Golden Globe Musings: Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Golden Globe nominations for this year will be announced shortly, 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:
Mahershala Ali (Green Book)
Timothée Chalamet (Beautiful Boy)
Adam Driver (BlacKkKlansman)
Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?)
Sam Rockwell (Vice)

Four out of five of these nominees seem pretty likely, even if they’re not going to make it all the way to Oscar. Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) and Tom Hanks (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood) should be safe. Joe Pesci (The Irishman) and Al Pacino (The Irishman) will likely both get in. After that, it’s anyone’s guess. Willem Dafoe (The Lighthouse) could earn his third consecutive Globe bid, and Sterling K. Brown (Waves) might score his first film accolade to go along with his past TV trophy. Tracy Letts (Ford v Ferrari) feels like a possible dark horse, and maybe this is where Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit) scores for his performance. Anthony Hopkins (The Two Popes) is probably the safe choice.

Current predictions:
Tom Hanks (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood)
Al Pacino (The Irishman)
Joe Pesci (The Irishman)
Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood)
Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit)