Tears flowed, laughter erupted, pet dogs and cats stole the scene.

Andra Day said she will finally “eat everything,” cake and all, that night after dieting for three years to play Billie Holiday, for which she won the Globes’ best actress in a motion picture – drama.

Jodie Foster said she and her wife, Alexandra Hedison, may drive around afterward with “our heads through the sunroof, kind of like dogs.”

Chloe Zhao appeared strikingly calm and serene as she talked about making history in the Golden Globes Awards’ history.

Just like the 78^th Globes’ show itself – a seemingly more spontaneous celebration as the winners reacted mostly from their homes – the virtual press room continued the unfiltered joy and emotion of the victors.

Speaking from the comfort of their homes and surrounded by family and loved ones who otherwise would not have been right beside them when their names were called, the winners were candid and relaxed as they answered questions from journalists.

As I watched the TV show, bicoastal for the first time with Tina Fey in New York’s Rainbow Room and Amy Poehler in Beverly Hills’ The Beverly Hilton (no stars in the ballroom because of the coronavirus pandemic safety protocols), I was also glued on my laptop screen to participate in the press room.

Presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (of which I am a member), the Golden Globes honors excellence in film and television.

Below are some of the winners who graciously logged on to the press room and answered the reporters’ questions:

Jodie Foster, who earlier celebrated her best supporting actress – motion picture win for The Mauritanian with a smooch with Alexandra, reveled in the loose informality of it all.

“The most comfortable and very beautiful,” Jodie said, still in the luxurious pajamas she was seen in earlier when her name was called. “So I am super excited. We were all excited. This is the best Globes ever, to be able to be home, but also, it just felt really real.”

“It didn’t feel like it was filled with so much artifice. People were kind of thrilled by the newness and the sort of live theater of it all. It is really special.”

“Shoes off,” Jodie added, her feet up on the couch. “It’s thrilling. It is really crazy. This is the best Globes ever. People feel thrilled and kind of anxious and excited because they don’t know if the technology’s going to work or not, and they are home. It just felt real. It feels like a pajama party.”

On her plans to celebrate the rest of the evening, the former child actress who has blossomed into an acclaimed actress-director shared, “Dinner’s waiting for me downstairs, so at some point, I am going to eat although I am not very hungry.”

“We were thinking maybe of just driving around the city with our heads through the sunroof, kind of like dogs. That would be fun. But mostly, I am just smiling. I feel giddy. This is definitely the best Globes ever.”

Jodie said only these words when asked about Alexandra: “She’s the best.”

The Silence of the Lambs star was among the victors who looked genuinely surprised when they heard their names.

“I don’t think I have ever been as surprised by an award, ever, in my entire life,” she admitted.

“This is the most surprising award I have had in my entire life, and mostly because of the amazing performances by all the amazing women in this category. I guess I just never expected I would be back here.”

“When I won the Cecil B. DeMille, I remember saying that, I don’t know if I’ll ever be on this stage again. The HFPA feels like family to me because I have been coming since I was 12, 13, 14 years old. I have a lot of nostalgia about it. Once again, I just couldn’t have been more shocked. I never thought I’d be here again.”

Also casual in a long sleeved green blouse with her long hair braided into two pigtails, Chloe Zhao was preternaturally calm and serene as she answered my question on her thoughts about scoring 3 firsts in the history of the Golden Globe Awards.

With Nomadland, Chloe became the first Asian woman to win best director, the first Asian woman producer to win best picture, and the first film directed by a woman to win best picture – drama.

“Sometimes a first feels like a long time coming, isn’t it?” Chloe answered with smile. “You feel like it is about time.”

“I am sure there are many others before me that deserve the same recognition. I just love what I do. If this means more people like me get to live their dream and get to do what I do, I’m happy.”

The night’s Cecil B. DeMille honoree, Jane Fonda, reflected on how her father, Henry Fonda, who won the same award in 1980, would have reacted if he were still around.

“He’d be very proud of me,” Jane said. “He won this award. But I feel he is here. I can feel his spirit.”

Asked if there is one day in her life that she’d like to re-live, the legendary actress and activist replied, “I don’t want to go back and live one day. I can’t think of any day I’d want to go back and relive.  I’m very happy with the present.”

Jane sounded practical as well when she shared how she was going to celebrate the rest of the evening.

“I know where I’m going to put this (trophy) already. I am going to go home, and then I’m going to go right to bed because I have to get up very early in the morning. So nothing too exciting but this is excitement enough.”

Sacha Baron Cohen went twice to the virtual press room because of his double victories for Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: best actor in a motion picture – musical or comedy and best motion picture – musical or comedy (he produced the satirical comedy).

“It’s fantastic,” Sacha gushed about his film’s victory. “It is wonderful recognition for me and particularly for our incredibly hardworking crew.  These are people who really risked their personal safety.  They risked arrest.”

“There were times when I had to wear a bulletproof vest because there were really dangerous situations. We first were going out shooting during COVID.”

“But we felt we had to make this movie because of the dangers of Trump and Trumpism and the upcoming election. Amazingly, we managed to pull it off even with coronavirus.”

“We had an incredible team, including an amazing actor, Maria Bakalova, who infiltrated Trump’s inner circle, who was brought into the White House when Trump was there, was with Donald Trump’s son and obviously with his lawyer in that now-famous scene.”

“And yeah, we had a few dangerous situations. This was probably the most dangerous project I have ever had to work on.”

“But we felt that the risks were worth taking because I was just very worried about Trump and Trumpism, the election and that our democracy was at risk.”

“I was really scared; the whole crew were about the lies, hate and conspiracy theories that were being expressed by the President and propagated on social media. So the whole crew and I took immense risks.”

“But yes, there were situations that I would never want to go back to do again, which is why the gray suit is locked up and not coming out again.”

“So it is incredible. I am blown away. I grew up in northwest London. No one I knew was an actor. So to have a TV show in England was beyond my wildest dreams, let alone making a movie and getting awards for it. It is mind-blowing, really.”

The British satirist echoed Jodie’s enthusiasm about the more relaxed atmosphere.

“The virtual experience was different but a lot more relaxing.  You don’t have to do the red carpet, which I am not sure many people really enjoy.”

The comedian paid tribute to his wife, actress Isla Fisher, who laughed beside him when he delivered his humorous acceptance speeches.

“It’s impossible to make a movie like this without having an incredibly supporting spouse. I went and made two movies in the last 12 months, The Trial of the Chicago 7 and Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.”

“Those were long shoot days. I remember calling (Isla), saying, I was lucky to make it out in one piece today. So you need a very understanding wife, and I am very lucky to have her.”

Andra Day, honored as the best actress in a motion picture – drama for  Lee Daniels’ The United States vs Billie Holliday, was one of the actresses and presenters who glammed up for the evening. The singer-actress wore a gray Chanel gown.

Evening formal wear was actually the norm; the casual look was the exception.

Andra talked about her transformation into the iconic Billie Holiday who struggled with heroin addiction,

“I give credit to my family and my team. Because this transformation was in me but it was experienced by so many people around me, and it was not easy.  It was very challenging for them to see my behavior so different, to pick up very unhealthy habits.”

“I am a singer, so it was definitely unnerving for my label and team. Hey, the vocal cords – that’s how we make our money.”

“I cannot say enough about the brilliance of Lee Daniels. You would not have seen the performance that you saw without him. I am so specific about that because I am a deeply spiritual person. I feel like God really blessed me with this man.”

“He didn’t just make me look good on camera. He edited me to look great, everything, top down. The man is a blessing. So (thanks to) Lee and my incredible cast. I owe a debt of gratitude to them for the rest of my life.”

Like Jodie, Andra was genuinely shocked that she won on her first Globes’ nomination, against formidable fellow nominees.

“I was grateful for the idea of it happening and everything but it’s hard,” said Andra, who was still emotional about her Globes triumph. “I am in a category with Viola Davis playing Ma Rainey. I am in a category with Vanessa Kirby, Frances McDormand, Carey Mulligan who embodied that role.”

“It was really amazing for me just to be nominated. It was just a whole other shift in my life – changed things, definitely. So it was incredible. So yeah, just so excited and so grateful.”

As for her celebration plans, Andra quipped, “Oh, my God…I am going to eat everything.  Because I have been on a diet for three years for this movie role to drop the weight and everything.”

“There’s cake outside so I am going to eat that. We are just going to eat so much food. I’m very hungry.”

“Listen, Billie had a Ph.D. in cussing,” Andra answered when asked how Billie Holiday would have reacted to her Globes win.

“So I think right now she would be like, ‘Hey, you motherf***in’ did it, bitch’ because that’s just how she was…I was just thinking what Billie Holiday is saying, Lee Daniels, Andra Day, that’s my award, motherf***ers.’  And we’re like, yeah, we know, sis. It’s yours.”

On how she plans to continue combining her singing and acting careers, Andra shared, “I am a spiritual person and I sort of let the Holy Spirit, God lead whatever it is we do, wherever our service is. That’s why I believe we are here.” – Rappler.com