Everything we know about the Golden Globes so far -- the nominations, the reactions, the predictions

Tracee Ellis Ross of the ABC comedy ‘Black-ish’

(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Nominated Monday morning for performance by an actress in a television series by the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn., star of ABC’s “black-ish” Tracee Ellis Ross released a statement in response to her first Golden Globes nod.

“I’m very grateful to the HFPA for recognizing ‘black-ish’ and also mine and Anthony’s work on the show, in a year of such incredible work,” she wrote. “So many of the projects that I love in film and television were acknowledged, and I’m honored to be a part of this great class of nominees. I’m thrilled to be included in a category of talented women of all different ages and races, each telling such different stories.

“As an actress, I’ve dreamt of being at the Golden Globes since I can remember – it seems like the best party of the year. I’m 44 years old, third series in. This is a thrilling moment, and I couldn’t be prouder that it’s because of ‘black-ish.’”

“Westworld” show runners Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan.

( Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Just a little over a week after the much-discussed season finale of “Westworld,” creators Jonathan Nolan, who also goes by Jonah, and Lisa Joy were excited to learn the HBO series had been nominated for three Golden Globe awards: TV series, drama; supporting performance by an actress in a drama for Thandie Newton; and performance by an actress in a drama for Evan Rachel Wood. We caught up with the couple to discuss that news and ask a couple of burning questions.

It must have been nice to see not only the show nominated but also Evan and Thandie.

Nolan: We’re just thrilled. It’s been a long journey to the screen with this show and we’re so excited to share their performances with the audiences. To see their talent and their fearlessness and their brilliance recognized, it’s fantastic.

Joy: Both of them have such amazing range and heart and strength and, honestly, not just in their performance but in real life too. You could not ask for better collaborators in every way. I feel that way about our entire cast.

Whenever a new show this twisty launches there must be jitters about whether the audience will engage. Viewers definitely engaged with “Westworld”; it was the show that launched a thousand think pieces and fan theories.

Nolan: Yeah, it’s definitely gratifying to see the level of conversation that the show drove. In a peak TV moment, when you’ve got 400-plus scripted shows, to have any kind of conversation around your show is exciting, but the level of engagement the fans brought to it, it’s very, very gratifying.

Were you surprised or disappointed that some viewers guessed some of the twists?

Nolan: No, not surprised. They’re not really guessing so much as doing some elegant detective work based on the little pieces that we very carefully laid into the narrative.

You’ve had “theories” shows where the theories seldom add up to much or they’re not really covered in the scope of the season.

What we really wanted to do here was tell a complete story in one season. It’s a story told in chapters, more in the way a film franchise works where each piece can stand by itself. I think that meant people felt free to theorize, which is great. There’s always a community that’s in there micro-analyzing what you’re doing. The only somewhat disappointing thing here was that, some of those theories wound up as headlines in articles put out by some sources that sort of spoiled it for the audience that was trying not to participate in that theorizing. And at some point, what’s the difference between a theory and a spoiler? Hopefully, in the second season, that means people will watch and write about the show a little bit differently.

Were there any crazy theories you heard or read that didn’t apply to the first season but had you thinking, “Hmm, maybe for next year?”

Nolan: [Laughs.] You have to be very careful not to read too much because when the fans are writing better stuff than you it’s always galling. You have to be careful not to let the conversation drive the show. Lisa and I laid out a plan for the show — and obviously it’s a plan that’s subject to some adjustment — and we’re sticking to it.

So after what I’m imagining is a vacation, do you all have any idea on the timeline for production on season two yet?

Joy: I would love a vacation. When is that going to happen?

Nolan: That’s not going to happen. [They both laugh.]

Joy: The great thing about it is, it’s a really ambitious show. We’ve got these incredible actors and the network has been so supportive. And the one thing we’ve got to do is just write, feed the beast of pages. And that means, unfortunately for us, that we don’t get a lot of time off.

Nolan: It’s a good problem to have. The short version is: not before 2018.

I think we were shooting the second episode of the first season when we started the conversation with the network where we said, “You guys know we can’t do this every year, right?” Not because we needed time off, but because the complexity of the narrative and the complexity of the production and the complexity of pulling it all together in postproduction is such that we can’t really multitask the way that I did in broadcast TV [with “Person of Interest”]. It’s a little different with this show.

And just a couple of burning questions. From the clues in the finale — about a potential “Samurai World” and the note that Maeve holds that partially reads “Park 1” on it — can we presume that the second season will open up to different worlds or parks, that “Park 1” might be just beginning?

Joy: Yeah, I think that there’s a little hint there that “Park 1” might just be the beginning and we’ll continue to do this journey as we have, which is we’ll discover the mysteries of Westworld through the perspective of our characters, so when they found out, we’ll find out.

Ed Harris’ character was shot, but just in the arm. That doesn’t mean he’s dead, right?

Joy: Yeah, I mean, how could an arm wound slow that guy down? [Laughs.] He’s stronger than that; he can withstand.

With really good marketing and sheer force of will, the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. has, over the last decade, turned the Golden Globes from a scandal-riven booze fest into a highly rated, influential awards ceremony, a metamorphosis that has never been clearer than this year.

The diverse slate of film acting nominees it announced on Monday sent a clear, early message to Oscar voters dogged by the #OscarsSoWhite label: There can be no excuses this year.

Last year, when faced with criticism for yet another all-white slate of acting nominees, some members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences argued that there simply had been too few nonwhite choices.

Read More

When they received news of their Golden Globe nominations, actors, writers and filmmakers expressed surprise, delight and gratefulness. But in this politically charged year, in which issues such as racism and sexism were front and center during the presidential election, many nominees talked about the social relevance of their work.

Jessica Chastain, who received a nod for best actress in a drama for her role in “Miss Sloane,” a film about women in Washington, talked about the opportunity to bring gender equality to the forefront.

“I’ve really been looking at the role women have in our society and we, for some reason, attack women for being prepared and ambitious,” Chastain said Monday, referring to criticisms of Hillary Clinton during the presidential campaign. “You hear that being said about actresses or musicians or people who really work hard at their profession that are women, but you don’t say that about men. We need to change the perception of women, of what a woman is supposed to be.”

Read More

Director John Carney

(Peter Foley / EPA)

We found John Carney, director of “Sing Street,” at his home in Dublin, Ireland, soon after the news came out that his film had been nominated for a Golden Globe in the comedy/musical motion picture category. The song “Falling Slowly” from his earlier musical romance “Once” won the 2007 Academy Award for best original song. Here’s how he reacted to the news of his most recent nomination.

Where physically are you? Where were you when the nominations were announced this morning?

I was in my car, driving to get some firewood for our house. It’s coming up to Christmas and it is cold in Ireland, unlike how it is in Los Angeles, apparently. So I was actually getting firewood and I was getting things for Marcella, my partner, to make a Christmas pudding. So stuff like whiskey and Guinness, stuff that supposedly goes into a pudding but now it’s going to go somewhere else.

So what city are you in?

I’m in Dublin, at home in Ireland.

Were you surprised by the nomination this morning?

