Emmy nominees celebrate at pre-ceremony parties

[September 22, 2012]  LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Kevin Costner, Amy Poehler, Bryan Cranston, Zooey Deschanel, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and other Emmy-nominated actors celebrated their success at a series of parties around Tinseltown.

Most began their evening at the Emmy Performers nominee reception Friday at the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles. That's where nominees received certificates acknowledging their acting achievements.

The nominated actors posed for a class photo, with many proudly holding their certificates above their heads.

"This is like graduation," said Elizabeth Moss, nominated for her work on "Mad Men."

"You get to meet so many people you might not get to see at the Emmys," beamed the newly blonde actress.

Also among the guests: Martha Plimpton, Loretta Devine, Mare Winningham, Julia Ormond and Eric Stonestreet. Cranston, Louis-Dreyfus and "Modern Family" star Ty Burrell hopped over to the Women In Film party in Beverly Hills after noshing on kale salad, roasted chicken and grilled skirt streak at the official Emmy reception.

The Emmy Awards will be presented Sunday at the Nokia Theatre and broadcast live on ABC.

[Associated Press; By SANDY COHEN]

AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen is on Twitter: http://twitter.com/APSandy.

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