JUST LIKE OLD TIMES AT AWARDS CEREMONY.

Byline: GREG HERNANDEZ

It was tough to tell whether the red carpet at the Shrine Auditorium was the site of the arrivals for the Screen Actors Guild Awards or the site of a giant family reunion -- make that a reunion under a plastic tent to keep the rain out.

The ongoing writers strike meant that many of the actors who star in such shows as "Desperate Housewives," "Ugly Betty," "Mad Men" and "The Office" had not seen each other since production shut down in December, or in some cases even earlier.

"It's exciting to be here and see all of our teammates," said Nicollette Sheridan of "Housewives." "It's nice to see a higher morale because the strike has been devastating for so many."

A nominee for "Samantha Who?," Christina Applegate started our chat by coughing. She was fighting a cold but being a showbiz trouper, she was there on the red carpet looking like a million bucks. She lamented on how the strike put a halt to what is a hot new show.

"It's been a great ride and it's been hard to kind of just stop," she said. "It's just like a treadmill turning off when you're on like, nine. It's caused some damage to everyone, I think, creatively but we had to support our writers. I agree with them, but it's time to get back to work because a lot of us are going looney."

Even though Tina Fey ended up winning the award for comedy actress, Christina said she was thrilled to be attending her first SAG award show as a nominee: "You don't do your work for that but when it does happen, it's so nice. I'm always surprised and I'm always so humbled and so grateful. It's huge to me to be recognized by my peers."

John Slattery was one of the few double nominees on the red carpet with the casts of both "Mad Men" and "Desperate Housewives" up for ensemble awards. But he would be sitting with the "Mad Men" gang.

"This is the first time I've been here and it's a zoo!" he told me.

"It's a little overwhelming but it's good, it's fun."

What about being so in demand these days?

"It's good to be working, I've been lucky," he said. "I wish the strike would work itself out so we can all really get back to work."

It was really fun to meet John Krasinski of "The Office," whose cast won the SAG award for best ensemble in a comedy series for the second consecutive year. Prior to the show, John wasn't too confident of another win.

"It's really hard," he said. "Not to sound political but all the shows this year, they're fantastic, and I watch all of them. But this is probably one of the most fun shows to be a part of."

John is making a nice career for himself in the movies too with a starring role in the comedy "License to Wed" and will next appear opposite George Clooney in "Leatherheads."

"This guy George Clooney, he's gonna be a big star," John joked. "Mark my words."

It was so great to see the classy Hal Holbrook and his wife, Dixie Carter.

I asked Dixie how it feels to have her husband of nearly 25 years nominated for both the SAG award and an Oscar for his performance in "Into the Wild."

"I am dizzy with delight," said Dixie, best known as Julia Sugarbaker on "Designing Women." "It's dreamy and unforeseen and a glorious turn of event, as you can imagine. So I'm smiling all the time."

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Photo:

(color) Christina Applegate, a nominee for "Samantha Who?", arrives at the Screen Actors Guild event.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer