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

Golden Globe nominations for this year will be announced soon, 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:
Jon Hamm (Mad Men)
Rami Malek (Mr. Robot)
Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul)
Wagner Maura (Narcos)
Liev Schreiber (Ray Donovan)

New contenders:
Mike Colter (Luke Cage)
Paul Giamatti (Billions)
Anthony Hopkins (Westworld)
Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us)
Hugh Laurie (Chance)
Damian Lewis (Billions)
Matt Smith (The Crown)
Kiefer Sutherland (Designated Survivor)
Billy Bob Thornton (Goliath)
Milo Ventimiglia (This Is Us)

Potential first-time nominees:
Sam Heughan (Outlander)
Matthew Rhys (The Americans)

Past nominees:
Kyle Chandler (Bloodline)
Clive Owen (The Knick)
Kevin Spacey (House of Cards)
James Spader (The Blacklist)
Michael Sheen (Masters of Sex)
Dominic West (The Affair)

Last year, Globe voters brought back a departing contender, who won, and introduced three new actors. I see no reason that Malek, Maura, and Odenkirk wouldn’t return for the second seasons of their shows, but I know that Globe voters don’t have much institutional memory and could easily dismiss any of those shows, likeliest Maura, which is a shame given his excellent work in season two of his Netflix series. It’s possible that Globe voters might catch on to the Emmy excitement around “The Americans” and include Rhys. I would expect at least one former winner in this category, Sutherland, to be back for his new show, and it’s possible that two other Globe favorites, Giamatti and Lewis, may show up for a show that didn’t make a splash at the Emmys but could please this crowd more. He’s not a sure thing, but Hopkins should be able to ride the buzz of his show to a nomination.

Current predictions:
Anthony Hopkins (Westworld)
Rami Malek (Mr. Robot)
Wagner Maura (Narcos)
Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul)
Kiefer Sutherland (Designated Survivor)