Ten years of tradition

The FX and Vanity Fair Pre-Emmy Party returned to the Chateau Marmont on Sunday, now in its 10th year. It is where the network's casts gather the night before TV's biggest ceremony.

“A party at the Chateau Marmont is about as Hollywood as it gets”

Twenty-three nominations to toast

Guests were celebrating FX's 23 Emmy nods, with stars from Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette and The Shards filling the rooms.

Pidgeon walks in beaming

Sarah Pidgeon, nominated for the first time for playing Carolyn Bessette, arrived with her sister Annie and took in a living room packed with hydrangeas and snapdragons.

The hard part is over

Pidgeon said she had no nerves about the ceremony. Making something that mattered to people was the stressful part, and the nomination came as a surprise.

“The stressful part was making the show and doing something that matters a lot to people”

Keeping the blonde

Pidgeon is holding onto Bessette's beachy blonde hair long after the shoot wrapped, to her mother's mild disappointment.

“It's funny that my hair color really changed my life.”

Thirteen years of no

Paul Anthony Kelly auditioned for 13 years without booking a single role before landing JFK Jr. He had nearly given up on acting altogether.

“I never in my wildest dreams thought that it would be like this”

His first Emmys

Kelly is attending the ceremony to support Pidgeon and the show, nominated for outstanding limited or anthology series. He used to watch it and hope.

“I've always dreamed of going. I watched it, and I aspired to be one of the nominees.”

What JFK Jr. left behind

Kelly says the role handed him confidence he now uses in real life, from press interviews to walking onto a set feeling like he belongs.

“Confidence is the biggest thing that I brought into my own life from JFK Jr.”

Spritzes and nuggets

Aperol Spritzes, cheese agnolotti, and vegan chicken nuggets circulated on the patio. The nuggets were the surprise crowd pleaser of the night.

Landgraf raises a glass

FX chair John Landgraf toasted the room, including Dana Walden and Ryan Murphy, framing awards as one of the few ways to reward people who aim high.

“Rewarding excellence is one of the only ways we have to encourage those who aim high”

Gerber on effortlessness

Kaia Gerber worked the room with her Shards costars, then talked about how much labor goes into looking like none was required.

“It took a lot of effort to hopefully appear effortless.”

The Shards clubhouse

Theater producer Jordan Roth made his acting debut in the series and said the cast read the pilot together at the Chateau, where Ryan Murphy keeps an office.

“This place has been such a seminal experience”

Sidibe's homework assignment

Gabourey Sidibe teased callbacks in the new American Horror Story season and prescribed a rewatch list that runs across five earlier seasons.

“There's so many callbacks and things that feel reminiscent, so pay attention and be on your toes”

The flight that almost wasn't

Owen Thiele of Adults nearly missed the party after his plane made an emergency landing in Albuquerque over a smoky smell. Andrew Garfield was on board too.

“But if the plane had gone down, Andrew Garfield would have taken the headline spot”

Snacks and tiramisu

Constance Zimmer told first-timers to sleep and pack mints. The night closed with sheets of Giovanni Bolla's tiramisu and Gail Bean savoring her first Emmy party.

“You worked hard and deserve to be here.”