As Academy President Tom Sherak joked yesterday at the Oscar Nominees Luncheon:

“We know awards season can be exhausting. Today is about taking a moment, taking a breath and realizing what a special family this is… So take the applause. This is probably the last time you’ll be applauding each other.”

Now it’s not totally cutthroat, no. They harbour no ill will towards each other. But that doesn’t mean they’d ever step aside for someone else. They all want it. Badly. And, perhaps with the exception of Demian Bichir - who is a sexy beast, non? -  they’re all working hard, VERY hard, to make it happen.

On Bichir - word is he and Viola Davis received the most enthusiastic applause of all the lead actors at the event yesterday. Even Harvey Weinstein noticed and mentioned it later on when he stopped to congratulate Bichir:

“That was a lot of applause you got. I saw Clooney and Pitt looking nervous, even my guy.” Harvey’s “guy” of course is Jean Dujardin. You know, when Harvey calls you his “guy”, you don’t get to claim that you’re just riding along, not immersed in the strategy and the selling of it all.

But it makes for some really, really great photographs right?

Look at these shots. Look at them being all man-lovey and bro-down cool...while Jonah Hill looks delighted to be invited to sit down at the big boys’ table. I think this is something we need to put more of a spotlight on: Jonah Hill cruising through this award season as the Robin to Brad Pitt’s Batman. And the best part of it is that he knows it, and he loves it, isn’t too cool for it, and is genuinely and adorably excited about it.
 
Click here for more on how all of them, even Meryl Streep, have been campaigning around the clock, pushing hard for every single vote.