Gemini Awards Article
Tuesday, November 09, 1999
by Susanne Hiller National Post
People were talking after Sunday night's Gemini Awards, but the buzz wasn't about the winners -- it was about the clothes.
Attendees at the 14th annual gala celebrating the best in Canadian television wore the most extravagant -- and possibly the most bizarre -- outfits in the history of the awards. The black-tie event was telecast live from the John Bassett Theatre at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on CBC Television.
The standard black evening cocktail dress was tossed aside and replaced by loud, head-turning numbers, perhaps inspired by the over-the-top L.A.-style stage decorated with pseudo nude statues and fake leafy trees.
Actress Leah Pinsent, a Gemini nominee and presenter, set the tone for the evening by, apparently, borrowing a 12-year-old girl's birthday party dress for the occasion: She pranced on to the stage wearing a short pink ballerina-style taffeta dress and shiny,T-strap shoes.
Peta Wilson, better known as Nikita, raised eyebrows when she sauntered in wearing a black, strappy showstopper -- a la dominatrix -- with killer high heels.
Traders star Sonja Smits strolled on stage in an equally eye-poppingly tight black tank top that revealed inches of her midriff.
You couldn't miss Wendy Crewson's colourful homage to the upcoming festive season. Crewson, who won the award for best actress in a dramatic program for her performance in the right-to-die drama At the End of the Day: The Sue Rodriguez Story, was decked out in a teeny tiny frosty-green jacket paired with a billowing, ankle-length red skirt.
But Rebecca Jenkins of Black Harbour topped everyone with her fuzzy new hairdo -- oops, no, that was an ostrich-feathered black hat that surrounded her bright smile like a halo.
On the whole, the men in attendance were less flashy -- except for the handful who were wearing silver ties.
Still, a few managed to draw attention to themselves. Michael Riley of CTV's hockey series Power Play accepted his Gemini as best actor in a continuing leading dramatic role while chomping, noticeably, on chewing gum. And Ian Stacey, who won for best actor in the Milgaard movie, had a rather large stain all over one shoulder of his suit.
It was left up to the comedians to maintain standards. The irreverent cast of This Hour Has 22 Minutes -- Cathy Jones, Rick Mercer, Greg Thomey and Mary Walsh -- who won for best performance in a comedy program or series were sophisticated in plain old black.
Back to articles
Tuesday, November 09, 1999
by Susanne Hiller National Post
People were talking after Sunday night's Gemini Awards, but the buzz wasn't about the winners -- it was about the clothes.
Attendees at the 14th annual gala celebrating the best in Canadian television wore the most extravagant -- and possibly the most bizarre -- outfits in the history of the awards. The black-tie event was telecast live from the John Bassett Theatre at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on CBC Television.
The standard black evening cocktail dress was tossed aside and replaced by loud, head-turning numbers, perhaps inspired by the over-the-top L.A.-style stage decorated with pseudo nude statues and fake leafy trees.
Actress Leah Pinsent, a Gemini nominee and presenter, set the tone for the evening by, apparently, borrowing a 12-year-old girl's birthday party dress for the occasion: She pranced on to the stage wearing a short pink ballerina-style taffeta dress and shiny,T-strap shoes.
Peta Wilson, better known as Nikita, raised eyebrows when she sauntered in wearing a black, strappy showstopper -- a la dominatrix -- with killer high heels.
Traders star Sonja Smits strolled on stage in an equally eye-poppingly tight black tank top that revealed inches of her midriff.
You couldn't miss Wendy Crewson's colourful homage to the upcoming festive season. Crewson, who won the award for best actress in a dramatic program for her performance in the right-to-die drama At the End of the Day: The Sue Rodriguez Story, was decked out in a teeny tiny frosty-green jacket paired with a billowing, ankle-length red skirt.
But Rebecca Jenkins of Black Harbour topped everyone with her fuzzy new hairdo -- oops, no, that was an ostrich-feathered black hat that surrounded her bright smile like a halo.
On the whole, the men in attendance were less flashy -- except for the handful who were wearing silver ties.
Still, a few managed to draw attention to themselves. Michael Riley of CTV's hockey series Power Play accepted his Gemini as best actor in a continuing leading dramatic role while chomping, noticeably, on chewing gum. And Ian Stacey, who won for best actor in the Milgaard movie, had a rather large stain all over one shoulder of his suit.
It was left up to the comedians to maintain standards. The irreverent cast of This Hour Has 22 Minutes -- Cathy Jones, Rick Mercer, Greg Thomey and Mary Walsh -- who won for best performance in a comedy program or series were sophisticated in plain old black.
Back to articles