Yeah, I sure was. I sort of thought maybe a song or something, but I’m just absolutely blown away by it. It’s such great news. For such a small little Irish film, and all those kids who are in it, it’s really like we made a film among people we really liked and that it’s been recognized by the Hollywood foreign press, it’s amazing. You know, the movie didn’t make a lot of money and in a sense it’s a best-kept secret, so it’s really nice that they noticed it and honored it with a nomination.

It was a surprise to me to learn that “Once” and “Begin Again” had not been nominated at the Globes. Does that make this even more of a surprise this morning?

I kind of always, as an Irish film director, everybody was telling me, “Oh you’re definitely going to get a Globe nomination for ‘Once,’” and when it didn’t happen I thought, “Oh, OK, that’s fine.” I make slightly different films that don’t resonate there. But you’re right that this is doubly sweet in a way.

Well it seems that if you’re going to have a category for comedy or musical or comedy, a movie like “Sing Street” fits the bill.

It is a bit of both, isn’t it? I mean it’s a stealth musical, which is why I’m really happy it got nominated in the category as well. Let’s be honest, I haven’t seen “La la Land” yet, but it just looks so fantastic from the trailer and in a sense they couldn’t be two more different films. One is a breaking-into-song musical, which I love, and “Sing Street” is sort of like “Once.” The singing is part of the drama of the characters who are trying to talk and can’t really talk very well. They speak musically, in a sense, and it’s all justified by the instruments at hand and then the fact that they’re in a band or forming a band or buskers or whatever. It’s really lovely and I think it’s a great category. The films in it, the competition is just staggering. It’s so great to be included.

Since the film wasn’t seen by a lot of people when it was released, are you excited this might get the film seen by more people now?

That’s the absolute big thing about this nomination. That’s all it is in fact. I couldn’t care less about winning, at all, actually. And that’s being sincere. I really just think it’s great for the film. All the guys in the film, all the kids in the film, will now be even more annoyingly recognized in the street and in school than they were before. Which I think is funny.

Viggo Mortensen, photographed at the Cinema Bar in Culver City on Nov. 16.

(Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times )

Viggo Mortensen was in Spain, one of the places he keeps a home, when word came Monday that he’d been nominated for a Golden Globe in the actor in a drama category. His portrayal as an unconventional dad raising six children off the grid in “Captain Fantastic” helped the film — directed and written by Matt Ross (“Silicon Valley’s” Gavin Belson) — earn scores of positive reviews and the Un Certain Regard prize at Cannes.

Here’s what he told us over the phone about his reaction to the nomination news:

On where he was this morning, and was he surprised?

“I was having lunch and that’s when I found out about it. I got an email. I was surprised, yeah. But pleasantly surprised. I think people are aware [of the film] — though maybe less so in the U.S. — because not only did the movie come out in July, [it came out] first at Sundance. Since then, we’ve won a whole bunch of awards. It was one of the most well-received movies at Sundance. And around the world, it’s been very passionately received. So it wasn’t a total surprise.… It’s not a singular acknowledgement, but one of and for the movie. It keeps the movie alive in people’s minds, and I hope more people will take a look or a second look at it now. There’s a lot in it.”

On why people are connecting with the film:

“You know, we’ve had communication problems as a society. Especially since the recent election, people are polarized, they’re divided -- based on race, religion, sexuality, politics. People are not speaking to each other and not listening to each other. And because this movie does address that issue – the issue of listening to people who are different from you — people may have responded to that. It speaks to that concern. The movie, it really makes you think, laugh and cry, it’s a great story. But it does deal with that issue of communication problems.”

×

Viggo Mortenson stars in “Captain Fantastic.”

On the “little movie that could”:

“[‘Captain Fantastic’ is] not the kind of movie that has unlimited amounts of money to be in the news as far as promotion. It’s really been bolstered by word of mouth and good audience reaction. At a stage when all the big companies are putting all their money into promoting their big movies, it’s harder for a smaller movie like us to get noticed. So all the audience word of mouth has been great. People are connecting with it. It’s the little movie that could.”

On whether “Captain Fantastic” is a comedy or drama:

“It has both. Sometimes it is very funny, but it’s a true situational comedy. It’s the cultural shock and the contrast between different family models and different ways of looking at life that are accentuated when the family I’m the father of leaves the forest and goes out into the world.”

On Donald Trump:

“What can I say? It’s not surprising. Nothing he’s done has been really surprising. [His Cabinet so far] is controversial, and it’s not gonna please everybody. No politician is gonna please everyone, but especially him. In his brief history as a politician, he has been about dividing people, pitting people against each other, irritating people, and that’s not gonna stop with the presidency.”

Following his successful House of Toys benefit concert (which raised more than $500,000) this weekend, Stevie Wonder woke up to another accolade in a career spanning decades -- a Golden Globe nomination. His song “Faith” is featured in the animated film “Sing” from Illumination Entertainment.

A duet with singer Ariana Grande, “Faith” is up for original song in a film that seems filled with pop hits. This is not Wonder’s first time seeing a song of his compete for a movie award, though. “I Just Called to Say I Love You,” from the film “The Woman in Red,” won the original song Golden Globe and Academy Award in 1985.

Here are Wonder’s comments acknowledging the Golden Globes nomination:

Chris Meledandri, founder and CEO of Illumination Entertainment, added: “From Santa Monica to Paris, the entire Illumination team is overjoyed. On behalf of my producing partner Janet Healy and our exceptionally talented writer director Garth Jennings as well as everyone at Illumination Mac Guff and our partners at Universal, I want to thank the HFPA for recognizing the work of all of the artists who created SING as well as the legend Stevie Wonder for giving us ‘Faith.’ ”

Lionsgate led its rival studios in Golden Globe Awards nominations Monday, thanks to the acclaimed movies “La La Land,” “Hacksaw Ridge” and “Hell or High Water.”

The Santa Monica mini-major studio secured 13 nominationsin film categories from the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn., including three out of the 10 best picture contenders. The robust total is a big improvement over last year, when when the studio’s major awards contender, “Sicario,” failed to get any love from the association.

“La La Land,” a throwback musical set in present-day Los Angeles, received seven honors, the most of any film, including best picture, actress (Emma Stone), actor (Ryan Gosling) and director (Damien Chazelle). The World War II-set “Hacksaw Ridge,” a career comeback for director Mel Gibson, and the modern-day western “Hell or High Water,” released with CBS Films, each nabbed three.

The studio hopes “La La Land” will become a commercial success as well as a critical favorite. “La La Land” opened in five theaters this weekend in Los Angeles and New York, and grossed an impressive $855,000 in ticket sales from its first three days — a good sign that it could become a commercial hit when it expands later this month.

Read More

Denzel Washington was appreciative of his Golden Globe nomination as lead actor in the film “Fences,” but he gave all credit to August Wilson, whose play led to another major award nomination for Washington.

Washington previously won the Tony Award for lead actor in a play in 2010 for his role as main character Troy Maxson in the stage play of “Fences.” And now he returns to that part in the movie adaptation.

Washington has been nominated eight times for Golden Globe Awards, including winning lead actor for 2010’s “Hurricane” and supporting actor for 1990’s “Glory.” He was also awarded the Cecil B. DeMille Award last year for his overall accomplishments.

Pablo Larraín, director of “Neruda” and “Jackie.”

(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

We reached Pablo Larraín at his home in Santiago, Chile, where it was late morning, five hours ahead of time in Los Angeles, when the Golden Globe nominations were announced. The foreign language film nomination for his drama “Neruda” is the director’s second nod in a row from the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. Last year, the group nominated his film “The Club.”

Over the phone, he said he was excited not only for his own recognition, but for Natalie Portman’s nod in the drama category, acknowledging her performance in “Jackie,” which he directed.

“It’s interesting,” he said of having both films singled out, “because it’s the perspective of the foreign press there, and it’s not necessarily what everybody else sees. It’s the group point of view and it’s fantastic because ‘Jackie’ is out now and ‘Neruda’ will be released on Friday, so this will probably deliver more attention to the film and more people will get to see it. That’s always amazing. It’s just exciting ... so many years of work and other people involved. It’s great news and it gives a very beautiful attention to the film, which is always a blessing.

What has it been like juggling both films, both when you were making them and now that you’re promoting them?

I’m certainly not used to it. I have to say it’s been a whole new experience. But at the same time it’s been a good synergy and rhythm between both movies. I think they are very different, but they are somehow connected. And it’s interesting how they travel. Of course, I’ve been also going to Europe and other countries, Latin America, with both movies and I must say it’s very exhausting. But it’s a gift at the same time. I don’t know that I want to do it again, but I’ve learned a lot and met a lot of people. I think the movies work very well and create a lot of enthusiasm, more desire to keep on making movies. And that’s what we do. It’s not necessarily associated to the awards, but it’s associated to what you feel and how it makes you feel when the movie goes out. The reaction so far has been very beautiful and cool.

What would you hope people learn about “Neruda” and take from his story as you tell it in the film?

It’s hard to put it down into words because that’s why we made the movie. I guess “Neruda” is a take on Neruda’s cosmos. It’s fun and it’s poetic and it’s political. It’s an interesting cocktail for cinema. And it’s a movie in our language about a poet in our language and it creates, I think, a beautiful mirror of our societies. I think people could connect with the way we have been built. We have rich traditions and writers and journalists all through our history, but in reality I think the people who really define [us] are our poets.

So if this movie can somehow spread just a little bit of our imagination, and our history and our words and our souls, then I think we have achieved something. That’s what we wanted -- to deliver a sort of emotion, a taste, an illusion of society that is very fast but is very, very present.

Those are our words and our desires, and it’s beautiful to have a chance to portray them on film and the life of someone who seems so far [away] -- a communist poet from the ’40s. But then [Neruda’s story] is connected and it’s possible to understand that it’s not so unrelated. It’s also fascinating because it’s a movie about movies and that’s what we love, as filmmakers as well.

Neither of these films are birth-to-death biopics in the conventional sense. How do you see their relationship to the biopic?

I actually don’t think it’s possible to go out into the world and say, “Look, this is who this person was and who they were.” You just can’t put people’s lives into a box, into a film. What you can do is share some kind of emotion. And just a little bit. I think these movies are like a crack in the ceiling -- they let in a little bit of light.

There’s a lot of beautiful information there, but I wouldn’t call these movies biopics. It’s just like a reflection on people’s lives. And that’s enough, I think, to go out and make a movie. Of course, we would never make these movies if these people never existed, so we need them. We need those bloodstreams and those bodies -- who we think they were from the flight of fiction. And it’s always so arbitrary. I think it always arbitrary and that’s so essential to what we do.

Both movies grapple with how history gets written.

I’ve been fascinated over the years by the fact that media tries to manipulate or create their own public image. And it’s so beautiful and interesting when you see and observe how someone tries to do it.

There’s a big gap between the intention and the result. That gap is sort of our door, our entrance to the subject. It’s like going to the kitchen and observing how people are trying to shape a myth, a legend -- to take public opinion and shape and manipulate that. It’s always interesting. I think it defines our era.

Everything is out there in the media and there’s always a difference between the private world and the public one. And if you put them next to each other, you will have a very good fiction. It plays very well with what Jackie says: “Sometimes I feel like the person we read about in the papers is more real than the one who stands beside us.”

That’s a quote from the film, and I feel that there is something there that is extremely beautiful and extremely dangerous. At some point, you don’t know who you are. That illusion is fragile, and that fragility is what we need to work with.

What’s most gratifying about the recognition for Natalie Portman’s performance?

I think what Natalie did and what she does in the film, it’s one of the most beautiful experiences I’ve ever had. When she succeeds, we all do. She’s an angel. I’m grateful, and it’s wonderful when people react and praise her.

She’s the soul of the film. And she’s very generous and very connected with the entire team of the cast and the producers. It’s beautiful to see her being recognized. It’s amazing because she’s the heart of the film. What can I tell you? She’s Jackie. She’s our Jackie. She’s our queen.

“La La Land” stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone at the 41st Toronto International Film Festival in September.

(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

“La La Land” led all film nominees at the Golden Globes nominations Monday morning, garnering seven nods, including picture, actress, actor, director, screenplay, score and song.

Director and screenwriter Damien Chazelle, actress Emma Stone, actor Ryan Gosling, composer Justin Hurwitz, lyricists Benj Pasek and Justin Paul and producers Fred Berger, Jordan Horowitz and Marc Platt all released statements about being recognized as Golden Globe contenders by the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. Naturally.

Sadly it wasn’t in song, but they were all very “La La Land,” lovely:

“As I’m in LA, it was a very early start to the day but the best possible news to wake up to,” wrote Chazelle regarding the film’s success Monday morning. “I am so honored and thrilled by the nominations. Thank you so much to the Hollywood Foreign Press for celebrating ‘La La Land’ and for recognizing the incredible work of all the cast and crew and especially Emma, Ryan and Justin.”

Stone was grateful for her own notices, but even more excited that the film saw such widespread acclaim.

“Wow! What a great way to start a Monday,” Stone wrote. “I am so honored to be a part of this incredible film. Thank you to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and congratulations to Damien, Ryan, Justin and the rest of my ‘La La Land’ family.”

Gosling was similarly excited for the nominations of his collaborators, writing, “I’m very appreciative to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for recognizing not only my role in this film but also the wonderful work of Damien Chazelle, Emma Stone and Justin Hurwitz. Congratulations to them and all of the other nominees.”

For producers Berger, Horowitz and Platt, the film’s nominations were an endorsement of Chazelle’s vision, if nothing else.

“We would like to thank the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for this nomination,” the film’s producers wrote. “Making ‘La La Land’ was a dream come true and we’re thrilled that Damien Chazelle’s vision has been recognized.”

The widespread acclaim for the throwback to old Hollywood movie musicals comes as a grace note for those individuals tasked with creating the music and lyrics.

