At a Golden Globes ceremony filled with surprise victories, the cast members and producers of “Mozart in the Jungle” were backstage fielding questions from the press about some of the biggest of the night: their wins for comedy series and lead actor.
Actor Gael García Bernal beat out Jeffrey Tambor in “Transparent” and Aziz Ansari in “Master of None,” among others, to take the Golden Globe for lead actor in TV comedy. And the whimsical show about the inner workings of a fictional New York symphony bested “Veep” and “Orange Is the New Black” in the top television category.
When asked if they worried about the public relating to the world of classical music, co-creator Roman Coppola said: “This is a world that interested us ... so we were never really concerned. It was a world with fascinating characters, artistic temperaments, and we thought it was intrinsically interesting.”
1/13
Comedian and host Ricky Gervais opened the show with jokes that made some laugh hysterically, and others cringe.
(Paul Drinkwater / Associated Press)
2/13
Jennifer Lawrence accepts the award for actress in a motion picture comedy for her role in “Joy.” “Every time I’m up here, it’s because of you,” Lawrence said of her director David O. Russell.
(Paul Drinkwater / Associated Press)
3/13
In the final award of the night, Alejandro G. Inarritu accepts the honor for motion picture drama for his film “The Revenant.”
(Paul Drinkwater / Associated Press)
4/13
Brie Larson accepts the award for actress in a motion picture drama for her role in “Room.” After a long list of folks to shout out, she said, “I’m sorry to anyone I forgot, I’ll write you a thank you card.”
(Paul Drinkwater / Associated Press)
5/13
As Taraji P. Henson walked to the stage to accept her award for actress in a TV drama, she passed out cookies to those around her, including one to Lady Gaga. “Cookies for everyone tonight, my treat,” she said for her winning role playing a character named Cookie in “Empire.” And just as she was asked to wrap up her speech, she refused. “I waited 20 years for this,” Henson said.
(Paul Drinkwater / Associated Press)
6/13
After being announced as a two-time Golden Globe award winner, Jim Carrey made it known that he isn’t just a regular person, he is a two-time Golden Globe award winner. Though, of course, his dreams won’t be fulfilled, as he said, until he becomes a three-time Golden Globe award winner.
(Paul Drinkwater / Associated Press)
7/13
Presenter Morgan Freeman announces the nominees for directing.
(Handout / Getty Images)
8/13
Alejandro G. Inarritu accepts the award for director for “The Revenant.”
(Paul Drinkwater / Associated Press)
9/13
Presenter Andy Samberg sparks laughs.
(Paul Drinkwater / NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
10/13
Michael Keaton takes the stage to present an award.
(Paul Drinkwater / Associated Press)
11/13
Sophia Bush, left, and Kate Bosworth present an award onstage.
(Paul Drinkwater / Associated Press)
12/13
Maggie Gyllenhaal introduces the nominated film “The Room.”
(Paul Drinkwater / Associated Press)
13/13
Music, what music? Ridley Scott made sure to get in all this “thank yous” while accepting the award for motion picture comedy for “The Martian.”
(Paul Drinkwater / Associated Press)
Co-star Bernadette Peters jumped in: “All the music we heard, we’d say, ‘I want that. I want a copy of that!’”
Cast member Jason Schwartzman added: “We’re not experts on classical music. That’s why we do what we do. It wouldn’t be fun if you were just showing how much you knew about something.”
The question of whether they were surprised that the relatively new Amazon series won over high-profile titles on HBO and Netflix, among others, sent ripples of laughter through the cast members.
“Mozart in the Jungle” executive producer Paul Weitz accepts the award for TV comedy series at the Golden Globe Awards. Among those joining him onstage are, second from left moving right, cast members Bernadette Peters, Lola Kirke and Jason Schwartzman.
(NBC Universal / Getty Images)
Advertisement
“Hopefully now people will see it and watch more of it and get into different kinds of music,” Schwartzman said.
When Bernal, 37, climbed the stairs backstage after accepting his acting award, he was welcomed by a string of “gracias” and pats on the back.
Bernal’s character in the show, the gifted and emotionally unpredictable conductor Rodrigo de Souza, is not a little reminiscent of Los Angeles Philharmonic music director Gustavo Dudamel. Was he surprised when his name was called out as the winner?
