Golden Globe 2014 acting predictions

This Sunday marks the 71st Golden Globes. As much fun as it is to watch these types of award shows it is more fun to predict the winners leading up to the show. So listed below are my predictions for all of the major acting categories. I’ll start with movies.

Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama Nominees

Chiwetel Ejiofor- 12 Years a Slave
Idris Elba- Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
Tom Hanks- Captain Phillips
Matthew McConaughey- Dallas Buyer’s Club
Robert Redford All is Lost

Tom Hanks has won many awards before and as great as he was in Phillips it is not as strong as some of his other famous works. Redford’s nomination seems more of a legacy award, he hasn’t won many awards in his career but this nomination seems like more of a courtesy. And we can rule out Idris Elba as well. I think this is a two man race between Ejiofor and McConaughey. Both seem to have momentum and it wouldn’t surprise me if either of them won. McConaughey has taken on more challenging roles recently and has shown that he really can act and is not just a movie star. But my guess is that Ejiofor will take home the award. He portrayed more of a passive character, which allowed the audience to witness this era through his eyes as he was experiencing it. I also think people liked this movie more which helps his case.

Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama Nominees

Cate Blanchett- Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock- Gravity
Judi Dench- Philomenia
Emma Thompson- Saving Mr. Banks
Kate Winslet- Labor Day

Winslet and Thompson both do very good works in their films but I don’t think either of them have a chance to win. Dench has gained some momentum for her work but I think she has a slim chance as well. So again I think it comes down to two people in Bullock and Blanchett. Bullock had a very difficult job in that she was the only character on the screen for the majority of the film. It was also a very physical role. Blanchett was phenomenal as well. She is also added to the list of great female performances in a Woody Allen film. I predict that Blanchett will win. Bullock won this award not too long ago for The Blind Side. I also think that Blanchett was better also. It really is one of the best performances of the year for any type of film and regardless of gender.

Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominees

Christian Bale- American Hustle
Bruce Dern- Nebraska
Leonardo DiCaprio- The Wolf of Wall Street
Oscar Isaac- Inside Llewyn Davis
Joaquin Phoenix- Her

I think this is by far the hardest category to predict because all of the performances are great and there does not appear to be a front-runner. Personally my two favorite performances came from Isaac and Phoenix. But I have a hard time seeing either of these actors winning. Although if Isaac decides to quit acting he shows that he will have no problem becoming a great musician. Perhaps if Phoenix hid his contempt for award shows a little better he would have a shot at winning, but shows usually don’t like to give awards to people that don’t want it. Bale has won awards before so I’ll take him out. DiCaprio is great but his character was not very likeable and more often than not these types of characters don’t win awards. So I will go with Dern. This is also like a lifetime achievement award. He probably won’t have many more award shows in his future and that can have a big impact on voters. But like I said before I would not be surprised by any of these actors winning this award.

Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical of Comedy Nominees

Amy Adams- American Hustle
Julie Delpy- Before Midnight
Greta Gerwig- Frances Ha
Julia Louis-Dreyfus- Enough Said
Meryl Streep- August: Osage Country

Steep gets her customary nomination because everybody loves her but she is not winning this. Gerwig has been a popular actress in mumblecore films for a while so I think this nomination was to help shed some light on her career, but I don’t see her winning either. The same can be said about Delpy who has had a great career and made on of the best series in the past twenty years with her Before films, but she is a long shot. I think this comes down to Adams and Louis-Dreyfus. I would love to see Louis-Dreyfus win because I thought she was so gentle and genuine in her role and she shows that she has some strong acting chops and is more than just a comedic actress. But I think Adams wins this. She was sly and sexy and pulled off this complicated role. If she wins she will definitely have earned it.

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion picture Nominees

Barkhad Abdi- Captain Phillips
Daniel Brühl- Rush
Bradley Cooper- American Hustle
Michael Fassbender- 12 Years a Slave
Jared Leto- Dallas Buyer’s Club

Brühl is not winning. Abdi is a nice story and has earned some sentimentality but he is not winning either. Leto is great in his role but he is not popular enough to win. Cooper has become a Hollywood favorite. He continues to show that he has the ability to act and we shouldn’t just think of him as that guy in The Hangover, so it wouldn’t surprise me a lot to see him win. But I think this has to go to Fassbender. Fassbender has become one of the best actors working today and I think he has a tremendous future ahead of him. He steals almost every scene he is in and as evil of a character he portrays; it is impossible to take your eyes off him.

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Nominees

Sally Hawkins- Blue Jasmine
Jennifer Lawrence- American Hustle
Lupita Nyong’o- 12 Years a Slave
Julia Roberts- August: Osage Country
June Squibb- Nebraska

Roberts was nominated just so that she will show up to the awards show, but she’s not winning. Squibb and Hawkins both do excellent work but they are long shots. I think this comes down to Nyong’o and Lawrence. Nyong’o has gained some momentum and she gives the most emotional performance in her film, which is saying a lot. But Hollywood has a major crush on Lawrence so it should be no surprise to see her win just so she could give another speech. But I think Nyong’o sneaks in for the win. If Lawrence didn’t just win last year for Silver Lining Playbook I think she walks away from it. I also think Lawrence will have many more opportunities in her career to win awards. Nyong’o just seems like she was meant to play this role.

