It was a mix of business as usual and overwhelming sea change at the 76th Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, where the film and television industry gathered to celebrate themselves — and be seen by one another at the crowded Beverly Hilton bar during commercial breaks — on live television.
The red carpet, which was more like a women’s march last year thanks to the #TimesUp movement and conversations about representation, sexism and sexual harassment, had reverted back to a nonpoliticized space, where Ryan Seacrest was safe once again to ask: “Gaga, who are you wearing?” “Diamonds by Tiffany!”
But once inside, it was clear why Hollywood appeared to have taken a step back from the fervent social activism of the past few years: the race and gender equality they’d fought for was evident everywhere.
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Jeff Bridges, who won the Cecil B. DeMille Award, in the Trophy Room at the 76th Golden Globes at the Beverly Hilton hotel on Sunday.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s” Rachel Brosnahan.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Alfonso Cuaron, holds his two statuettes for best director - motion picture and foreign language film for “Roma.”
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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“Escape at Dannemora’s” Patricia Arquette.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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“The Americans” cast and crew in the Trophy Room at the 76th Golden Globes.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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“Bodyguard’s” Richard Madden.
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The team behind “Spiderman - Into the Spider Verse.”
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Carol Burnett receives the inaugural Carol Burnett Award at the 76th Golden Globes.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Justin Hurwitz for “First Man.”
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Tyler Perry in the Trophy Room at the 76th Golden Globes at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Anthony Rossomando, Andrew Wyatt, Lady Gaga and Mark Ronson celebrate their “Shallow” victory in the Trophy Room at the 76th Golden Globes.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Lady Gaga in the Trophy Room at the 76th Golden Globes.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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“A Very English Scandal’s” Ben Whishaw.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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“Sharp Object’s” Patricia Clarkson.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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“The Kominsky Method’s” Michael Douglas.
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“Green Book’s” Mahershala Ali.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Saoirse Ronan in the Trophy Room.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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“Sharp Object’s” Patricia Clarkson.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Michael Douglas, left, Al Higgins, Alan Arkin and Chuck Lorre of “The Kominsky Method” in the Trophy Room at the 76th Golden Globes at the Beverly Hilton.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Ryan Murpphy (“The Assassination of Gianni Versace”) in the Trophy Room at the 76th Golden Globes at the Beverly Hilton.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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“The Assassination of Gianni Versace’s” team in the Trophy Room at the 76th Golden Globes at the Beverly Hilton.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Darren Criss (“The Assassination of Gianni Versace”) in the Trophy Room at the 76th Golden Globes at the Beverly Hilton.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Michael Douglas, left, and Alan Arkin of “The Kominsky Methold” in the Trophy Room at the 76th Golden Globes at the Beverly Hilton.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Octavia Spencer, executive producer of “Green Book,” in the Trophy Room at the 76th Golden Globes at the Beverly Hilton.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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“Green Book’s” team in the Trophy Room at the 76th Golden Globes at the Beverly Hilton.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Viggo Mortensen, left, Peter Farrelly, Linda Cardellini and Mahershala Ali in the Trophy Room at the 76th Golden Globes at the Beverly Hilton.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Mahershala Ali (“Green Book”) with his wife, Amatus Sami-Karim, in the Trophy Room at the 76th Golden Globes at the Beverly Hilton.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Olivia Colman from “The Favourite” in the Trophy Room at the 76th Golden Globes at the Beverly Hilton.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Glenn Close (“The Wife”) in the Trophy Room at the 76th Golden Globes at the Beverly Hilton.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Glenn Close (“The Wife”) in the Trophy Room at the 76th Golden Globes at the Beverly Hilton.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Sandra Oh of “Killing Eve” in the Trophy Room at the 76th Golden Globes at the Beverly Hilton.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Sandra Oh of “Killing Eve” in the Trophy Room at the 76th Golden Globes at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Rami Malek and Brian May in the Trophy Room at the 76th Golden Globes at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Queen guitarist Brian May, Rami Malek (who played late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in “Bohemian Rhapsody”) and Queen drummer Roger Taylor in the Trophy Room at the 76th Golden Globes at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Graham King in the Trophy Room at the 76th Golden Globes at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Rami Malek in the Trophy Room at the 76th Golden Globes at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Jim Beach, left, Roger Taylor, Brian May, motion picture drama actor winner Rami Malek, Graham King and Mike Myers in the Trophy Room at the 76th Golden Globes at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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“Bohemain Rhapsody” producer and longtime Queen manager Jim Beach, left, with Queen members Roger Taylor and Brian May and producer Graham King, celebrate the film’s victory.
