LUNCH AND LAUGHS: THEY'RE ALL ROYALTY AT THIS AFFAIR.

Byline: Greg Hernandez Staff Writer

Helen Mirren jokingly waved like Queen Elizabeth II, Will Smith gave spirited high-fives, and Peter O'Toole got a sustained standing ovation as each made their way to the stage of the Beverly Hilton Hotel Monday afternoon during the annual Academy Awards Nominees Luncheon.

Before receiving a nomination certificate, all of this year's contenders posed for a group picture that had such household names as Steven Spielberg, Clint Eastwood and Leonardo DiCaprio interspersed among lesser-known costume designers, songwriters, documentarians and special-effects people.

``I think I counted about 140 of you, which easily blows our previous record,'' academy president Sid Ganis said to the crowd. ``To each of our nominees, congratulations. You are a remarkable group of film artists and film craftsmen. -- Please enjoy your status. I recommend that you bask in the company of your fellow nominees and celebrate all the amazing achievements.''

Forest Whitaker, widely expected to win best actor for ``The Last King of Scotland,'' got thunderous applause as he made his way to the stage, as did Martin Scorsese, who just won the Directors Guild of America prize for ``The Departed.''

Other acting nominees present were Eddie Murphy (``Dreamgirls''), Penelope Cruz (``Volver''), Alan Arkin (``Little Miss Sunshine''), Rinko Kikuchi (``Babel''), Djimon Hounsou (``Blood Diamond''), Adriana Barraza (``Babel''), Jennifer Hudson (``Dreamgirls''), Mark Wahlberg (``The Departed'') and Abigail Breslin (``Little Miss Sunshine'').

Since everyone loves a comeback, especially in Hollywood, supporting actor nominee Jackie Earle Haley was cheered wildly by his colleagues on his way to the stage, and he turned to the group and raised his arms triumphantly. The former child star, who had not been seen in many notable films since ``The Bad News Bears'' nearly 30 years ago, was nominated for ``Little Children.''

Other notable nominees in attendance were Melissa Etheridge, ``Babel'' director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, ``Pan's Labyrinth'' writer-director Guillermo de Toro, writing nominee Paul Haggis (``Letters From Iwo Jima'') and 2007 Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award recipient Sherry Lansing, former head of Paramount Pictures.

Even for some of the film industry's biggest names, the luncheon was an occasion to be a little star-struck. Best supporting actress front-runner Hudson, sitting a table away from DiCaprio and Wahlberg, tapped DiCaprio on the shoulder and shyly asked if she could get a photo taken with two of the stars of ``The Departed.''

``I would be honored,'' DiCaprio said as he and Wahlberg posed next to Hudson.

DiCaprio had earlier gone over to the nearby table of Scorsese to give his director a hello hug. Mirren could also be seen talking to Smith and laughing while O'Toole greeted Bruce Vilanch, one of the writers for the Oscars, with a big hug, then began to pet Vilanch's trademark mop of hair.

``I'm the O'Toole family's pet Jew,'' joked Vilanch, who worked on a one-man stage show with O'Toole more than 20 years ago. ``Whenever he comes into town, I get petted.''

Prior to the start of lunch, the nominees all crushed into the entrance of the ballroom. When Mirren entered, she got stuck in the crowd and said to a friend, ``I don't know where we go. Perhaps nowhere.''

Greg Hernandez [phone]

greg.hernandez(at)dailynews.com