It was a refreshing night of upsets, fresh faces and lots of Helen Mirren at the Golden Globes, which were broadcast Monday on NBC.
Sacha Baron Cohen won as best actor, musical or comedy, for his unconventional comedy “Borat,” and “Ugly Betty,” a dramedy that originally was relegated by ABC to a Friday-evening death slot, won both best television comedy and best actress in a musical or comedy award for star America Ferrera.
In the tradition of the Golden Globes, Cohen gave a salty speech when he won for “Borat.”
He referred to the arduous nature of shooting with his co-star, Ken Davitian. In a speech that one can’t put into a family newspaper, Cohen referred to having to stare at a certain part of Davitian’s anatomy.
As he pondered that sight, Cohen said, he thought “I better win a bloody award for this.”
“Dreamgirls” was another big winner, picking up the best musical or comedy film award. Chicagoan Jennifer Hudson, the “American Idol” also-ran who was voted by the 85-member Hollywood Foreign Press Association as best supporting actress in a film for her role in “Dreamgirls,” said backstage that she’d celebrate by calling her mom in Chicago. “I am not a party girl, so I will just have to celebrate quietly and probably cry all night.”
Did she have any words for Simon Cowell, who famously disparaged her talents when she was on “American Idol”?
“You like my award, Simon?” she cackled to the journalists backstage at the Globes ceremony.
The Globes, which is the first televised event of the movie-award season, is thought to help the Oscar chances of the winners. Eddie Murphy also won for supporting actor in the musical.
Say what you will about the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, their choices in the television arena were impeccable: Alec Baldwin won for “30 Rock,” Hugh Laurie won for “House” and “Grey’s Anatomy” won as best drama. Kyra Sedgwick was over the moon when she won as best dramatic television actress in the savvy TNT series “The Closer.”
Another big winner was Helen Mirren, who won for the film “The Queen,” and for HBO’s historical epic “Elizabeth I.” Clint Eastwood spoke for a few minutes to the assembled journalists backstage, speaking eloquently and seriously about his win for best foreign-language film for “Letters From Iwo Jima.”
When he was done, the public relations man from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association asked him to pose for the cameras with the Globe he won for directing the film. Then a smidge of Dirty Harry came out.
“I’m not going to pose. What am I, Paris Hilton?” he growled.
When “Ugly Betty” won as best TV comedy, the entire cast of the show crowded onto the Globes stage and were visibly vibrating with excitement as creator Silvio Horta thanked the Hollywood Foreign Press.
Star Ferrera wasn’t ugly at all as she fought back tears after her surprise win for best actress in a comedy.
“I’m so sorry I’m such a mess right now,” she said in her acceptance speech, thanking Betty herself for bringing “such a beautiful message. I hear from young girls on a daily basis that it makes them feel worthy and lovable and that they have more to offer the world than they thought.”
Meryl Streep, who won her sixth Globe, this time for best actress in a musical or comedy for “The Devil Wears Prada,” is an old hand at these awards ceremonies, but backstage, she admitted that this year she was a bit emotional when she went up on stage.
“I usually have a few drinks before my category comes up,” Streep said. “I was not settled and my schpilkis were not quieted.”
WHITE DONE RIGHT . . . AND WHITE GONE WRONG
With so many heads coming out of clouds of white, Kyra Sedgwick in J. Mendel captured its classical Greek-goddess virtues. Emily Blunt’s vintage Herve Leger played up her lovely figure. “I thought it was timeless,” she said backstage. “And my boobs looked good in it.”
Cameron Diaz took white in a daring direction via tiers of tulle Valentino. High-fashion types loved it. Regular folk just want her to bring her blond back. Salma Hayek’s high-gloss white overplayed her curves and underscored her lack of height.
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And the winner is . . .
MOTION PICTURES
Picture, drama: “Babel”
Picture, musical or comedy: “Dreamgirls”
Actress, drama: Helen Mirren, “The Queen”
Actor, drama: Forest Whitaker, “The Last King of Scotland”
Actress, musical or comedy: Meryl Streep, “The Devil Wears Prada”
Actor, musical or comedy: Sacha Baron Cohen, “Borat”
Supporting actress: Jennifer Hudson, “Dreamgirls”
Supporting actor: Eddie Murphy, “Dreamgirls”
Director: Martin Scorsese, “The Departed”
Foreign language: “Letters From Iwo Jima”
TELEVISION
Series, drama: “Grey’s Anatomy”
Series, musical or comedy: “Ugly Betty”
Actress, drama: Kyra Sedgwick, “The Closer”
Actor, drama: Hugh Laurie, “House”
Actress, musical or comedy: America Ferrera, “Ugly Betty”
Actor, musical or comedy: Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock”
Actress, mini-series or TV movie: Helen Mirren, “Elizabeth I”
Actor, mini-series or TV movie: Bill Nighy, “Gideon’s Daughter”
Supporting actress, series, mini-series or TV movie: Emily Blunt, “Gideon’s Daughter”
Supporting actor, series, mini-series or TV movie: Jeremy Irons, “Elizabeth I”
Mini-series or TV movie: “Elizabeth I”
MORE ONLINE: Find The Watcher’s backstage blog, more photos and the list of winners. CHICAGOTRIBUNE.COM
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The Personals page was compiled by Kim Profant from Tribune news services and staff reports.
