Ricky Gervais took the stage to host the 77th annual Golden Globe Awards, airing on NBC. He said it is his last time hosting the awards.
“Let’s go out with a bang,” he said. “Let’s have a laugh--at your expense.”
He saluted the celebs in the room, including those sitting at the table for The Irishman. “Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, Baby Yoda…oh, that’s Joe Pesci,” said Gervais. "Kidding," he said. “Don’t have me whacked.”
More on the Golden Globes:Golden Globes Look to Crown Drama Successor
Best actor in a comedy or musical was presented by Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon. The trophy went to Ramy Youssef of Ramy on Hulu. It was Youssef’s first nomination, and first win.
“I know you guys haven’t seen my show,” he said. “We made a very specific show about an Arab Muslim family living in New Jersey.”
Best actor in a limited series or movie made for television went to Russell Crowe from The Loudest Voice on Showtime. Crowe could not be there, working with his family in Australia as they face the wildfires. He offered a statement about climate change.
Matt Bomer and Sofia Vergara handed out the award for best actor in a supporting role in a drama. It went to Stellan Skarsgard of HBO drama Chernobyl. Skarsgard spoke about director Milos Forman saying he’d seen the actor in many films, but could never remember his face. Skarsgard said it was because of his lack of eyebrows. He saluted Daniel Parker for having “made a couple of eyebrows for me” for the series.
Best drama went to HBO’s Succession. Jesse Armstrong, creator, thanked HBO “for their tremendous support.”
He called Succession “a team show” and thanked everyone on the team.
Ted Danson and Kerry Washington awarded best actress in a comedy, and the hardware went to Phoebe Waller-Bridge of Amazon series Fleabag.
“This is really heavy and cool,” she said after handling the trophy.
She saluted Andrew Scott, who played the attractive priest in the most recent season. “There was a lot of talk about the chemistry between us, but he could have chemistry with a pebble,” said Waller-Bridge.
She thanked Amazon and BBC for “picking up this little scrap of a show.”
Kate McKinnon gave the Carol Burnett Award for Excellence in Television to Ellen DeGeneres. She spoke of the risks DeGeneres took when she divulged her sexual status decades ago, and how it inspired young people who were gay to consider a career in television.
McKinnon said she’d learned life lessons from DeGeneres, and picked up clothing from her when appearing on her program.
“Thank you, Ellen, for giving me a shot at a good life...and for the sweater with the picture of the baby goat on it.”
DeGeneres saluted the people in Australia as they face wildfires, and McKinnon for “the amazing words that you said.”
She said winners of “a special award” can go long with their speeches and not get played off. “I could go on,” she quipped.
DeGeneres also saluted Burnett. “I felt like she showed us who she was each week. She was larger than life….She never let us down,” said DeGeneres. “I always felt like she was speaking to me.”
Tim Allen of Last Man Standing and Lauren Graham of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist awarded best actor in a drama. Brian Cox of Succession got the prize for playing Logan Roy. It is his first win at the Globes.
Cox apologized to his fellow nominees for him getting the nod. “That’s all I can say--I’m sorry. I never expected this,” he said. “I just never thought this would happen to me.”
He called Succession creator Jesse Armstrong a “genius.”
“He inspired us to do the best work,” said Cox.
Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra gave out the prize for best comedy. It was Amazon’s Fleabag, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge again made her way to the stage. She saluted the “incredible cast” that played their parts with “so much heart and so much love.
She thanked Amazon and BBC for “giving us so much space for creating what we wanted to create,” and President Obama for putting Fleabag on his best of 2019 list.
“He’s always been on mine,” said Waller-Bridge.
Zoe Kravitz and Jason Momoa gave out the prize for best actress in a limited series or movie made for television. It went to Patricia Arquette for her work in The Act on Hulu.
Arquette singled out her “phenomenal” costar Joey King. She mentioned her children, watching at home. “I beg of us all to give them a better world,” she said, citing strife around the world. “We have to vote in 2020 and beg and plead everyone we know to vote in 2020.”
Best actress in a drama was given to Olivia Colman of Netflix drama The Crown. She plays Queen Elizabeth II.
“I’ve had the loveliest time doing this,” said Colman before reeling off several thank yous, and a shout-out to Amazon’s well awarded comedy.
“Fleabag, yay!” said Colman.
Tiffany Haddish and Salma Hayek presented best actress in a limited series or movie made for TV to Michelle Williams in FX’s Fosse/Verdon. She said everyone awarded at the event is saluted for the choices they’ve made.
“I’ve tried my very best to live a life of my own making,” she added.
Williams mentioned “a womans’ right to choose when to have my children and with whom,” and told women to vote “in your own self-interest. It’s what men have been doing for years, which is why the world looks so much like them.”
The prize for best limited series or motion picture made for television went to Chernobyl.
Star Jared Harris said the screenplay raised the question of, what is the cost of lies, which “becomes more relevant with each passing day’s news cycle.”
He said Chernobyl is dedicated to the “courage and sacrifice” of those who fought to protect citizens from danger when the catastrophe happened in Ukraine in 1986.
On the film side, Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood got top comedy and Sam Mendes’s 1917 got best drama.
