Our forums posters, many of whom are Hollywood insiders, are furiously debating who the Golden Globes will choose to honor with the Cecil B. DeMille award for lifetime achievement. As the announcements of George Clooney last year and Woody Allen in 2013 came in mid-September, we expect the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. to reveal this year’s recipient soon.
Our separate article and poll earlier this week offered you 16 actresses who might be under consideration for this honor. Results from that poll will be revealed soon. So now what about the men, who have claimed this prize in 12 of the past 14 years?
Related: Honorary Oscars to Spike Lee, Gena Rowlands, Debbie Reynolds
Below are profiles of 16 actors and directors over 50 who might be on the radar of the selection committee. Read through our list and then vote in our poll as to the most likely recipient. Once we have results from polls for the men and women, the leaders will be pitted against each other to determine your ultimate choice.
You will not find the names of the following men in this poll since they have already received the DeMille award: Warren Beatty, Sean Connery, Robert De Niro, Kirk Douglas, Michael Douglas, Clint Eastwood, Harrison Ford, Morgan Freeman, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, Anthony Hopkins, Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino, Sidney Poitier, Robert Redford, Martin Scorsese, and Steven Spielberg.
One note for each synopsis below: Golden Globe nominations and wins listed do not include producing nominations (which are not indicated on the HFPA website).
JEFF BRIDGES
Four Golden Globe nominations with one win (“Crazy Heart,” 2010).
MEL BROOKS
Four Golden Globe nominations with no wins.
MICHAEL CAINE
12 Golden Globe nominations with three wins (“Educating Rita,” 1984; “Jack the Ripper,” 1989; “Little Voice,” 1999).
FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA
11 Golden Globe nominations with four wins (“The Godfather” directing and writing, 1973; “Apocalypse Now” directing and score, 1980).
TOM CRUISE
Seven Golden Globe nominations with three wins (“Born on the Fourth of July,” 1990; “Jerry Maguire,” 1997; “Magnolia,” 2000).
BILLY CRYSTAL
Three Golden Globe nominations no wins.
JOHNNY DEPP
10 Golden Globe nominations with one win (“Sweeney Todd,” 2008).
ROBERT DUVALL
Seven Golden Globe nominations with four wins (“Apocalypse Now,” 1980; “Tender Mercies,” 1984; “Lonesome Dove,” 1990; “Stalin,” 1993).
TOM HANKS
Eight Golden Globe nominations with four wins (“Big,” 1989; “Philadelphia,” 1994; “Forrest Gump,” 1995; “Cast Away,” 2001).
RON HOWARD
Five Golden Globe nominations with one win (“Happy Days,” 1978).
STEVE MARTIN
Five Golden Globe nominations with no wins.
EDDIE MURPHY
Five Golden Globe nominations with one win (“Dreamgirls,” 2007).
BILL MURRAY
Six Golden Globe nominations with one win (“Lost in Translation,” 2004).
BRAD PITT
Five Golden Globe nominations with one win (“Twelve Monkeys,” 1996).
JOHN TRAVOLTA
Six Golden Globe nominations with one win (“Get Shorty,” 1996).
DENZEL WASHINGTON
Seven Golden Globe nominations with two wins (“Glory,” 1990; “The Hurricane,” 2000).
Related: Carol Burnett to receive SAG life achievement award
While the committee typically does not choose someone with a strong chance at a nomination, they sometimes overlook that unwritten rule. So, for that reason, we have decided to include several men with at least one project in contention: Caine (“Youth”), Depp (“Black Mass”), Hanks (“Bridge of Spies”), Howard (“In the Heart of the Sea”), Murray (“Rock the Kasbah”), and Pitt (“By the Sea”).
PHOTO CREDITS:
Denzel Washington in Spain (9/14); Unimedia Images/REX
Tom Hanks in New York (2/15); Gregory Pace/BEI/REX
Tom Cruise in New York (7/15); Gregory Pace/BEI/REX