Sandra Oh was the event’s first Asian host and also the first to win lead actress in a TV drama (“Killing Eve”). The first black Spider-man won for best animated film. Glenn Close gave a stirring speech about women finding fulfillment in roles beyond mother and wife after her surprise win for lead actress in a drama, and for a film called “The Wife,” no less.
Regina King won supporting actress for her performance in “If Beale Street Could Talk,” a drama about black life in the 1960s by groundbreaking African American author James Baldwin. And Ben Whishaw dedicated his award for supporting actor in “A Very English Scandal” — a drama about the painfully closeted lives of homosexuals in 1960s England — to “queer hero” Norman Scott (the real-life figure he played in the show).
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Oh, who co-hosted the event with Andy Samberg, summed it up best when she spoke about her decision to take the hosting gig: “I said yes to the fear of being on this stage tonight because I wanted to be here to look out into this audience and witness this moment of change,” she said during their opening banter.
“This moment is real. Trust me. It is real. Because I see you [pointing to women and minorities in the audience], and I see you, all these faces of change. And now, so will everyone else.”
And that’s exactly what happened during the three-hour-plus ceremony, where the audience was a reflection of the shifting tectonics in both television and film. The camera panned across the banquet room’s dining tables, showing the cast and/or creators of “Black Panther,” “Crazy Rich Asians,” “Roma,” “Killing Eve,” “The Handmaid’s Tale,” and “Pose” — all productions focused on groups previously sidelined, or entirely overlooked, by mainstream Hollywood and TV.
It appeared those who’d been locked out for so long were, for the first time, the majority in the room.
But because this is Hollywood and nothing is entirely pure, there may have been other motives for toning down from politics. This year the Golden Globes arrived in time to influence Oscar voters. Promoting one’s show, or performance, is another form of political theater, but it requires less fist pounding and more smiling.
The changes taking place across both media, however, did lay the foundation for some sharp, self-aware humor.
When Patricia Clarkson won for her performance in the limited series “Sharp Objects,” she addressed and thanked the show’s director while accepting the award. “You demanded everything of me except sex, which is exactly how it should be in our industry.”
Samberg tackled similar themes when he addressed one of the bigger questions of the night: “Some of you may be wondering why the two of us are hosting …,” he said during their opening.
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“The reason is we’re the only two people left in Hollywood who haven’t gotten in trouble for saying something offensive,” said Oh.
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Danai Gurira was on fire in our style book at the 76th Golden Globes in Beverly Hills. For the awards show, she wore an orange and red gown with an orange statement bow by Rodarte coupled with a bejeweled hairpiece.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Could we expect anything less from uber-statement maker Lady Gaga? She arrived on the carpet at the 76th Golden Globes in Beverly Hills wearing an ice blue Valentino Couture gown with an extra long train that was said to evoke Judy Garland in the previous version of “A Star Is Born.” Gaga even added the color to her hair.
