She’s been in the States only two years, but Brazilian knockout Greice Santo is already making air waves after strutting her stuff for 17 million viewers last Sunday as one of two Emmy “trophy girls.” Ushering stars offstage isn’t easy, Santo tells The Post in this behind-the-scenes glimpse of the annual TV glitzfest.
First off, a trophy girl is more than just a pretty face. Right after winners finish their speeches, we were told to get them offstage as fast as possible. I was prepared, though — I wore shorter heels so I could walk faster!
At rehearsals, Elton John was treated like a king. One person powdered his face, while another fetched him water. Everyone else backstage was drinking out of bottles, but he was the only one I saw sipping his water from an actual glass.
At one point in rehearsal, Jimmy Fallon stayed on stage way too long, and the producers told me to pull him off. And I really had to pull him. He was joking with me. Every time I would pull him, he’d go back. He’s kind of strong.
Meanwhile, the show’s emcee, Neil Patrick Harris, was going over a boob joke he was going to do with my co-trophy girl, Ariana Escalante. Thank goodness it wasn’t me. But, apparently, it was a stale joke — he looks at her breasts, saying, “Wow! All you? Really?” He said, “I don’t like doing old jokes,” and they dropped it.
The first award was the night’s most stressful.
When Merritt Wever won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, Tina Fey tried grabbing the Emmy out of her hand. It all happened so fast. I was caught off guard, so I sort of lunged in between them — before I realized it was just Tina goofing around.
I thought to myself, “Wow, am I going to have to go through this all night?”
I also had to lay down the law with Heidi Klum. When she was handed the envelope backstage she tried to take a peek at the name of the winner. “You can’t do that!” I said. She looked me in the eyes and with her sweet voice said: “I didn’t do anything. I just don’t want to say anybody’s name wrong.” And I thought to myself, “Well, with that face, body and the sweet voice, she can do whatever she wants.”
Almost everyone expressed shock as they walked offstage. Except Claire Danes, winner for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. When I asked what she was feeling, she replied, “You know, it’s gratitude.” She was holding back tears.
When Michael Douglas won for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie, he and I walked offstage, but he waited for me, turning as if to be a gentleman and let me walk first. But that’s a trophy-girl foul. I said, “No, this way.” I’m kind of the host, I have to let them walk first. There was clearly a sadness in his eyes.
At the end of the night, I texted Emmys producer Ron Basile to ask if I could go to the Governors Ball. He told me to meet him at his office, and when I did, he handed me a ticket. “Go have fun,” he said. And like Cinderella, I was allowed to wear my Sue Wong Emmy dress — but not the diamond earrings or diamond ring. I had to give them to the stylist. Good thing, I might not have brought them back.
As I was leaving, the CEO of the Grammys asked me if I wanted to be a trophy girl for them. But as an actress myself (with a cable show in development and a role in the upcoming Jason Statham/Sofia Vergara thriller, “Heat”), I’m hoping the next time I’m at an awards show it’s to pick up my own trophy.