Oscar Nominees Do Lunch

For the industry that has long made "doing lunch" a cliche, the one lunch all of Hollywood wants to do is the Oscar nominees luncheon in Beverly Hills.

The Early Show national correspondent Hattie Kauffman was there.

"It's certainly not any easier, you're still just as nervous, you still can't believe it," said Hilary Swank, up for Best Actress for her part in "Million Dollar Baby.". She already has one such statuette for "Boys Don't Cry.".

Laura Linney, Best Supporting Actress nominee for "Kinsey", said, "It's very easy to get swept away by all the press and all the clothes and the this and that."

"Nowadays," said Alan Alda, on the short list for Best Supporting Actor for his role in "The Aviator," "the buzz is really something. That's like an unofficial award, the buzz."

First-time nominees are discovering the Oscar nomination not only gets you into the exclusive luncheon, it totally changes your life, Kauffman observes.

Sophie Okonedo, a Best Supporting Actress nominee for her movie "Hotel Rwanda," said with a laugh, "My life is unrecognizable."

Imelda Staunton, who could be named Best Actress for her title role in "Vera Drake," kidded, "I've changed, totally changed. I won't do any domestic duties at all."

Jamie Foxx, up for Best Actor("Ray") and Supporting Actor ("Collateral"), noted, "The most interesting thing is meeting all of the people that you've looked up to, whether it be Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Denzel (Washington) -- it's an amazing time."

Foxx is considered the frontrunner for Best Actor.

"You're out at the clubs and you see a young cat drive by - black or white or Hispanic - in his Escalade and you know what you hear? 'I got a woman way over town,' " he sang, in the Ray Charles mode.

Leo DiCaprio was there. He's also nominated for Best Actor, for "The Aviator." The film is flying high with the most nominations, eleven, including one for Supporting Actress for Cate Blanchett, who had the daunting task of portraying Hollywood legend Katharine Hepburn.

"From the grave, she's (Hepburn's) still being nominated!" Blanchett exclaimed. "And without her, there would be no role, so it is quite surreal."

Surreal describes Best Supporting Actress nominee Virginia Madsen's experience. Nominated for "Sideways," she hasn't quite gotten over the star-studded messages left on her answering machine, such as one in particular she depicted: "'Virginia, this is Harrison Ford here, and I know you're very busy, but could you give me a call?' And I was like, 'God!' It sounded like a friend of mine was joking…and it was him, and it was really amazing."

The Oscars will be handed out Sunday, Feb. 27.