Best Actor is a TV Series Drama Nominees

Bryan Cranston- Breaking Bad
Live Schreiber- Ray Donovan
Michael Sheen- Masters of Sex
Kevin Spacy- House of Cards
James Spader- Blacklist

Another strong list of candidates in this category. Schreiber is probably least likely to win partly because his show was not as popular. Sheen was good but will probably be nominated more times in the future for this role. Spader has won many awards in the past so I don’t think he will add to his collection this year. I think this is a dog fight between Cranston and Spader. Cranston plays one of the most memorable characters in television history, but he has won before. Spacy delivers a powerful performance as well that had a lot of people talking. I think this is a really difficult choice especially since this was Breaking Bad’s final season but I will predict that Spacy will win. The HFPA has a history of giving awards to movie stars who transition to television.

Best Actress in a TV Series Drama Nominees

Julianna Margulies- The Good Wife
Tatiana Maslany- Orphan Black
Taylor Schilling- Orange is the New Black
Kerry Washington- Scandal
Robin Wright- House of Cards

Since many people don’t know that much about Maslany or her show I don’t think she will win. People love Washington but I don’t think this is her show. Margulies has won several awards before for the same show so I don’t think she will get it either. So this leaves Schilling and Wright. Both shows have become very popular but I think Wright will take home for the award, largely in part for the reasons I stated above about movie stars going to television. And she really is one of the best actresses working today and deserves to get noticed more often.

Best Actor in a TV Series Musical or Comedy Nominees

Jason Bateman- Arrested Development
Don Cheadle- House of Lies
Michael J. Fox- Michael J. Fox Show
Jim Parsons- Big Bang Theory
Andy Samberg- Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Unless Fox receives a lot of sympathy votes I don’t see him wining. I think Samberg is a little too goofy for the HFPA to choose him. Parsons has won before, so although he could win again I think this isn’t his year. Bateman could sneak in for the win, especially since he is the face of the cult hit that finally made it back to air. But I’ll go with Cheadle. Another big star who now has his own television show, and he does carry that show.

Best Actress in a TV Series Musical or Comedy Nominees

Zooey Deschanel- New Girl
Lena Dunham- Girls
Edie Falco- Nurse Jackie
Julia Louis-Dreyfus- Veep
Amy Poehler- Parks and Recreation

Another difficult choice because it wouldn’t surprise me if any of these actresses won. Since Poehler is hosting the show I think she has the longest odds. Falco has won awards before so I think the HFPA will look to give it to someone else. Deschanel is a dark horse but I think this is her year. Dunham has become very popular and represents a younger demographic, it also helps that she created her own show. But I think Louis-Dreyfus takes the award. She has won before but she is great in the role. I also thinks since she won’t win for Enough Said this win might be a kind of compensation award, but still well deserved.

Best Actor in a Mini-Series or TV Movie Nominees

Matt Damon- Behind the Candelabra
Michael Douglas- Behind the Candelabra
Chiwetel Ejiofor- Dancing on the Edge
Idris Elba- Luther
Al Pacino- Phil Spector

Ejiofor will be more focused on for the lead in 12 Years A Slave, so I don’t think he will be noticed for this category. The same can be said for Elba. Pacino has won so many awards before that I think he won’t win either. Therefore I think this comes down between Damon and Douglas who star in the same movie. I’m not sure how one movie could have two lead actors, but I think Douglas will win. He is the one has won similar awards in other award shows and I think that trend will continue.

Best Actress in a Mini-Series or TV Movie Nominees

Helena Bonham Carter- Burton and Taylor
Rebecca Ferguson- The White Queen
Jessica Lang- American Horror Story: Coven
Helen Mirren- Phil Spector
Elisabeth Moss- Top of the Lake

To be honest I am not to familiar with these roles. So as a shot in the dark I’ll predict Moss. She is supposed to be very good in the role and she constantly get overlooked for Mad Men.

Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Mini-Series or TV Movie Nominees

Josh Charles- The Good Wife
Rob Lowe- Behind the Candelabra
Aaron Paul- Breaking Bad
Corey Stoll- House of Cards
Jon Voight- Ray Donovan

All strong performances but I think this is Paul’s to lose. He was so powerful playing Jesse and made that character very likeable and sympathetic. He became a huge star from this show.

Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Mini-Series or TV Movie Nominees

Jacquelin Bissett- Dancing on the Edge
Janet McTeer- The White Queen
Hayden Panettiere- Nashville
Monica Potter- Parenthood
Sofia Vergara- Modern Family

I’m not very familiar with most of these performances as well. So if I have to guess I will go with Vergara. She provides a lot of energy to that show and since none of her other cast mates got nominated I think she will be the one winner to represent that show.

So there you go, there are my predictions for all of the acting categories. For my final prediction, I predict that I will get 9 out of the 14 categories right. I don’t want to seem too confident. But these are just my predictions, who do you think will win?