Golden Globes host Nikki Glaser discusses Trump’s election and Hollywood’s influence

Comedian Nikki Glaser kicked off what she calls “Ozempic’s biggest night,” the 82nd Golden Globes, with a promise: “I’m not here to roast you.” »

But Glaser, a stand-up whose breakthrough came in a withering roast of Tom Brady, roamed the ballroom of the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Sunday, picking many targets in an opening monologue that she had elaborated at length. at comedy clubs beforehand.

Glaser, who hosted the Globes two weeks before Donald Trump’s inauguration, saved perhaps his sharpest retort for the entire room of Hollywood stars.

“You can really do anything … except tell the country who to vote for,” Glaser said. “But it doesn’t matter, you’ll get them next time…if there is one.” I’m scared.”

She then turned to “Wicked” star Ariana Grande with a request: “Ariana, hold my finger. »

Glaser praised Timothée Chalamet, nominated for his portrayal of Bob Dylan in “A Complete Unknown,” for having “the most beautiful eyelashes on your upper lip.”

While Glaser may not have reached Tina Fey and Amy Poehler levels of laughter, the monologue was mostly winning and a dramatic improvement over last year’s host Jo Koy. Glaser assured the crowd that, win or lose, “the point of making art is to launch a tequila brand so popular that you’ll never need to make art again.”

The first winner of the evening was Zoe Saldaña for Best Supporting Actress. Saldaña won the award for her performance in Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Perez,” the trans musical that earned 10 nominations, followed by Brady Corbet’s postwar epic “The Brutalist,” with seven, and the Edward Berger’s papal thriller “Conclave”, with six. . Among the most nominated series were “The Bear”, “Shogun” and “Only Murders in the Building”.

FX’s “Shogun” also got off to an early start with wins for Hiroyuki Sanada for best actor in a drama series and Tadanobu Asano for best supporting actor in a drama series. “I am very happy!” Asano exclaimed, raising his arms.

For the second time, Jean Smart won Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for “Hacks.” The very honored Smart said: “I never thought I would be so happy to be called a hacker. »

Although few cinematic awards were predictable this season, Kieran Culkin emerges as the clear favorite for Best Supporting Actor. Culkin won Sunday for his performance in Jesse Eisenberg’s “A Real Pain,” his second Globe last year after a win for the HBO series “Succession.” He called the Globes “basically the best date night my wife and I have ever had,” then thanked her for “setting up what you call my mania.”

After a few difficult years and the dissolution of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the Golden Globes appear to be stabilizing. The question before Sunday was: but can they still put on a good show?

Last year’s throwback edition, hosted by Koy, was widely criticized, but it delivered where it counted: Ratings rebounded to around 10 million viewers, according to Nielsen. CBS, which stepped in after NBC dropped the Globes, signed on for five more years.

The Globes are now owned by Todd Boehly’s Eldridge Industries and Dick Clark Productions, which acquired the awards show from the now-defunct Hollywood Foreign Press Association. After diversity and ethics scandals, the HFPA sold the Globes and disbanded. However, more than a dozen former HFPA members are seeking to overturn the sale to Eldridge Industries and Dick Clark Productions.

Regardless, the Globes’ primary reason for existence, from the studios’ perspective, is to serve as a major marketing event for its awards contenders. There are still almost two months until the Oscars ceremony on March 2.

But unlike last year, when “Oppenheimer” steamrolled and billion-dollar-grossing “Barbie” dominated the race, this year’s main contenders tend to be art house films. , and no clear favorite has emerged yet.

The Globes take place about two weeks before Trump’s inauguration. So far in Hollywood awards season, most nominees have tried to stay out of the political fray, with the major exception of “The Apprentice,” the young Trump drama starring Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong. Both actors were nominated for Globes, and Stan nabbed a second nod for his performance in “A Different Man.”

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