THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, September 10, 1994 TAG: 9409090085
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Larry Bonko
LENGTH: Medium: 76 lines
FAITH FORD of ``Murphy Brown'' expects to have her hair, nails and makeup done by noon on Sunday. I said noon.
That's hours and hours before the limousine arrives to carry her to the auditorium where the 1994 Emmys will be awarded in Pasadena, Calif.
Why so early into hair and makeup?
Because the people who will make Ford look beautiful for the Emmy telecast on ABC Sunday night at 8 are the same people who will make Candice Bergen look beautiful. They plan to make other nominees look great, too.
Wonder what time they show up at Roseanne's place?
Ford told me in Los Angeles not long ago that there are just a handful of hairdressers, makeup artists and manicurists that the stars really, really trust.
So you take an appointment with the best when you can get it.
Ford's appointment is on Sunday around 11 a.m.
``For the rest of the day, I'll be telling myself, `No sweating, no sweating, no sweating,' '' Ford admitted. For the fourth time she has been nominated as outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series.
Ford, in the character of the lovely but shallow-as-a-country-stream Corky Sherwood, faces tough competition from Shelley Fabares in ``Coach,'' Liz Torres in ``The John Larroquette Show,'' Laurie Metcalf in ``Roseanne'' and Julia Louis-Dreyfus in ``Seinfeld.''
Your humble columnist picks Louis-Drefus.
No insult to Ford. She doesn't expect to win.
But just in case, she has borrowed expensive jewelry and an equally expensive gown to show off on camera. Why buy, she asks, when designers are waiting in line to lend their finest creations to the nominees?
``The designers know that I am a perfect size 4. OK. A size 8.''
If Ford wins the Emmy as best supporting actress in a sitcom, she promises to acknowledge the men in the ``Murphy Brown'' cast (Charles Kimbrough, Joe Regalbuto, Grant Shaud and Pat Corley) who never seem to get nominated.
The show with the most nominations, ``NYPD Blue,'' is not seen in Hampton Roads because of a blackout imposed by the local ABC affiliate, WVEC. If the cop show wins the top Emmy - and it is favored to do so - won't you feel frustrated about not being able to see it?
After three nominations and no wins, Ford planned to sleep through the morning last July when the 1994 nominations were announced. But her subconscious nagged at her until he woke early to hear her name mentioned on TV. Was she blase this time? ``No,'' she said. ``The nomination gave me a little tingle inside.''
``Murphy Brown'' begins its seventh season this month with a new executive producer, John Bowman, and one less cast member now that Robert Pastorelli is leaving his role as Eldin to star in a series of his own. Eldin, the housepainter, also acted as nanny to Murphy's baby.
So, who does the job with Eldin gone?
``We will have to add a nanny to the cast,'' said Bowman. ``Have no fear. The baby will be taken care of, but don't expect to see Murphy's motherhood driving as many stories as in the past. We plan to concentrate more on what goes on where Murphy works. Although 150 episodes of `Murphy Brown' have been done up to this point, I feel that there are still lots of stories to be told.''
Ford plans to stay with the series until it completes its run, then consider offers to star in a series. When and if that happens, she will leave the Corky Sherwood character far behind. Ford continues to make the rounds on auditions - auditions for parts in major motion pictures, auditions for commercials.
Some moviemakers have no idea who you are, even if you've been on television for 10 years, she said. Proving yourself over and over again is how it is when you are an actor, even a big star on TV.
``I'm out there auditioning,'' she said.
But not this weekend. This weekend she is rehearsing her acceptance speech. by CNB