(Jordan Strauss / Invision/AP)
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Lupita Nyong’o is a regular on the best-dressed lists. On the 76th Golden Globes red carpet, she was resplendent in a Calvin Klein by Appointment cobalt-blue chain fringed dress with silver drop beads and a Calvin Klein 205W39NYC Collection metallic silver box clutch.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Mahershala Ali, a winner for “Green Book,” was living la dolce vita in Etro on the 76th Golden Globes red carpet in Beverly Hills. We couldn’t agree more, which is why he’s on our best dressed list.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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The legendary Carol Burnett wore a long gold-sequined jacket paired with a floor-length black slit skirt by the equally iconic Bob Mackie, making her one of our top picks at the 76th Golden Globes in Beverly Hills.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Instead of going with Queen-style flash or the colorful styles that many male stars have worn on red carpets of late, Rami Malek, the star of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” went classic Hollywood by wearing a dark fall/winter 2018 Givenchy tuxedo by designer Clare Waight Keller.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Stephan James knows that the devil is truly in the details. That’s why he earned his place among our favorites with his velvet Ralph Lauren Purple Label tuxedo, Christian Louboutin shoes and a stunning lapel pin by Chopard at the 76th Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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With his fresh dark hairdo, Troye Sivan looks regal in a shawl-collar, Prussian blue Calvin Klein tuxedo at the 76th Golden Globes in Beverly Hills.
(Frazer Harrison / Getty Images)
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Taraji P. Henson brings classic elegance to the 76th Golden Globes red carpet in a green velvet Vera Wang gown with a plunging neckline and a simple long choker of diamonds. Because she brought sexy back to the red carpet is why she’s on our best-dressed list.
(Jon Kopaloff / Getty Images)
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Idris Elba brings his best sexiest-man-alive vibes to the red carpet in a green velvet tuxedo jacket and vest combo by British fashion designer Ozwald Boateng at the 76th Golden Globes in Beverly Hills. James Bond would be jealous of his stylish look.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Golden Globes co-host Sandra Oh is white hot in her Atelier Versace gown with ruche detailing and an asymmetrical shoulder on the carpet at the 76th Golden Globes in Beverly Hills. Oh captures old Hollywood glamour that’s perfect for a host, a nominee or a winner.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Regina King, who often brings tons of style to awards season, is an early red-carpet favorite in a gorgeous dusty plum sequined gown by Alberta Ferretti at the 76th Golden Globes in Beverly Hills. She brings a dose of va va voom to the carpet.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Jamie Lee Curtis brings new meaning to “color-blocking” at the 76th Golden Globes in Beverly Hills in this stunning white gown with silver detailing down the center and a front slit, a look that not-so-subtly matches her hair.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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We’re torn. At first glance, we loved the top of Amber Heard’s black-and-white Monique Lhuillier gown for the 76th Golden Globes, but the bottom – a full skirt -- was a real dud. It looked like two different dresses were combined into one at the last minute. It was too jarring for our eyes, and that’s why it’s on our worst list.
(Jordan Strauss / Invision/AP)
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Constance Wu is typically a delight but misses the mark in this whipped-up gown by Vera Wang at the 76th Golden Globes. The fancy orange fashion bow can’t save the look, which puts her square on our miss list.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Anne Hathaway appears to have gotten lost on the way to a safari party instead of an awards show in this animal-print number by Elie Saab. It’s a look that unfortunately lands her on our worst list for the 76th Golden Globes.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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What can we say about America’s sweetheart Julia Roberts, who usually inspires on the carpet? This time she misses the mark in this Stella McCartney look, which includes black pants that look fit for the office (with a tulle train?) and a fancier asymmetrical tan-colored top, at the 76th Golden Globes. Somebody need a Band-Aid?
