Golden Globe Musings: Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

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, especially this year, it’s hard to know which films and performances will end up being honored.

Last year’s nominees:
Christian Bale (Ford v Ferrari)
Antonio Banderas (Pain and Glory)
Adam Driver (Marriage Story)
Joaquin Phoenix (Joker)
Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes)

The surest things in this category are the late Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) and a supporting nominee from last, Anthony Hopkins (The Father). Even if his film doesn’t show up in a big way, expect Delroy Lindo (Da 5 Bloods) to be here. After that, things get a bit more uncertain. In theory, Gary Oldman (Mank) should be a shoo-in, but he’s been absent from many precursor lists that have included his film in other categories and could go the way of Robert DeNiro last year for “The Irishman.” Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal) and Steven Yeun (Minari) are strong possibilities who will surely garner votes, and the same goes for Tom Hanks (News of the World) and Jude Law (The Nest). John David Washington (Malcolm and Marie) is a late-breaking contender who may or may not place depending on if voters have seen the film, and he could face competition from performers in films from earlier in 2020 like Ben Affleck (The Way Back), Jesse Plemons (I’m Thinking of Ending Things), or John Magaro (First Cow).

Current predictions:
Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal)
Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom)
Anthony Hopkins (The Father)
Delroy Lindo (Da 5 Bloods)
Gary Oldman (Mank)