With the 78th annual Golden Globe nominations approaching soon, Variety Awards Editors Clayton Davis and Jenelle Riley examine the contenders for the best lead actor category for both drama and comedy or musical in the latest Variety Awards Circuit video.
Kicking things off on the drama side of the category, Davis said there’s no other name to be more passionate and excited for than the late Chadwick Boseman, who plays trumpeter Levee Green in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” “It’s everything that Chadwick ever would do, could do in film,” Davis said. Riley said that Boseman will have to stave off some tough competition from the likes of Anthony Hopkins in “The Father,” which she said could a stealth contender all across the board.
Other top actors mentioned for the best actor in a drama category were Delroy Lindo in “Da 5 Bloods,” Riz Ahmed in “Sound of Metal,” John David Washington in “Malcolm and Marie” and Denzel Washington in “The Little Things.”
Moving to the comedy side, Davis said that Sacha Baron Cohen’s performance in “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” is right there for the taking. Davis pointed out that Baron Cohen won the Globe for his first outing as Borat back in 2006. If he won the award this year, Baron Cohen would become the first actor to win a Golden Globe twice for playing the same character. Also, Dev Patel is being eyed for a nomination for his performance in “The Personal History of David Copperfield,” which Riley described as a fun and delightful film.
Other performances mentioned for the comedy or musical category were Andy Samberg in “Palm Springs,” Jamie Dornan in “Wild Mountain Thyme,” Lin-Manuel Miranda and Leslie Odom Jr. in “Hamilton” and Will Ferrell in “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga.”
The 78th annual Golden Globe ceremony will take place on Feb. 28.
