Golden Globe Musings: Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy/Musical

Golden Globe nominations for this year will be announced very 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 anything important. A reminder that the Globes are wildly unpredictable and that it is still a bit early to gauge the reception or awards potential of a number of the so-called “contenders” at this point.

Last year’s nominees:
Christian Bale (The Big Short)
Steve Carell (The Big Short)
Matt Damon (The Martian)
Al Pacino (Danny Collins)
Mark Ruffalo (Infinitely Polar Bear)

One of the most positively-reviewed films of awards season has a top contender and past nominee here, in the form of Ryan Gosling (La La Land). He’ll likely be joined by Viggo Mortensen (Captain Fantastic). For his first notable performance in years, Hugh Grant (Florence Foster Jenkins) is a probable inclusion, unless he ends up in the supporting race. After that, it’s really anyone’s guess, but there are a few people at the head of the pack. Don Cheadle (Miles Ahead) fits the latter bill of this category, which may give him an advantage. Robert De Niro (The Comedian) is always popular, but I predicted him to get in last year and then he didn’t. Colin Farrell (The Lobster) is a past winner in this category and would be a fun choice. I’ve seen predictions for Warren Beatty (Rules Don’t Apply), Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool), and Michael Keaton (The Founder), all of which are possible. If people actually saw the film, both Kevin Spacey (Elvis and Nixon) and the omnipresent Michael Shannon (Elvis and Nixon) could easily make it in.

Current predictions:
Don Cheadle (Miles Ahead)
Colin Farrell (The Lobster)
Ryan Gosling (La La Land)
Hugh Grant (Florence Foster Jenkins)
Viggo Mortensen (Captain Fantastic)