2012 Emmy nominees offer tips on conquering pre-show jitters

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Attending the Emmy Awards as a nominee is the kind of heady experience that sends even veteran actors' and show-runners' tummies aflutter. But, of course, the show must go on.

Stars say they turn to booze, tunes and deep breaths to prepare for such moments. Here's what some of this year's nominees would prescribe for a case of Emmy-day nerves:

— "Oh, gosh. Maybe some vodka. A flask of vodka, I think. Don't you think? Oh, absolutely. Maybe a Quaalude. Perfect. There you go." — Jesse Tyler Ferguson of "Modern Family."

— "Oh, you mean pharmaceutically? Hmm. Baby aspirin. Baby aspirin and maybe just like a small children's pool of sangria." — Amy Poehler of "Parks and Recreation."

— "Champagne always makes a person happy. At least a bottle. Yeah. For myself." — Maya Rudolph, nominated for hosting "Saturday Night Live."

— "Oh, good lord. Buckets and bucket of rose champagne." — Sarah Paulson, up for her supporting role in the HBO movie "Game Change."

— "Music. Music. I'm going to vote for either Adele's '21' or Decemberists' 'The King is Dead.' Music soothes the savage beast." — Mayim Bialik of "The Big Bang Theory."

— "You know, I'm not picky. I'm really not picky. I say ... My mother always taught me that any white wine gets better over ice. And when you're (drinking) it in large quantities, it's not a bad thing to water it down." — Julie Bowen of "Modern Family."

— "You know, actors, the thing is, we're used to getting nervous. That's sort of our thing. You get nervous and you know how to get through it. Otherwise, we wouldn't be able to go on stage or shoot. So, I think we're pretty good at dealing with nerves. I would say if I'm nervous, I would just drink a glass of water and take a deep breath." — Zooey Deschanel of "New Girl."

— "A really dry, I mean a really buttery, oaky Chardonnay. And some more mascara." — Jean Smart, nominated for her guest-starring role in "Harry's Law."

— "A case of presence. Yes. Not 'presents.' Presence. Yes, we want to bring ourselves into the present moment and say, 'Hey! Look at this. Look what's happening. Let's be grateful for this moment and take it all in.' You know what I mean?" — Max Greenfield, nominated for "New Girl."

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AP Entertainment writer Mike Cidoni Lennox contributed to this report.

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