“Damien and I started working on LA LA LAND over six years ago,” wrote composer Hurwitz. “I still can’t believe Lionsgate let us make this movie. To have the film received this way feels really great. Thank you to the HFPA for recognizing both the score and ‘City of Stars,’ a song that wouldn’t exist without the lyrics by our amazing collaborators Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.”

“We are so thankful to the Hollywood Foreign Press for nominating ‘City of Stars,’” Pasek and Paul echoed. “It was an honor to work on ‘La La Land’ alongside Damien Chazelle, Justin Hurwitz and the rest of the remarkable team. Congratulations to all, including our extraordinary fellow nominees!”

Donald Glover, the creator, star and driving force of FX’s hip-hop flavored comedy “Atlanta,” was still recovering from his win for comedy actor at Sunday’s Critics Choice Awards when he received the word early Monday that the series was among the Golden Globe nominees, including best TV series, musical or comedy.

“I’m feeling overwhelmed,” Glover said in a telephone interview. “I really wasn’t expecting it last night, and then I’m getting texts and messages from family and friends this morning.”

Glover said the nominations will bring more visibility to the series, which has already been renewed for a second season: “This will help a lot.”

He felt that the show’s “honesty” was connecting with viewers. “This is a show where points of view converge. It’s easy to have a show that has a timeline that gives you the point of view you want. But this show has differing points of view. That’s the purpose. “

But the nominations, along with the critical and popular success of the show, isn’t making him more relaxed going forward. Looking to music for an analogy, he said, “Just like OutKast, we’re only as funky as our last cut. I still feel like a freshman.”

But for now, Glover is looking forward to the awards. “I want to get drunk with Tom Hanks. That will be cool,” he said.

(Stephanie Cornfield / For The Times)

Chilean director Pablo Larraín’s film “Neruda” scored a Golden Globe nomination in the foreign language category, which means we’re going to be hearing his name a lot this awards season. But will you be hearing his name pronounced correctly?

“Neruda,” Larraín’s picture about the Nobel Prize-winning Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, is a wild romp that follows a police detective (Gael García Bernal) in the midst of an existential crisis as he chases down the famed poet (portrayed by Chilean actor Luis Gnecco), who is on the run from the authorities for political reasons.

Larraín is better known in the U.S. for his first English-language picture, “Jackie,” also released this year. It stars Natalie Portman, who received a Golden Globe nomination on Monday for playing former First Lady Jackie Kennedy.

But Larraín has a long trajectory as a key Latin American filmmaker. Last year, he received a Golden Globe nomination for his film “The Club.” And his film “No,” starring García Bernal, was nominated for a 2012 foreign language Oscar.

So when you hear Larraín’s name over the next several weeks, here are three things to keep in mind:

1. Despite all the butchered mentions of his name you may have heard so far this year, Larraín is pronounced Larra-EEN, not “Lorraine.”

2. Larraín first came to international attention for his 2008 film, “Tony Manero,” a bleak drama about a serial killer who obsesses over John Travolta’s character in “Saturday Night Fever.”

Larraín says the film bears a connection to “Jackie.”

“They are characters that are very far from each other,” he stated in a conversation with The Times in early December. “But at some point, it’s two stories about lonely people trying to survive. They’re victims of their political environment, and they somehow shape their own destiny without knowing it.”

3. He has references to the late Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet’s blue eyes in three of his films (“Tony Manero,” “No” and “Neruda”), a gag that makes a pointed statement about Chilean obsessions with class, race and politics.

“It was used by the propaganda when they were trying to make him more charming,” says Larraín. “They would say, ‘Look, his blue eyes.’ There is nothing more stupid and dangerous to say that. ‘We have a dictator who is mean and terrible, but he has blue eyes!’”

In 2011, the civil rights era drama “The Help” garnered four Golden Globe nominations and earned Octavia Spencer a Globe for her supporting role in the film. Four years later, the film’s stars stand to win big again with their work in four very different films up for awards.

Spencer (“Hidden Figures”) and Viola Davis (“Fences”) were nominated for supporting actress awards. Jessica Chastain (“Miss Sloane”) and Emma Stone (“La La Land”) are up for dramatic and musical/comedic actress awards, respectively.

This morning, Chastain tweeted a throwback photo of herself along with Davis, Spencer and Stone to congratulate her former costars on their nominations.

Expect an updated version of this photo when the Golden Globes airs on Jan. 8.

Speaking via the wonders of conference call with Jeffrey Tambor en route to a shoot for a Disney film and Jill Soloway in Texas working on “I Love Dick,” the star and creator of “Transparent,” respectively, talk about their series, which earned two more nominations from the Golden Globes.

Is there still even a question anymore about whether “Transparent” will be nominated?

Jill: I’m always thrilled when we’re remembered, considered, recognized.

Jeffrey: I’m like a little kid this morning. We were just talking about it. To be in this company, this diversity, the newness, and invention that are in these categories is amazing.

Yes, there’s a lot of newcomers on the TV front. Any advice to your fellow nominees?

Jeffrey: Adore every moment of it. And be proud. You’re moving the whole conversation forward. It’s hard not to notice how political this all is and how diverse the lineup is. If you look down the list, it’s just an incredible statement of how our business has changed—and thank God.

Jill: I basically say to anybody who I see these days, I yell: intersectional power movement now! I used to say it pre-[Donald] Trump and it had this kind of slightly whimsical, slightly self-effacing, kind of goofy quality to walk around saying that. Now, it’s like, holy crap. We’ve all been shocked into recognizing the political methods of making change aren’t as simple as we thought.

I think the biggest shock to me after I sort of started to understand the election results were that it wasn’t as simple as Trump won over Hillary [Clinton]. I realized we’ve been living in a world in the past eight years, that as things were becoming more liberal, we were progressing forward and politics had an idea of the new, the tolerant, the modern. That modernity and tolerance and liberalism were all woven in our mind with moving forward. And I think we all thought, eight years of [President] Obama, eight years of Hillary. We’re moving forward. Tolerance is modern. And for the forward motion of our nation, to have that regressive feel of actually protecting whiteness and protecting male-ness is a shock to the system. That’s the body shock. Modernity, progress is about protecting the rights of white men.

It’s really hard for me to stay excited about my own [achievements]. Half the day, I don’t even believe it. I generally only believe it in the mornings, and as the afternoon comes, I’m like, holy crap, this world is so sad. Nothing I do can make it better.

But luckily you’ve caught me in the morning. I look at the Golden Globe nominations. I look at Issa Rae. I look at Donald Glover. I look at ‘Moonlight.’ And I go: I want to, as a queer person and as a queer content creator, I want to link arms with all people who are otherized. I really look at the coming together of women, people of color, queer people, and all otherized people into, as Van Jones calls it, a Love Army. We can all be powerful and bombastic about civil rights and social justice.

I look at something like the Golden Globes that has an international audience and is being broadcast around the world--we’re the outsiders and we need to take pride in our ability to shape the cultural conversation. And to keep doing it. To be recognized by the HFPA [Hollywood Foreign Press Assn.] at this moment, feels more important than ever.

Jeffrey: The thing I’m getting from people is people are really asking and demanding and really desiring anything that is true right now. They want true statements and that seems to be what’s going on. If you look at the nominees, it’s an incredible statement to what people are responding to. I can’t think of a time when it’s more needed in our culture.

