Each “Anchorman 2” anchorman hit the premiere dressed as an anchorman. Clearly Obama hasn’t depleted Hart Schaffner and Marx’s blue suit racks.
Will Ferrell. Blue suit, blue tie, white shirt. He watches what news? “Whatever I get the chance to watch. Usually what’s last on the channel. Sometimes I swing CNN to Fox to them all because I’m curious to hear the spin.” His Christmas plans? “Family time. Skiing the California-Nevada mountains. I’m an intermediate skiier. You ski?” He nuts? Lucky I can walk.
Producer Judd Apatow. Blue suit, blue tie, white shirt. “Anderson Cooper. Or I spend time with Brian Williams, whom I call ‘Allison’s dad.’ ” He’s seen this film how often? “Only 70 or 80 times.” Christmas? Exactly what each said. “Family time. Home to LA, then Hawaii to get away from the cold.” LA is cold?
Judd then took a selfie. Then with me. Then Will.
Steve Carell. Blue suit, blue tie, white shirt. “I watch all news but mostly Brian Williams because I like him personally.” Christmas? Same deal. “Family time. Home in Massachusetts for ice skating and eating bread.”
Judd snapped Steve whose wife laughed and who told me: “He’s so funny.” At that point Baxter discovered my furry black boots. Boy terrier mix Baxter, who plays Ron (Will) Burgundy’s beige shelter rescue, nuzzled my feet like they were some girl mutt he remembered from the kennel.
James Marsden. Blue suit, blue shirt, blue tie: “No favorite news. I’m the Internet guy. Get it all from the laptop.” Christmas? “Home with the kids in LA. Great being there when nobody else is around.”
Judd shot James, then Baxter, then my boots, then the crowd, then Christina Applegate (behindless in a tight sexy, long black gown), who said, “I like CNN but I watch on my phone . . . and Christmas I’ll be the best Santa Claus ever to my kid.”
Talking O’Toole
Ohhhhh, did I know Peter O’Toole. Have remnants of one 2008 conversation: “Got up 6:30 a.m. and haven’t bothered with makeup. After all, my darling, I’m playing the f - - king pope in ‘The Tudors.’ So what if I don’t look well? You must see me in my little cape and Chico Marx skullcap.” Alongside his vase of red wine he made the sign of the cross over me.
“My pope character took all the gold in the Tudors’ royal palace — candlesticks, knobs, chalices, the whole lot, melted the stuff in a pot. Made himself a bouillion. Nicked it all for himself. It’s called simony.” Raising his hand he gave the Nazi salute.
Told I can’t report all he’s saying, Peter offered: “Hell, let’s just get arrested. I’m Irish. Catholic. Truth is, I’m a retired Christian.”
About movie stars: “Actors’ eyes are up their asses. I hate amateurs. Today’s industry’s heavy with rubbish. Decision making’s up to lighting men, designers, bankers, special effects. F’r Crissakes, let’s take our business back . . . I’m like Cyrano. I thank God for every new enemy. This way, I know where I am.”
Prison Tags
Overheard in Albany: “If you consider your license plate personalized, might be because your family made it.”
Farewell, Joan
Filled with vitriol, another we lost, Joan Fontaine, said in March 1987: “Robert Redford. A spoiled brat, I hated him in ‘Out of Africa.’ Joanne Woodward wanted to do the film ‘The Turning Point.’ I said: ‘I don’t want to work with you. I don’t like you.’ Anne Bancroft, completely wrong, did it.
“Nowadays people are terrible. The new receptionist at the club I’ve gone to for 15 years demanded my membership card. I said, ‘I am Joan Fontaine. I won the Oscar for ‘Suspicion.’ She still said: ‘You need ID.’ ”
The Four Seasons restaurant to Sutton Place South. When the passenger got out, the foreign cabbie said: “Take the receipt. No receipt, you can’t take this off your taxes.” The lady took the receipt.
Only in New York, kids, only in New York.