from the soap Neighbours where he starred alongside Kylie Minogue and Jason Donavon.

The Shuttle has uncovered some hot footage of the three former teen heart throbs frolicking on the beach :

Rose off to the Emmys

A week after attending the opening night of A Streetcar Named Desire to support her good pal Cate Blanchett, actress Rose Byrne  (left copyright the Shuttle ) jetted of to LA for the Emmy Awards due to be announced tomorrow.

Last night Byrne attended a BAFTA tea party at the residence of the LA Australian Consul General along with the 8 other Aussies up for Emmy awards.

Rose confided to The Shuttle at Streetcar that she had been petrified of auditioning for the role of a lawyer in the film Damages along with Glen Close :"she's a goddess of cinema and acting, I've never been so nervous " said Rose. She need not have worried. She scored the role and is a hot favourite to pick up the coveted award. Rose is looking forward to playing her next role as a pop star girlfriend of Russell Brand in  Get Him To The Greek. "I've been studying Posh for the role", says Rose. Which shouldn't involve too much effort.

Also at the tea-party and expected to win-star of TV series The Mentalist Simon Baker. The ever so nice Baker is yet another from that Ramsay Street soapie that has sent to many off to Hollywood for stardom and we love how the once short haired Simon's locks gets thicker and fluffier as he ages.Must be something in the Hollywood air.

## instant update: Toni Collette picked up the gong for best actress in the United Sates of Tara which describes the relationship the Shuttle has enjoyed with Toni since we've know her for 15 years. One day it's arms flung about us-the next it's a frozen stare which I guess is why she plays the role,of a psychologically disturbed housewife so well. 

But it's an award well deserved. Toni has transformed herself over the years from the frumpy role in Muriel's Wedding (little make-up or padding needed) into a superstar and a superb talent. There's still an Oscar waiting with her name on it.


Perhaps it's because we turned down the last offer to Toni's singing performance. Having seen a few in the past-well let's say we rather attend a Russell Crowe "Grunt's" stage show and that is out of pure politeness.


Rose Byrnes and Simon Baker still, have another 2 hours before they know if they are winners although Rupert Murdoch's flagship Aussie tabloid the Daily Terror online site points out the same in one sentence followed by the next claiming she has already lost. It's only to be expected for the Terror and we've long given up pointing out these errors to them as they instantly correct them with nary a polite thank you.


### Sadly Simon lost out as did Rose Byrnes but her co-star Glen Close won an Emmy. At least Simon Baker, gorgeous hair and all has been voted the sexiest man on TV by several US publications.