Did you feel a call to action following the election in terms of what you wanted to explore in the series for Season 4 or what you felt your responsibility was as a storyteller?

Jill: Oh my God, of course. When people are talking about what went wrong in certain states and recounts, I’m like, guys, it’s a problem around the whole planet. Not just our country. It’s happened in England, it’s happening in Germany. There is a global response for white people wanting to draw a line around their whiteness.

Honestly, this binary thinking gives birth to a war mentality in otherizing. I want to take the same kinds of questions and put them into Season 4. I want to take on a more global approach to how people otherize.

Gina Rodriguez, from the CW’s “Jane the Virgin,” is photographed at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel and Bungalows in Santa Monica on March 30, 2015.

(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Nominated for her performance in the CW comedy “Jane the Virgin,” actress Gina Rodriguez responded to being honored by the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. with this statement:

“Thank you to the HFPA for always recognizing new and unbelievable talent regardless of color or culture. The HFPA changed my life three years ago and they continue to do so for so many talented artists and projects out there. How wonderful it is to see an awards show so full of diversity, and not just for diversity sake, but because of the phenomenal performances.”

“I feel beyond blessed and humbled to have been one of their discoveries. It’s 10 p.m. in Thailand and I think we are going out for a celebratory beer and tacos. Yup. I said tacos in Thailand, wish me luck!”

“This Is Us” creator Dan Fogelman

(Suzanne Kreiter/ The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

With three Golden Globe nominations, “This Is Us” received more honors from the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. on Monday morning than HBO’s highly decorated epic series “Game of Thrones.”

Below, creator Dan Fogelman talks with the Los Angeles Times about his NBC series that became the network’s first series to earn a nomination in the drama category in 10 years.

You cannot tell me you didn’t see THIS twist coming?

I didn’t!

I hear there’s a group text going—

Yes, there’s one going with some of the producers and the cast. The cast is the coolest, they are so supportive of each other. And they’re so excited for Mandy [Moore] and Chrissy [Metz]. And they are excited the show is nominated. I mean, you feel it when you watch them on-screen. It’s a genuinely nice group of people. It radiates off of them. That makes it really fun.

This was a show that started out as a spec film script that you eventually made into a TV series. Its trailer notched an insane amount of views—but you were unsure of whether that would mean anything. Now you’ve got yourself a hit.

More than anything, our casting directors cast the eight right people. It kind of all went from there. The cast is beautiful and NBC got it out there the right way. They positioned it to win. They’re marketing was great.

Honestly, I’ve never had this kind of creative experience in my life, they completely let me make the show I wanted to make. All the other stuff is this slippery thing that you can’t even figure out how or why something happens this way. It just does. Whatever that magic is caught here. I hope it’s staying because we’re enjoying it.

You guys are the only broadcast contender in the drama category. What statement do you think that makes in an era of peak TV?

I watch everything. I’m not a student of television in that way. I know the general perception that cable is cooler and edgier than network TV. I’ve always believed there’s a form of populist and accessible entertainment that I think, especially recently, hasn’t been sold as much to the masses—or at least rewarded this way, getting nominations for things.

Wait. What am I saying? What on Earth am I talking about? I woke up at 5:30 a.m. this morning. I think there’s a place for this type of entertainment and I think we’re the lucky show that came around at the right time to be the one to break through.

In the spirit of the show, how often do you think about who your parents were before they had you and how their lives changed?

A lot of this came from that. My mom passed away eight years ago. She was pretty young. I’ve experienced all these milestones in my life, subsequently. I got married for the first time. All this stuff has happened in my work. My sister just had a baby. My mother and I were very close. Introspectively, that’s a big part of my formation right now.

As you get through your 30s, you think about that a lot as you move forward in creating your own family, you think about the family that came before you. It’s a part of the show that I think people are attaching to — the basic concept of that, seeing parallels in their own lives. The cast and I are all struck by the ways in which people are responding to the show. It’s different than anything I have ever worked on in terms of not just the amount of people that are watching it, or the number of people who want to take selfies with Mandy. That always happens. It’s the interpersonal connections to the show beyond just “I love that show,” but telling a story from an episode as it relates to their family or their childhood. It has caught us all by surprise.

I want to see lots of selfies the night of. I need to see the kids dressed up as they take in the night.

Honestly, last night I went to [the Critics’ Choice Awards]. I don’t think I’ve ever been to an award show. I’ve been involved in films that got a modicum of awards recognition here or there--even TV shows. But never enough to be invited to one. I literally had to go and buy a tux.

I was watching it the whole night last night and was like, so, this is what happens—every commercial break, all the most famous people in the world race up from their tables to go drunkenly talk to their actor peers at other tables. It’s really stressful. You’re watching everyone go around the room.

I wound up at a dinner party with Ryan Murphy last Friday night and he had been telling me that [“This Is Us”] was going to get nominations and he needed to take me shopping. I’m terrified of it. I saw him last night and he was like, we’re going shopping if you get those nominations tomorrow.

My wife thinks it’s really funny and I’m terrified he’s going to make me spend a gazillion dollars on a tuxedo. This is literally all I’m thinking about. Everyone keeps asking me if I’m excited about the show’s nomination and I’m like: I’m worried Ryan Murphy is going to make me spend $40,000 on clothes.

Can I be a fly on the wall for this shopping trip?

I think there’s a reality show in there somewhere.

Are you constantly being hounded for more information about the show?

I have friends who’ve had falling outs with friends, and those friends are getting in contact so they can ask me if Toby is alive. People who haven’t spoken in decades are putting aside grudges to find out answers. I have maybe 200 emails a day from people I haven’t heard from in ages asking what happens to Toby.

Has there been an episode that’s made you teary-eyed?

Every episode has a moment that moves me. When I saw the cut of last week’s episode, it was little Kevin walking side by side with his sister, little Kate, as she’s being wheeled in for surgery. Something was welling up inside me. I was like, oh ... The little moments catch me offguard.

Scripted television inevitably imitates real life. But occasionally, real life imitates TV – or TV-in-the-making.

When Epix’s “Graves” – a satire about a former president addressing mistakes he’s made 25 years after leaving office – started shooting, this year’s election campaign was just heating up. The show, starring Nick Nolte as former POTUS Richard Graves, was working on an over-the-top, seemingly unrealistic idea about an ex-president who takes to social media to express his opinions.

“It was this whole idea of social communication and if the ex-president got on that, how out of line that would be,” Nolte said, speaking by phone from Malibu shortly after being nominated for a Golden Globe for best actor in a TV comedy. “We were trying to satirize things; but then we can’t use that material now. Here comes Trump and he has no [political] experience, he uses Twitter and is holding these rallies.

“I was worried about the fact that would be more of a show than what we could put on the air. How silly real life is.”

On his nomination, Nolte – whose gravelly voice sounded even more so than usual having just woken up – said he was shocked.

“My publicist called at 5 a.m. and I thought he’d been arrested or something,” Nolte joked. “It was a total surprise. Total. Because, you know, we know what we did, and it’s quite entertaining, and we were picked up for a second season; but I just wasn’t expecting this.”

