CNN.com - Entertainment - Del Toro, Harden nab supporting Oscars

73rd Academy Awards


Marcia Gay Harden picked up the Oscar for best supporting actress for her role in "Pollock"

By Jamie Allen
CNN

(CNN) -- Benicio Del Toro and Marcia Gay Harden took home their first Oscars on Sunday night, winning supporting actor prizes at the 73rd Academy Awards.

Harden won her Oscar for her role as the supportive wife of abstract-expressionist painter Jackson Pollock in the movie "Pollock."

She thanked the academy, then turned her gratitude to her mother and father.

"Dad, who's here tonight, thank you for teaching me how to soldier through tough situations, and mom for teaching me to do it gracefully," said Harden.

Del Toro, who played a Tijuana, Mexico, cop in the drug drama "Traffic," dedicated his Oscar to two filming locations in the movie: Nogales, Arizona, and Nogales, Mexico.

ABC is telecasting the Academy Awards, a ceremony that began at 8:30 p.m. EST. The ceremony opened with a video-cast from the International Space Station with astronauts "beaming down" host Steve Martin.

Back on Earth, Martin made the most of the celestial opening. "That introduction cost the government $1 trillion," he said, "so there goes your tax cut."

Martin, following in the footsteps of popular Oscar host Billy Crystal, shirked the tradition of Crystal's musical opening. Instead, he relied on his experience as a stand-up comic to open the night with a monologue.

"Hosting the Oscars is much like making love to a woman," said Martin. "It's something I only get to do when Billy Crystal is out of town."

Other Oscars already handed out this night: Best art direction and best cinematography to "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"; best film editing to "Traffic"; best costume design and best sound to "Gladiator."

Among the top prizes to be handed out tonight: best picture, best actor and actress.

'It's pretty overwhelming'

But before the ceremony started, it was preceded by a red-carpet walk that included plenty of high style, high-caliber celebrities, and screaming fans.

Luminaries du jour such as Oscar nominees Julia Roberts, Russell Crowe and Benicio Del Toro strolled into the Shrine Auditorium in the glare of spotlights and camera flashes. Cheers and applause followed their glowing arrivals.

And, amid the kisses and hugs and protestations of affection, that universal question hovered in this hive of international attention: "Are you nervous?"

Some, like Sting, the musician nominated for best song for "My Funny Friend and Me" from "The Emperor's New Groove," admitted feeling some pressure. It was his first ceremony, and he'd brought his wife and two children along.

"I'm still a novice in this world," he said. "It's pretty overwhelming. I'm not used to it. I'm not made for this kind of thing."

Laura Linney, nominated as best actress in "You Can Count on Me," did not appear too blas, either.

"I'm thrilled out of my mind to be here," she said. "I'm so proud. It's been an exciting experience."

Hanks and Roberts

Even Tom Hanks, who has won two best actor Oscars and is nominated again this year for his work in "Cast Away," said he never gets used to the adrenalin rush of Oscar night.


Del Toro wins Best Supporting Actor for his role in 'Traffic'

"How many times can you jump out of a plane at the speed of sound?" he said.. "You just never get used to it."

Roberts said she was not paying much attention to those who say she's a lock to win best actress for her role in "Erin Brockovich."

"I feel an enormous amount of support and it makes me feel fabulous," she said. "I don't believe in a sure thing."

Del Toro, nominated for a supporting actor role in "Traffic," took the attention in stride, and noted that his career has enjoyed that Oscar push.

"That phone is ringing and ringing and ringing," he said. "When you're an actor you want to be employed."

The envelopes, please

This year's ceremony features some strong contenders, among them "Gladiator." The epic that recreates the days of ancient Rome and battle in its Colosseum heads into Sunday with a leading 12 nominations, including a nod for the top prize of best picture. It also was a killer at the box office -- always a plus.

It's facing off in that category against "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," perhaps "Gladiator"'s stiffest competition with 10 nominations. "Traffic" (five nods), "Erin Brockovich" (five nominations) and "Chocolat" (also five) round out the best picture nominees.

In the acting categories, Roberts and Crowe seem to be favorites to take top honors in their categories.

GALLERY


Stars as they arrived for the Academy Awards

Roberts has been nominated twice before -- in 1990 for "Steel Magnolias" and the next year "Pretty Woman" -- but she has never won.

Her best actress competition is Juliette Binoche ("Chocolat"), Joan Allen ("The Contender"), Linney ("You Can Count on Me"), and Ellen Burstyn ("Requiem for a Dream").

Crowe, meantime, is vying for his first Oscar. The Australian actor seethed as "Gladiator"'s vengeful Maximus. He faces off in the best actor category against Hanks (the "Cast Away" star who already won back-to-back Oscars in 1994 and '95), Geoffrey Rush ("Quills"), Javier Bardem ("Before Night Falls") and Ed Harris ("Pollock").

Best director nominees are Stephen Daldry ("Billy Elliot"), Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"), Ridley Scott ("Gladiator"), Steven Soderbergh ("Erin Brockovich") and Soderbergh again ("Traffic").

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