Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Golden Globe Musings: Best Actor in a TV Series – Drama

Golden Globe nominations for this year will be announced in just a few weeks, so here’s a survey of the contenders and the most likely predictions at this time. Weigh in with your thoughts, and let me know if I’ve left off anyone important. A reminder that last year’s nominees mean zilch at the Globes and that the race is almost entirely unpredictable.

Last year’s nominees:
Simon Baker (The Mentalist)
Michael C. Hall (Dexter)
Jon Hamm (Mad Men)
Hugh Laurie (House)
Bill Paxton (Big Love)

New contenders:
Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire)
Peter Krause (Parenthood)
Timothy Olyphant (Justified)

Potential first-time nominees:
Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights)
Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad)
Matthew Fox (Lost)

Past nominees:
Gabriel Byrne (In Treatment)

Hopeful nominees, beware! With the exception of one-time nominee Baker, the other four men in this category have all been nominated pretty much since the start of their shows and likely aren’t going anywhere. Baker probably is, however, leaving one insanely competitive spot. Three-time Emmy winner Bryan Cranston still hasn’t scored a nod, and Kyle Chandler might be able to squeeze in like he did at the Emmys. Byrne won for season one of HBO’s therapy drama and wasn’t nominated last year, so he might be able to return if season three is looked upon more favorably, though that’s rare with the Globes. I think the likely fifth nominee will be Steve Buscemi, who finally has a bona fide lead role in HBO’s latest and most highly-praised series.

Current predictions:
Steve Buscemi
Michael C. Hall
Jon Hamm
Hugh Laurie
Bill Paxton

2 comments:

iamyuneek said...

Gabriel Byrne wasn't nominated last year nor was the series, because the show never aired during the nomination period.

I think for sure this year he will along with Irrfan Khan.

Movies with Abe said...

"In Treatment" was eligible for the Golden Globes last year since season two aired in April and May of 2009. The show received zero nominations after earning five the previous year, including a win for Byrne. The Globes don't tend to welcome back shows they've stopped nominating, so I wouldn't count on Byrne or Khan making it in even if they deserve it.