Nolte was equally surprised at the results of the presidential election.

“We’d been breaking ground -- the first black president,” he said. “And I thought it would be a woman president.”

Nolte was less taken aback, however, by how close former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani came to joining Donald Trump’s incoming administration. Giuliani and Nolte filmed a scene together for the first episode of “Graves.”

“We were in the car together and I said, ‘What do you think about the presidential election?’ and he said, ‘I’m a good friend of Trump’s, that’s my leaning.’ And I said,’OK.’ ”

Personally, Nolte added, he’s less of a Trump fan.

“One [thing] I’ve been worried about is he’s used to making business deals and not thinking about the whole human race,” he said. “What will happen?”

The second season of “Graves” will be very different from the first, Nolte said. Mainly because he’s 75 years old now, and “too old” to be working 12-14 hour days.

“I said to Sela Ward [who plays Nolte’s wife], ‘Next year I’m not going to work every day and you should step forward and I’ll step back. We’ll have you run for Senate,’” Nolte said. “All the situations were based on me, but it was always conceived as a family show. You can’t have a comedy based on one person, you have to have three or four. I just wanted to get things started.”

As for how to out-Trump Trump in terms of humorous scenarios for future shows? Nolte says not to worry.

“It’s still going to be very funny, regardless of what Trump does,” he said. “You can’t follow him.”

Last seen on TV screens as the icily sinister Lorne Malvo on the first season of FX’s “Fargo,” Billy Bob Thornton has again captured the attention of awards voters with his performance as a down-on-his-luck attorney in the Amazon original series “Goliath.”

In 2015, Thornton won the Golden Globe for best actor in a mini-series for his role in “Fargo,” the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. has again recognized his work in a drama series for “Goliath,” which was created by veteran TV writer David E. Kelley. “Goliath” has yet to be confirmed for a second season, but in the meantime Thornton will keep busy in the new year with a planned tour with his band the Boxmasters, which will release a new album, “Tea Surfing.”

We spoke with Thornton about the importance of managing one’s expectations with awards shows and how much actors have in common with lawyers in 2016.

Congratulations on the nomination -- that’s a pretty nice way to wake up.

It’s real nice. You always try to put those things out of your mind and not think about it too much. It’s always better that way. It seems like any time I’ve ever been nominated for anything over the years -- this goes back 25 years’ worth of stuff or more -- when I get nominated it’s when I wasn’t thinking about it. And if I get all nerved-up the night before and stay up late or can’t sleep or whatever then, you know, nothing happens.

So you were relaxed this morning and doing something else, I take it?

Yeah, I was asleep. I just checked my text messages when I woke up.

Billy McBride is a little bit of a departure from where we last saw you on TV in “Fargo.” What drew you to this role?

You know, it seems like a departure and at the same time it’s like a lot of roles I’ve played. A guy who on the surface appears to be one thing and yet he’s really another. Obviously in “Fargo” you knew exactly who he was, but in movies I’ve always played down-and-out guys, guys who either are down on their luck or have never had any to begin with.

It’s the kind of role I’d always wanted to play. It’s like Paul Newman in “The Verdict,” those kind of things. I’ve wanted to play a lawyer too, I had in “The Judge” with Robert Downey Jr. and [Robert] Duvall, but that was sort of like a big cameo. When I was playing that role [I thought] I’d like to play a lawyer for a longer period of time because lawyers and actors have a lot in common. A lawyer’s trying to convince a jury and an actor’s trying to convince an audience.

And there’s a performance element to both.

Absolutely. And a lot of people hate lawyers, and these days a lot of people hate actors. (Laughs)

This also brought you over to the streaming side in working with Amazon and outside of the usual network and studio structure. Was that something that appealed to you as well?

Oh there’s no question. And FX, who did “Fargo,” they’re as close as you can get to that. It’s such a great network and so friendly to the artist -- they want their stuff to be the artist’s vision. I’d already had a great experience with them and I can’t tell you how good Amazon has been. They have a chance to do something really incredible. I think they’ve only scratched the surface, but at the same time they’re just getting started.

Remember when TV movies were really horrible? Those days are over, but at the same time, the streaming services and premium cable channels they don’t make so many one-off movies because I guess financially it doesn’t make as much sense to them. I wish there was a way they could figure that out financially because then I might be able to direct again and write again. Because the independent film world is kind of gone, you know?

This is as close as you can get to making an independent film now, doing eight parts like we did or 10 parts like we did on “Fargo,” what is essentially an independent film. It’s just in a longer format.

How was it working with David E. Kelley on this show? He’s got a rich history of working in TV.

Yeah, he’s been around a long time, and certainly had great success. This is a new thing for him also. I think we were doing an interview along the way and he talked about that, how it’s nice to have the freedom that you have in places like this.

You don’t have to write for commercials. I guess on network shows you write six-minute sections because pretty soon you’ve got to have the hemorrhoid cream thing coming up. I’m sure he’s happy about that part of it.

Ever since the rise of the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite, following the second year of an all-white slate of acting nominees for the Academy Awards, at the 2016 ceremony, many have been awaiting the moment calls for diversity and inclusion fade away -- not because it’s a passing fad, but because representation will truly be equal.

Given Monday morning’s Golden Globes nominations -- featuring the likes of Viola Davis (“Fences”), Dev Patel (“Lion”), Gael Garcia Bernal (“Mozart in the Jungle”) and Donald Glover (“Atlanta”) -- some might be predicting the end of the online campaign that had very real mpact. But not so fast, tweeted April Reign, creator of the hashtag.

Reign has been outspoken about the fact that #OscarsSoWhite is about more than just African American representation in the industry. In fact, it’s about all marginalized and under-represented groups.

“They do need to do more,” she said in January about the film academy’s diversity efforts. “But we also need to focus on the heads of the studios who make the decisions with respect to greenlighting films so that we see more people of color and more LGBTQ people and more people who are differently-abled up on the screen telling their stories as well.”

When the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences invited its largest and most diverse class to date in July, Reign heralded the move as progress, but noted “a lot of work still must be done.”

And the same sentiment persists despite some, such as the African American Film Critics Assn., calling 2016 the best year ever for black people in film. Still, don’t be so quick to cancel #OscarsSoWhite.

“It’s undeniable that the studios have responded admirably to the tremendous outcry from the African American community through its delivery of the films that we’ve seen this year,” Gil Robertson, president of the critics organization, said last month. “But what about next year and the year after that? Unfortunately, the question that we must ask with every watershed year is ‘how long will it last?’ Were the past 12 months an anomaly or does it signal the beginning of Hollywood being more committed to supporting a diverse lineup of black films? And what about films about the Asian, Hispanic, Native American and LGBT communities? ‘Moonlight’ has been a bright spot in representing both the black and LGBT communities, but we need more.”

Read More

‘The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story’

NOMINATED: TV limited series or motion picture made for TV; actress in a limited series or motion picture made for TV — Sarah Paulson; actor in a limited series or motion picture made for TV — Courtney B. Vance (second from left); actor in a supporting role in a series, limited series or motion picture made for TV — Sterling K. Brown, John Travolta (center).

