REALLY, REALLY HAPPY TO BE HERE.

Byline: Evan Henerson Staff Writer

Here is what the nominees were saying on their way into the Oscar Luncheon on Monday at the Beverly Hilton Hotel:

SWEET DEAL: What's it like winning an Oscar and then getting nominated again two years later? Pretty sweet, said ``Monster'' winner and ``North Country'' nominee Charlize Theron. It's a little like somehow I got locked in a candy store and nobody knows I'm there,'' said Theron. ``And I'm having a really good time.''

DESPERATELY EARLY: Eager beaver nominee Felicity Huffman kicked off the arrivals at the 25th anniversary Oscars nominee luncheon. The event was scheduled to get under way at 12:30 p.m., and Huffman claims she arrived at 10. ``I was here setting up the tables,'' said Huffman. ``I'm not eager. I'm not green.''

The ``Transamerica'' nominee for best actress and ``Desperate Housewives'' star confirmed that she did indeed receive some helpful awards-circuit wisdom from her husband, Oscar nominee William H. Macy (``Fargo'').

``Bill's advice is to take a shower,'' said Huffman, ``Which I am definitely going to follow.''

And yes, Huffman's fellow ``Desperate Housewives'' cast members shared the excitement when they learned Huffman would be going to the Oscars as a nominee.

``There was lots of screaming and dancing and hugging and hopping around in the makeup trailer,'' Huffman said.

WIN IT, THEN KEEP IT: Anything but high-fashion Hollywood in jeans and a sweater, best supporting actor nominee William Hurt - who snagged his nomination based on nine minutes of screen time in ``A History of Violence'' - was downright philosophical when it came to the use of terms like ``winner,'' since he doesn't believe awards shows are contests in which winners and losers emerge.

OK, so even if he doesn't consider himself a ``winner,'' Hurt still owns an Oscar. Negative again, said the 1985 winner of the best actor Oscar for ``Kiss of the Spider Woman.''

``Somebody ripped it off. I'm trying to get it replaced,'' said Hurt who didn't display the Oscar and noticed it was missing following a move last summer. ``I always feel sad for the person who robs me. And I'm pissed off.''

'PIRATE' RIBBING: Since landing her first Oscar nomination for best actress in the film ``Pride & Prejudice,'' Keira Knightley - shooting the ``Pirates of the Caribbean'' sequels in the Bahamas - has been experiencing some significant ribbing from castmates Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom and the ``Pirates'' crew. ``Every time I do a take, everybody says, 'Now was that an Oscar-nominated take?'' said Knightly. ``Johnny just laughs at me.''

FAVORITE MOM: Reese Witherspoon is a heavy favorite to win the best actress Oscar for her role as June Carter in ``Walk the Line,'' odds which sit well with Witherspoon's kindergarten-age daughter, Ava Elizabeth Phillippe. Ava figures if mommy is getting all dolled up for an awards show, she should return with a shiny trophy. Hence, when Witherspoon returned victorious from the Screen Actors Guild awards ceremony, she and husband Ryan Phillippe explained to Ava that mommy had in fact won an award. ``And she said, 'That's because you're the best mom in the world,' '' recalled Witherspoon. ``You just want to freeze them in time.''

JUST 'THE FACTS': The early, pre-``ER'' years were profitable if occasionally embarrassing, but things are going pretty sweetly now said triple-Oscar nominee George Clooney, who tossed around such previous career indignities as ``The Facts of Life'' and ``Batman and Robin'' with good humor.

``If you can survive wearing a mullet, you can survive anything,'' Clooney said. Asked whether he thought that the spate of socially relevant and politically charged films might make for some charged acceptance speeches, Clooney wouldn't speculate.

``I am bringing Dick Cheney as my date,'' Clooney said. ``He called me up and asked me if I wanted to go hunting, and now he's going as my date.''

FOOD-FOCUSED: Monday was Matt Dillon's first time at an Academy Awards luncheon, and the Oscar-nominated star of ``Crash'' indicated he would have had more fun had the event been all about eating and mingling. ``They don't let you really enjoy it. They make you do all this other stuff,'' said Dillon, referring to interviews - and presumably talking to the press about how we're keeping him from the really enjoyable stuff.

DRESS STRESS: ``Wow, this is crazy, huh?'' said first-time nominee Amy Adams (a best supporting actress hopeful for ``Junebug.'') ``It will probably sink in a year from now. ``All this attention, all this adulation, all these parties, and all the questions about ... 'the frock.' I didn't realize how much focus there would be on the dress,'' said Adams. ``I guess it's pretty important.''

RHYME TIME: No, music fans, actor Terrence Howard will not be performing the Oscar-nominated song, ``It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp,'' even though his character in the film is a pimp who yearns to be a rap star. But the Oscar-nominated Howard will certainly be in the audience, listening with rapt fascination. ``It will be interesting being in a roomful of people listening to someone singing, `It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp,'' said Howard. ``If they all know the words, we might have a problem.''

Evan Henerson, [phone]

evan.henerson(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

6 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) THERON: Elvis wants his jumpsuit back.

(2 -- color) WITHERSPOON: Daughter Ava knows best.

(3 -- color) HURT: Has anybody seen his Oscar?

(4 -- color) HUFFMAN: Take it or leaf it.

(5) CLOONEY: What would Tootie do?

(6) HOWARD: Call him M.C. Terrence.

Photos by Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer