Stars gather on the red carpet to pay homage to the people behind the lens at Directors Guild Awards in Hollywood.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (FEBRUARY 02, 2013) (REUTERS) - The Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards, one of the more exclusive events in Hollywood reserved for A-list stars and the people that make them look good on film, took place in Hollywood on Saturday (February 02).

Among those in attendance at the red carpet event were actors Hugh Jackman, Bryan Cranston, Jane Lynch, Jennifer Garner, Kelsey Grammer, and "Girls" creator Lena Dunham, also nominated in the television directing category. Fellow directors Taylor Hackford, and last year's DGA winner Michel Hazanavicius, of "The Artist," and his wife, actress Berenice Bejo, were also on the red carpet to honor the best in filmmaking this year.

Actor Hugh Jackman, who is nominated for a best actor Oscar for the role of Jean Valjean in 'Les Miserables,' praised the film's director for his fearlessness in filmmaking, for taking on an immensely popular stage musical.

"Well he is a brilliant talent, he's fearless, as Anne and I are going to say, he's got just the right amount of crazy, to take this thing on, because it takes a lot of courage," says Jackman.

Hooper says that despite the past film incarnations of "Les Mis," there had never been one that truly stuck in the public consciousness, and he was happy to be able to put his stamp on the story.

"After twenty-six years of trying to find the right way to do it, Cameron Mackintosh decided to give me this wonderful opportunity," says Hooper, a past DGA winner for "The King's Speech."

Director Ang Lee, a past winner for "Brokeback Mountain" and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," says that no matter how much experience he garners in filmmaking, each project is a learning experience.

"Every movie has its thing, it's like when you're kids, there's no pattern, no rules, you get more experience along the way but it doesn't make it easier," says Ang Lee.

Brian Cranston, of television's "Breaking Bad," also stars in the Ben Affleck directed "Argo." Before the ceremony, Cranston told Reuters he respected Affleck's thoughtful and democratic method's of directing.

"It's refreshing when a director will take pause and say 'you know what, I really have to think about what my answer is here, I'm not quite sure what I want to do,' as opposed to boldly going into ignorance, and Ben was able to be in touch with that, and to really sit and figure things out as to how he wanted to approach a scene, or he'd ask for help, which is the hallmark of a good CEO, and that's basically what a director is on a film," says Cranston.

And actor Kelsey Grammer, who hosts the DGA ceremony, says that a truly smart director will "make sure that everybody else does the job better than you, and you don't have to do anything."

Czech filmmaker Milos Foman, who won DGAs and Oscars for directing "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "Amadeus," will be honored with a lifetime achievement award. Says guild president, director Taylor Hackford, "Milosh is, I think, today, taking a place among the giants, and his guild is recognizing him as such, and I think deservedly so."

The Directors Guild Awards have, in the past, been an indicator of who might go on to win at the Academy Awards in the directing category. Since 1948, there have been only six occasions where the DGA winner has not gone on to win the Oscar for best director. However, this year, there are only two directors nominated at for Oscars, who are both nominated for DGAs, Steven Spielberg and Ang Lee. Affleck, who has won the Golden Globe award for directing this year, and whose "Argo" has also won the top prizes at the Globes, Screen Actors Guild, and Producers Guild Awards, would be a rare instance of a filmmaker who has won the DGA and not been nominated for an Oscar, should he take home the evening's top prize.

The DGA Awards ceremony will be hosted by actor Kelsey Grammar. The 85th Annual Academy Awards will be handed out in a telecast on Sunday, February 24.