“The Night Manager”

NOMINATED: TV limited series or motion picture made for TV; actor in a limited series or motion picture made for TV — Tom Hiddleston; actor in a supporting role in a series, limited series or motion picture made for TV — Hugh Laurie; actress in a supporting role in a series, limited series or motion picture made for TV — Olivia Colman.

“The Crown”

NOMINATED: TV series, drama; actress in a TV series, drama — Claire Foy (at left); actor in a supporting role — John Lithgow.

See more of the top nominated television shows here.

The nominees for the 2017 Golden Globe Awards were announced Monday morning, and although the focus is on achievements in television and film, there’s no reason for book lovers to feel left out.

Many of this year’s nominated movies and shows were based on books. So if you’re more at home in a library or a bookstore than a movie theater, you’re likely to find some reading material to curl up with while the rest of your family is gathered around the television set.

“Arrival” (actress in a motion picture, drama): Amy Adams plays a linguist, mourning the death of her young daughter, who helps the U.S. Army translate symbols used by aliens who have suddenly come to Earth. The movie is an adaptation of “Story of Your Life,” the Nebula Award-winning novella by author Ted Chiang.

Read More

Creator and show runner Peter Morgan and actress Claire Foy, nominated for their work on Netflix’s “The Crown,” released statements about being recognized as Golden Globe contenders by the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn.

“I am thrilled with the nominations for The Crown,” Morgan wrote in response to the show’s recognition for drama television series. “Delighted of course for Claire and John [Lithgow], but this was a massive team effort, and the Best Drama-Television nomination really reflects that. I am proud of everyone involved. Thank you so much to the HFPA.”

Foy could hardly contain her excitement over her nomination for actress in drama television series, as well as nods for co-star John Lithgow and the series itself.

“I am so delighted by the nominations ‘The Crown’ has received today! The whole experience has been wonderful,” Foy wrote. “I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to bring Peter Morgan’s Princess Elizabeth to life; she is a gift of a role and a challenge I am so grateful for — a young woman trying to navigate a path through an extraordinary situation.

“I must thank the HFPA for this nomination, it’s such an honor. More than anything I am so happy that people have enjoyed the show the way they have and recognized the hard work of the truly brilliant ensemble cast and crew.

“I would also like to congratulate John and everyone on ‘The Crown’ for their nominations today.”

NOMINATED: Motion picture comedy; actress in a motion picture, musical or comedy - Emma Stone; actor in a motion picture, musical or comedy - Ryan Gosling; director - Damien Chazelle; screenplay; original song, motion picture - “City of Stars”

NOMINATED: Motion picture drama; supporting actress in any motion picture - Naomie Harris; supporting actor in any motion picture - Mahershala Ali; director - Barry Jenkins; screenplay; original score

NOMINATED: Motion picture drama; actor in a motion picture drama - Casey Affleck; supporting actress in any motion picture - Michelle Williams; director - Kenneth Lonergan; screenplay

See more of the top nominated films here.

Director and writer Kenneth Lonergan and actor Casey Affleck, nominated for their work on “Manchester by the Sea,” released statements about being recognized as a Golden Globes contender by the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn.

“Thank you, Hollywood Foreign Press Association,” wrote Lonergan in response to nominations for director and screenplay. “I’m immensely proud of Casey [Affleck], Michelle [Williams], Lucas [Hedges], Kyle [Chandler], and all of our cast and crew. I’m in awe of their talents.

“All artists need champions, and I’m very grateful to have had several, all of whom also gave me broad creative freedom: Matt Damon, Kimberly Steward and this dedicated producing team, all of whom share in our nominations and have my eternal thanks.”

Affleck, who was nominated for actor in a motion picture, drama, wrote, “Huge thanks to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for this prestigious honor. It will actually be my first time attending the Golden Globes and I’ve been working for more than 20 years, so this moment isn’t lost on me.

“I’m so happy for the recognition this morning given to our incredible writer and director Kenneth Lonergan and to Michelle Williams, and for our entire cast and crew. It’s really meaningful for our film. Thank you.”

Actor Andrew Garfield has two films out this season - “Hacksaw Ridge” and “Silence” - both of which are getting critical praise.

(Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)

Nominated for his performance in the drama “Hacksaw Ridge,” actor Andrew Garfield responded to being honored by the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. with this statement:

“I am so incredibly moved by the HFPA and their recognition of this film and my work, especially considering the remarkably strong caliber of performances this year. It’s an honor to stand with actors like Denzel Washington who have inspired me since I was old enough to watch movies.

“I’m very proud of ‘Hacksaw Ridge’ and I share this with Bill Mechanic, David Permut and Mel who led the charge on this project with great vision, humility, integrity and love. I dedicate this nomination and my work to the incomparable Desmond Doss and all those who sacrifice themselves in the service of the protection and freedom of others. He is a profound symbol of healing and compassion for the times we are in.”

Ryan Gosling, ‘La La Land’

(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Ruth Negga, ‘Loving’

(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Rami Malek, ‘Mr. Robot’

(Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Thandie Newton, ‘Westworld’

(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Check out more portraits and interviews here.

(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Read More

“La La Land” stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone.

(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Lionsgate had the most Golden Globe nominations of any movie studio this year, thanks to “La La Land,” “Hacksaw Ridge” and “Hell or High Water” (released with CBS Films). Indie distributor A24 rode high with “Moonlight.”

Here’s how the distributors stack up in the motion picture categories:

• Lionsgate: 13
• A24: 9
• Paramount Pictures: 8
• Amazon Studios: 6
• Focus Features: 6
• 20th Century Fox: 6
• The Weinstein Co.: 5
• Roadside Attractions: 5
• CBS Films: 3
• Sony Pictures Classics: 3
• Disney: 3
• Universal Pictures: 2
• Bleecker Street: 1
• Cohen Media Group: 1
• EuropaCorp: 1
• Fox Searchlight: 1
• GKIDS: 1
• Netflix: 1
• The Orchard: 1
• STX Entertainment: 1
• TWC-Dimension: 1
• Warner Bros.: 1

John Turturro, Golden Globe nominee for best actor in a limited series made for television, released a statement this morning in response to being recognized for his work in the HBO miniseries “The Night Of.”

“It’s nice to be invited to the party, thank you [Hollywood Foreign Press Assn.],” Turturro said. “I am especially pleased to share it with my acting partner Riz Ahmed. And of course, our indomitable leader Steve Zaillian and Richard Price.”

Actors continue to register their gratitude on social media, upon waking Monday to find they’d been nominated for a Golden Globe, including Thandie Newton (“Westworld”), Sterling K. Brown (“The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story”) and Christian Slater (“Mr. Robot”).

Simon Helberg costars opposite Hugh Grant and Meryl Streep in “Florence Foster Jenkins.”

(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Monday morning started off with a bang for actor Simon Helberg, who plays Howard Wolowitz on the long-running series “The Big Bang Theory.” But it wasn’t his sitcom role that was generating all the ruckus. Or Helberg’s just-announced Golden Globe nomination.

