SEVERAL performers who nabbed Emmy nominations Thursday had to dig deep into their psyche and emotions to connect to their characters. Then there were those who didn't have to stretch much; all they had to do was look in the mirror.
Being cast as yourself turned out to be a great career choice for Larry David, Patrick Stewart, Ben Stiller and Kate Winslet, who all received Emmy nods for playing themselves on TV. David was nominated for his own show, "Curb Your Enthusiasm," while Stewart, Stiller and Winslet got theirs for the BBC/HBO comedy "Extras."
Not surprisingly, both shows were about show business and celebrity (hence the need for real-life stars). And in both shows the nominated actors played versions of themselves that mocked their own characters -- self-centered, neurotic, vain. They made themselves look bad in good ways.
David, nominated for outstanding lead actor in a comedy, has been nominated twice before for playing the difficult, self-absorbed version of himself at the center of the HBO comedy. And apparently he's tired of talking about himself; he declined to discuss his nomination, as did the other nominees.