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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We love a good gender-bending look, but Cody Fern seems lost somewhere between Aesop’s fables and a French perfume advertisement in this number complete with cloven hoof shoes by Maison Margiela at the 76th Golden Globes in Beverly Hills.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Kate Mara throws caution to the wind with a bedazzled brassiere at the top of the chiffon floor-length Miu Miu gown for the 76th Golden Globes. Unfortunately, it reminds us a little of a fancy shower curtain.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Timothée Chalamet looks as if he’s auditioning for a trapeze troupe in a new Cirque du Soleil show. For the Golden Globes, he wore a black button-up shirt with a mandarin collar under a shiny embellished harness from Louis Vuitton by Virgil Abloh.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Usually a red-carpet standout, Debra Messing looks as if she’s glued to the 76th Golden Globes red carpet despite the light feathers worked into this overly heavy gown by Pamella Roland.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Erin Lim attempts to add a sweet note to this Easter egg-colored, trifle-inspired look at the 76th Golden Globe in Beverly Hills. However, trifle isn’t a dessert that’s on our menu this season.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Allison Brie is sending confusing sartorial messages in this embellished bra and too-busy gown by Vera Wang at the 76th Golden Globes in Beverly Hills. And who needs that on a red carpet when you can make a major fashion statement in front of the world?
(Valerie Macon / AFP/Getty Images)
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Who doesn’t love Lucy Liu’s style? Often we do, but this time we don’t. If only someone had told her to lose the sheer pink cape over her pink and multicolor-detailed Galia Lahav gown before she left the house for the 76th Golden Globes in Beverly Hills. The lesson here: Not all superheroes or fashionable actresses should wear capes.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Although she’s on trend for the night wearing green, Our Lady J, a fan favorite from “Pose” and “Transparent,” is wearing one of our least favorite looks -- a busy mermaid gown -- at the 76th Golden Globes in Beverly Hills. A simpler green gown would have worked marvelously.
But both promised an evening filled with lots of fun and surprises, “And one lucky audience member will [be chosen to] host the Oscars!” They were referring of course to the recent fallout over the Oscars choice of Kevin Hart as its host and then his announcement that he was stepping down after old homophobic tweets and jokes of his surfaced.
Emotional moments abounded as well. Close, a surprise winner in her category over Lady Gaga for “A Star Is Born,” pointed out she’s been a working actor for 45 years before recalling how her mother spent her life “sublimated” to her father. The actress teared up when she said her mother, when in her 80s, told Close she felt she’d wasted her life.
“And it was so not right,” she told the crowd. “I feel like what I’ve learned from this whole experience is, women, we’re nurturers, that’s what’s expected of us. We have our children, we have our husbands if we’re lucky enough, and our partners. But we have to find personal fulfillment. We have to follow our dreams. We have to say, ‘I can do that, and I should be allowed to do that.’”
And it was, of all people, Carol Burnett who perhaps best exemplified that reality when she accepted the first Carol Burnett Lifetime Achievement Award. The show of genuine respect in the room, from everyone from millennial actor Darren Criss (who won actor in a limited series for his performance in “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”) to legend Dick Van Dyke, was moving.
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Her speech was gracious, but it was her breakthroughs in comedy and series TV and her influence on the lives of so many women and men in the room that drove the point home. This was a night for powerful women and pathfinders like Burnett and Close.
The Golden Globes used to be considered the Oscars’ less serious half-sibling, but its looser format and inclusion of two media now makes it the more relevant awards show. It’s also more dynamic to watch given TV’s ascendance, and that half the actors up for awards move between the big and small screens — among them Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman, Jim Carrey and Hugh Grant.
At one point Samberg and Oh asked Carrey to move back to the TV section of the room since he was up for an award for his performance in Showtime’s “Kidding.” He skulked over to the back of the room with his plate in a skit designed to highlight the absurdities of such a hierarchy today.
That isn’t to say those in the industry who’ve campaigned for changes in the old, stratified system think the work is over. “I’m not fooling myself,” said Oh to the audience. “Next year it could be different. It probably will be. But right now, this moment is real.”
Lorraine Ali is news and culture critic of the Los Angeles Times. Previously, she was television critic for The Times covering media, breaking news and the onslaught of content across streaming, cable and network TV. Ali is an award-winning journalist and Los Angeles native who has written in publications ranging from the New York Times to Rolling Stone and GQ. She was formerly senior writer for The Times’ Calendar section where she covered entertainment, culture, and American Arab and Muslim issues. Ali started at The Times in 2011 as music editor after leaving her post as a senior writer and music critic at Newsweek Magazine.
