Cryer and the ghost of Sean Young at DGA

 

By all accounts, Sean Young didn't show up at the DGA Awards on Saturday night in Century City. But just because last year's most infamous sloshed heckler was out of sight doesn't mean she was out of mind.

Host Jon Cryer, who filled in last minute for the ailing 21-year show veteran Carl Reiner, got his drink on (a very venti gin and tonic) and told the assembled crowd a behind-the-scenes detail:

"Carl Reiner fell ill, and I kind of got drafted," he said. "Sean Young turned it down."

Cryer had only a couple days to prep, but the "Two and a Half Men" star made the most of his time in front of a room full of directors by talking up his show's success -- "My series is viewed by 15 (million) to 17 million people every week. I'm just saying, in a theater at $12 a pop, that's a hell of an opening weekend" -- and his willingness to take small character roles, since Robert Downey Jr. has broken the barrier, in blackface -- "Don Cheadle is expensive!" (And later, "Blair Underwood is also expensive!")

Cryer may be the only awards show host we've ever seen who challenged the audience to take a swig every time someone at the podium said the word "brilliant." Drinking game! He later said he lost count of how many people said it -- so did we, and we didn't even have any cocktails.

During his opening bit, he read a note that he said he got from Reiner about hosting the show that said basically, "I hope you fail. I don't want to have to compete with you for this nonpaying gig."

Cryer said backstage, riffing on the Danny Boyle win that had just happened: "I, too, was paid in rupees."

Not that he's hurting or anything -- with that sweet sitcom deal -- but somebody give this guy more work, especially during awards season.