Jessie Buckley has, as expected, won best actress in a drama at the Golden Globe Awards for her acclaimed performance as Agnes Shakespeare in Chloé Zhao’s searing Hamnet.
In a modest upset, Zhao’s film snuck past Ryan Coogler’s much-fancied Sinners to take the prize for best drama film.
Paul Mescal, who stars opposite Buckley as William Shakespeare in the adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s novel, failed to convert his best supporting actor nomination into a win, losing out to veteran Stellan Skarsgård for Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value.
Buckley was her usual unpretentious self at the podium.
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“This is not a normal feeling or situation to be in, but thank you, Golden Globes,” the Kerrywoman told the celeb-stacked audience at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. “It was such an extraordinary set to be part of because we were telling the story of probably the most famous Brit that ever lived. And we had a Chinese director, a lot of Irish and a mostly Polish crew.”
[ Jessie Buckley: From TV talent show runner-up to Golden Globes winnerOpens in new window ]
[ Hamnet review: Five stars for Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal’s devastating filmOpens in new window ]
The event confirmed the unstoppable advance of Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another. The epic political comedy, inspired by Thomas Pynchon’s Vineland, headed the charts with four wins: best comedy or musical, best director, best screenplay and, for Teyana Taylor, best supporting actress.
“My babies are upstairs watching. Y’all better be off them damn phones and watching me,” Taylor joked through tears.
The increasingly international colour of the Globes was demonstrated by a win in best drama actor for the Brazilian actor Wagner Moura from Kleber Mendonça Filho’s tense, complex political drama The Secret Agent. Timothée Chalamet won best comedy actor for playing an insufferable table tennis prodigy in Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme.
Buckley’s win confirms her as strong favourite for best actress at the upcoming Academy Awards, but she will face competition from the rising Rose Byrne. That Australian actor, who has triumphed with many critics groups, won best actress in a comedy or musical for her turn as a stressed mother in Mary Bronstein’s If I had Legs I’d Kick You.
“I want to thank my husband, Bobby,” Byrne said. “He couldn’t be here because we’re getting a bearded dragon, and he went to a reptile expo In New Jersey.”
Nominations for the Oscars emerge on January 22nd. Buckley and Byrne seem certain to be up against one another in the lead actress race. Mescal is also likely to be nominated in best supporting actor.
The raw British series Adolescence, a sensation early last year, scored big in the television section, with four wins including one for best limited series. Young Owen Cooper took the prize for best TV actor and, confirming himself as a Liverpool supporter, ended his speech with You’ll Never Walk Alone.
The Globes enjoys describing itself as “party of the year” and, for the second year running, Nikki Glaser, sharp-witted host, struck a pleasing balance between mild bitchiness and showbizzy gloss.
After listing Leonardo DiCaprio’s achievements, she noted “the most impressive thing is that you were able to accomplish all of that before your girlfriend turned 30.”