It was the toilet.

“I was on the toilet when I got the news,” Helberg said of when he heard about his nomination in the supporting actor category, in which he was recognized for playing a piano accompanist to Meryl Streep’s opera-hopeful in Stephen Frears’ “Florence Foster Jenkins.”

Helberg had woken up a few minutes earlier, excited by the nominations and maybe a little nervous too.

“I didn’t have any expectations,” he says. “But I woke up at 5:12 a.m. and I saw they were going to announce at 5:15 a.m., and my stomach just dropped. Then I hit this bidet button — I got the new news on a text and it was like, ‘boing!’ The water shot up. It was all very high tech. This toilet is made for the future of mankind. It’s like a toilet that has wi-fi.

“Anyway, it was all in tune — the universe, the nomination, my bodily functions — it all culminated in a terrible, clumsy moment sitting on a Japanese bidet.”

On a more serious note, Helberg says he was honored by his Golden Globes nomination.

“I was very moved by it,” he says. “Because I care deeply about this movie and the performance is something I’m proud of, and it’s really lovely to have people connect to it. And awards, I guess it’s a way of showing that people were affected by it.”

Working with Streep was a highlight for Helberg, he says.

“I met one of the most incredible, giving, intelligent, insightful people that I’ve ever come across,” he says. “And I got to spend three months with that person. Then, of course, there’s the gob-smacking talent and legacy, and all my life, growing up, watching and learning from her. So to get the chance to create something together and find she’s as beautiful a human as an actor, it was inspiring.”

The rest of the afternoon will be fairly routine for Helberg, he says. He’ll go for a jog in the neighborhood, then off to work on “Big Bang,” where today’s schedule entails attempting stunts.

“At some point, I’ll be hanging from the ceiling.” But there’s not another visit to the bidet planned.

“No,” he laughs, “I think I’ve taken care of everything.”

Director Maren Ade is shown at the 41st Toronto International Film Festival in September.

(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

In contrast to the Golden Globes’ best director category, in which all the nominees are men, two films made by women are nominated in the foreign language category. “Toni Erdmann,” written and directed by Maren Ade, earned a nomination. The film from Germany took five prizes at the European Film Awards over the weekend, including best film, director and screenplay. Also nominated for the Globes is “Divines,” a film from France directed and co-written by Houda Benyamina.

Unlike the Oscars, the Globes allow multiple films from the same country to be submitted for this category. The official Oscar submission from France is “Elle,” so “Divines” will not be competing there. All the other titles nominated here for the Globes are also in play for the Oscar as official submissions for their respective countries.

Houda Benyamina is shown at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.

(Jay L. Clendendin / Los Angeles Times)

The five nominees:

• “Divines” (France)
• “Elle” (France)
• “Neruda” (Chile)
• “The Salesman” (Iran)
• “Toni Erdmann” (Germany)

Asghar Farhadi, filmmaker of “The Salesman,” has won this category once before. “Elle” filmmaker Paul Verhoeven, better known for Hollywood films such as “Basic Instinct” and “Showgirls,” was nominated once before in this category for his early Dutch film “Soldier of Orange.” Pablo Larrain, filmmaker of “Neruda,” was nominated last year for his film “The Club” and also made his English-language debut this year with “Jackie.”

The Golden Globes have a reputation for taking chances and honoring new television shows. This year’s class of nominees, announced Monday morning, was no exception. From “Stranger Things” to “This Is Us,” here is what The Times’ critics had to say about some of 2016’s new and noteworthy shows.

“This is Us”:

“The success of most every series rests on the appeal of its characters, and ‘This Is Us’ appears to be full of appealing characters.” Full review here.

“Westworld”:

“It isn’t just great television, it’s vivid, thought-provoking television that entertains even as it examines the darker side of entertainment.” Full review here.

“Stranger Things”:

“‘Stranger Things’ doesn’t just star 1980s icon Winona Ryder; it stars 1980s icon Winona Ryder in a brown corduroy coat.” Full review here.

“The Crown”:

“[It] unfurls in intimate conversations, usually between two people, one of whom is trying to roll a ball forward while the other is trying to keep it back.” Full review here.

“Atlanta”:

”...sets a tone that is a little melancholic but not pessimistic; it’s aspirational in a minor key. It is critical in an interested, even amazed, way about people, while managing not to judge them.” Full review here.

“Divorce”:

“It’s an intelligent, if sometimes taxing or manipulative show, well played, often funny, here and there lovely; it improves as it goes along, letting us get to like characters who can first seem a little hateful.” Full review here.

“Goliath”:

“At its best, ‘Goliath’ suggests the creative possibilities that arise when writers steeped in the broadcast television tradition are liberated to tell heavily serialized, character-driven, morally complicated stories without the arbitrary limitations imposed by networks.” Full review here.

“Insecure”:

“Much of it takes place in neighborhoods television typically visits only in crime stories, with the difference that there are no crime stories here, just the getting on with life, love, work, acceptance and self-acceptance.” Full review here.

“The Night Of”:

“An anthem to television’s unique power to turn a series of understated performances into sustained magnificence.” Full review here.

“Graves”:

“It is cynical enough, vaguely, about politics to suggest that it takes an outsider to do things right, a notion that does fit the temper of the times.” Full review here.

“The Night Manager”:

“Unapologetically sleeker and more sentimental than any George Smiley tale, and streamlined to the point of simplicity..., it is tense but linear, clearly framed to take full advantage of its stars’ strengths and, it must be said, their cross-demographic fan base.” Full review here.

Nominated for best animated motion picture, “Zootopia” directors Byron Howard and Rich Moore took time out this morning to talk about their film’s nomination for a Golden Globe and about making an animated film that tackles bias and discrimination.

“It is an unbelievable feeling to have put in so much work on a film and to have it received so well by critics and the audience, and then by an organization like the Hollywood Foreign Press with this nomination,” Moore said.

According to Howard, the idea for “Zootopia” came after conceptualizing a film with talking animals and then going to Africa for research.

“We were camping near a watering hole and we would see zebra drink right next to lion,” Howard said. “It was like a human city, even though they don’t see eye to eye, they have to find ways to make it work. It quickly became this opportunity to talk about bias in this 21st century fable.”

‘Zootopia’ directors Rich Moore and Byron Howard, center, with producer Clark Spencer at left.

(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

After their trip, the two began meeting with Shakti Butler, founder of World Trust and an educator in racial equality, to tell “Zootopia’s” story of rabbit Judy Hopps, the first rabbit cop in the city and the discrimination she faces. More than just a comedy, the directors hoped to make a film with a message for children and adults alike.

“[Butler] talked to us for many years about how destructive bias can be and how subtle it can be,” Howard said. “Looking at the past year in the United States, it’s good timing for a film like this to come out.”

“As an artist and as a filmmaker [this nomination is] very validating. It makes me want to jump right back in the saddle again and to keep doing what we do,” Moore added.

Read More

Social media reactions continue to roll in as Hollywood elite wake up to find out they’ve been nominated for a Golden Globe.