'Homeland's' Danes, 'Twin Peaks'' MacLachlan shine at Showtime Emmy bash

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – Showtime’s Emmy Eve party Saturday featured a healthy sampling of primetime nominees.

The annual bash at the Sunset Tower Hotel was a steamy affair, literally, as guests and performers, including Jakob Dylan, felt the effects of a late-summer Southern California heat wave combined with bright TV lighting.

“Are you guys burning up, too?” Dylan, singing with Jade, asked the well-dressed crowd during a four-song set that featured ‘60s tunes Never My Love and She.

Homeland’s Claire Danes, nominated for lead actress in a drama, had flown in from Germany, where she is shooting the fifth season of the spy thriller.

“We’re so happy to have a reason to celebrate,” said Danes, who attended with her husband, actor Hugh Dancy. “We’re filming our ninth episode, so it’s nice to just have a moment to pause and reflect and raise a glass.”

At the start of the new Homeland season (Oct. 4, 9 p.m. ET/PT), Danes’ Carrie Mathison seems to be at peace and enjoying motherhood after leaving the CIA to work for a foundation in Berlin. Trouble finds her, however, as it usually does.

“She’s trying to create a sane, healthy life for herself and surrender to domesticity, but her past just won’t let go,” she said.

Asked if she had any strategy for dealing with predicted high temperatures on Sunday’s Emmy red carpet, Danes had a one-word reply: “Deodorant.”

During a short speech, Showtime president David Nevins noted the significance of former drama-series Emmy winner Homeland receiving a best-drama nomination for its fourth season after not making the nominee cut last year. "It's very rare that they kick you out of the club and invite you back in," he told the audience.

For East Coast-based Edie Falco, nominated for her performance in the final season of Nurse Jackie, the Emmy ceremony means a rare, welcome trip to Los Angeles. “I don’t come out here except for these things, so I get to hang with my friends and be a part of this community.”

As for the end of the acclaimed Jackie, she added: “There’s a sadness that we’re done, but I also feel like we finished it when it was time.”

Don Cheadle, nominated as lead actor in a comedy for his role in House of Lies, is pleased with his nomination, but also feels “just very fortunate to be on a show that I love going to work on every day.”

Cheadle, who will play Miles Davis in the upcoming film, Miles Ahead, says he’s learned much about business consulting, the profession at the heart of Lies. “It’s a very interesting business that I’m glad I have no part of,” he says.

Kyle MacLachlan, who begins shooting Showtime’s revival of Twin Peaks late this month, wouldn’t reveal details about the project, which will be directed by David Lynch and written by Lynch and Mark Frost, both from the original 1990s ABC cult hit.

“I’m sworn to secrecy, but that being said, people had better hold onto their hats, because it’s pretty spectacular, from what I’ve read” of scripts, said MacLachlan, who again plays Dale Cooper. “One of the things that I’m very excited about is that I get to work with David Lynch as director again. It’s been a long time.”

The party featured other Showtime Emmy nominees – Liev Schreiber (Ray Donovan), Matt LeBlanc (Episodes), Beau Bridges (Masters of Sex), William H. Macy (Shameless) and Joan Cusack (already a winner as guest actress for Shameless) – and a collection of stars, including Damian Lewis (Showtime’s upcoming Billions), Mandy Patinkin (Homeland), Nazanin Boniadi (Homeland), Naomi Watts, Felicity Huffman, LL Cool J, Ellen Pompeo, Aida Turturro, Michael Ealy, Kathryn Hahn and Betsy Brandt.