According to Expert film journalists who have made their predictions at Gold Derby thus far, the Golden Globe race for Best Film Comedy/Musical Actor comes down to two past winners playing larger-than-life biographical roles: Steve Carell as chauvinistic tennis champ Bobby Riggs in “Battle of the Sexes” and James Franco as eccentric filmmaker Tommy Wiseau in “The Disaster Artist.”
Four Experts are currently forecasting a victory for Carell: Tom O’Neil (Gold Derby), Sasha Stone (Awards Daily), Adnan Virk (ESPN), and Susan Wloszczyna (RogerEbert.com). This would be the ninth nomination for Carell, who contended for Best TV Comedy Actor six times (winning in 2006), once for Best Film Drama Actor (“Foxcatcher,” 2015), and once in this category for “The Big Short” (2016). Now “Battle of the Sexes” gives him a flamboyant, scene-stealing role in the true story of Bobby Riggs’s famous match against female tennis pro Billie Jean King (Emma Stone).
Franco also has support from four Experts: Edward Douglas (Tracking Board), Joyce Eng (TV Guide), Michael Musto (NewNowNext), and Kevin Polowy (Yahoo). Franco has three previous Globe nominations, and like Carell his one past victory was for his work on the small screen. He prevailed in 2002 for Best TV Movie/Mini Actor for playing the title role in “James Dean.” Then he earned a nomination in this category in 2009 for “Pineapple Express,” and another bid for Best Film Drama Actor for “127 Hours.” Now in “Disaster Artist” Franco plays filmmaker Wiseau at the time when he made “The Room,” a notoriously bad 2003 film that has since developed a cult following.
And both Franco and Carell have the benefit of a second high-profile role that could doubly inspire Globe voters to check off their names. Franco also stars in the HBO series “The Deuce,” for which he might also be a Globe contender for Best TV Drama Actor. And Carell can also be seen in a drastically different performance as a grieving father in Richard Linklater‘s “Last Flag Flying.”
Who do you think is out front in this Golden Globes race?
Be sure to make your Golden Globe predictions so that Hollywood insiders can see how their films and performers are faring in our odds. You can keep changing your predictions until just before nominations are announced on December 11. And join in the fierce debate over the 2018 Golden Globes taking place right now with Hollywood insiders in our TV forums. Read more Gold Derby entertainment news.