1/21
Golden Globe winners, including Rachel Bloom with her Golden Globe for Actress in a TV Series, Comedy or Musical, stop by the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards press room at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 10, 2016.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
2/21
Actor Sylvester Stallone, winner of Supporting Performance in a Motion Picture for “Creed,” poses in the press room at the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards show at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 10, 2016.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
3/21
Kate Winslet accepts her Golden Globe for Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture at the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards show at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 10, 2016.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
4/21
Director Alejandro González Iñárritu, left, and actor Leonardo DiCaprio pose with awards for Best Motion Picture, Drama; Best Director, Motion Picture; and Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama, for “The Revenant” in the press room at the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards show at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 10, 2016.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
5/21
Winner Oscar Isaac for Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television at the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards show at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 10, 2016.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
6/21
Taraji P. Henson in the press room with her Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama at the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards show at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 10, 2016.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
7/21
Matt Damon, winner for Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy, at the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards show at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 10, 2016.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
8/21
Producers Mark Pybus, left, Colin Callender and Rebecca Eaton, winners of Miniseries or Television Film for “Wolf Hall,” pose in the press room at the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards show at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 10, 2016.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
9/21
Jimmy Naples, left, and Sam Smith, winners of the Best Original Song in a Motion Picture for “Writing’s On The Wall” from the movie “Spectre”, at the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards show at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 10, 2016.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
10/21
Aaron Sorkin, winner of Screenplay - Motion Picture for “Steve Jobs” at the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards show at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 10, 2016.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
11/21
Director Laszlo Nemes, center, actor Geza Rohrig, second from left, and other members of the “Son of Saul” team pose with the award for best foreign-language film for “Son of Saul,” in the press room at the 73rd Golden Globe Awards show at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Sunday.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
12/21
Jennifer Lawrence won the award for lead actress in a motion picture comedy for “Joy.”
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
13/21
Christian Slater took home the prize for actor in a supporting role in a series, limited series or motion picture made for television, for “Mr. Robot.”
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
14/21
Gael Garcia Bernal of “Mozart in the Jungle” wins for actor in a TV series, musical or comedy.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
15/21
“Mr. Robot” creator Sam Esmail, center, and the cast pose together after winning the Golden Globe award for best TV series drama.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
16/21
Maura Tierney holds her Golden Globe for supporting actress in a limited series/TV Movie for “The Affair.”
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
17/21
Jon Hamm holds his Golden Globe for “Mad Men.”
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
18/21
Winners of the best motion picture musical or comedy for “The Martian”: Simon Kinberg, left, Ridley Scott and Michael Schaefer.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
19/21
Pete Docter, left, and Jonas Rivera, winners of the best animated feature film for “Inside Out.”
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
20/21
Lady Gaga with her Golden Globe for actress in a miniseries or a motion picture. She will perform the national anthem at Super Bowl 50.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
21/21
Gael Garcia Bernal, Bernadette Peters and Lola Kirke share the Golden Globe for TV series comedy for “Mozart in the Jungle.”
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
“With the show I’m so immersed in classical music and [I go] into a void,” he said. “When I got that call about the nomination, I was incredibly happy; and now this, I am so happy, so delighted. I want to share it with with everyone I love — and those I don’t love!”
When Bernal was asked if he has any new year’s resolutions, he answered quickly.
“Yes, two: to be more with my family, with my little kids and closer to who I consider family,” he said. “And to stop eating red meat. I’ve been really good with it. It’s the 10th of January and so far so good!”
Bernal also was asked about Sean Penn’s interview with Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman. Bernal said he hadn’t read much about the story yet.
Advertisement
“It’s so recent and me as a Mexican, it’s hard for me to talk about this subject,” he said. “It’s a subject that’s very important, and there’s many people involved, and it’s not an easy subject, and I have no comment.”
Deborah Vankin is an arts and culture writer for the Los Angeles Times. In what’s never a desk job, she has live-blogged her journey across Los Angeles with the L.A. County Museum of Art’s “big rock,” scaled downtown mural scaffolding with street artist Shepard Fairey, navigated the 101 freeway tracking the 1984 Olympic mural restorations and ridden Doug Aitken’s art train through the Barstow desert. Her award-winning interviews and profiles unearth the trends, issues and personalities in L.A.’s arts scene. Her work as a writer and editor has also appeared in Variety, LA Weekly and the New York Times, among other places. Originally from Philadelphia, she’s the author of the graphic novel “Poseurs.”
