Who will be the 2017 Golden Globe ingenue? Joey Moser looks at the possible candidates.
The 2017 Golden Globe nominations will be announced in three weeks (December 12 to be exact), so people are already predicting who will be nominated for top awards. Last year, I pointed out that the Hollywood Foreign Press usually gravitates to new faces when awarding Best Actress — Television Comedy or Musical. Rachel Bloom excitedly took the podium for The CW’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, but is she a shoo-in to repeat? Is there an ingenue or new face that the HFPA is dying to award or will we just see a bunch of returning favorites? Does a new face have a better shot in the Drama category?
If we look at the Comedy or Musical category, we see a lot of faces that we recognize. Last year, Bloom had the advantage of starring in the only musical on television, and we all know how much the HFPA can’t resist a musical. Who are the freshest faces that threaten Bloom’s reign? Well, there aren’t many ingenues in new comedies that could take her down, but there are some strong possibilities.
If anyone should be considered for awards, it’s Issa Rae. Insecure is one of the most critically acclaimed shows of the fall season, and it has HBO’s pedigree behind it. It’s a truly breakout performance, and it doesn’t hurt that Rae is the co-creator of the show. Did I mention that she’s hilarious? The show does feel like Rae’s baby much like how Crazy Ex-Girlfriend was the baby for Rachel Bloom last year. While it feels like other HBO shows like Westworld and Divorce are creating more noise, Insecure should get a bump when year-end lists come out next month. Is a nomination for Rae in this category too good to be true?
Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s performance in Amazon’s Fleabag also feels like it’s destined for awards recognition, but is the show too small to be showcased? We all know that I’m a major fan, so this might be my bias shining through. Both she and the show recently landed at Critics’ Choice, so we know some people are watching it. Mozart in the Jungle netted two Globes last year (including Comedy or Musical Series), and Catastrophe was also nominated despite no love for the performances. Amazon is on their radar.
Rae and Waller-Bridge would be the newest faces in freshman comedies, but let’s take a look at some of the other potential women who could land at the Globes this year.
American Housewife’s Katy Mixon wouldn’t fit in the classic sense of an ingenue, because she’s been around for years in supporting roles. If you may not know the name, you’ve seen her in either feature films like Four Christmases (I’m so sorry) or you might recognize her from Eastbound & Down. It’s great to see her in a leading lady role. Will the Hollywood Foreign Press take notice as well?
I know, I know, but crazier things have happened. Perhaps the HFPA will be interested in checking out Amazon’s Crisis in Six Scenes. It’s Woody Allen’s first foray into television, so they might be plotzing over the idea to nominate his effort. Miley Cyrus hasn’t been on the small screen since she burst out on Hannah Montana so many years ago, but, hey, they might applaud her for returning. Right? They should probably steer clear of the reviews, though. Yikes.
Justice for Bamford.
Maybe there isn’t a threat from a newer, unknown actress in the comedy race this season? Perhaps Bloom will have to defend her crown from other seasoned performers we’ve come to know and love from series past.
Kristen Bell has actually never been nominated for a Golden Globe before (settle dowb Veronica Mars fans!), but that might change with NBC’s The Good Place. She’s been around for quite some time, but her projects have never garnered any major awards consideration. The Good Place is an audience favorite, so she might be able to land a nomination.
It was a bit surprising that Minnie Driver didn’t land a Critic’s Choice nomination for her work on ABC’s Speechless, but she could land at the Globes. She was nominated almost 10 years ago for the short-lived The Riches. The show won’t have the all around juggernaut presence like Modern Family did so many years ago, but Driver has received a lot of praise for her work in the ABC family comedy.
Can Pamela Adlon break through for Better Things where Louie couldn’t? Since Louis CK’s show has only received 2 Golden Globes (both for Best Actor in a Comedy), it’s hard to believe that they would start paying attention to Better Things. I only wish that Adlon could get in, so we shouldn’t compare the future awards success for this show against a completely different one. The Globes have never nominated an actress from comedy on FX, so if she gets in, it will be a small victory for the network.
Sarah Jessica Parker is the definition of a sure thing here. The Golden Globes love her more than they love Angelina Jolie-Johnny Depp film collaborations. When she was on Sex & the City (not to bring that up again), she was nominated for every season, and she won 4 times. Even though Divorce is not as light and as her last television venture, Parker should land a nomination easily. Parker is one trophy away from tying Carol Burnett for wins in this category. Who’s ready for some killer Once Upon a Mattress trivia 20 years from now, am I right?
Those are just the formidable contenders in new comedy series, so that’s not counting out the repeat nominees from the past few years. Gina Rodriguez has been here for Jane the Virgin for the past two seasons (winning this category for the freshman year), and it’s crazy to acknowledge that Julia Louis-Dreyfus has never won a Golden Globe for playing Selina Meyer on Veep. Louis-Dreyfus is a lock to get in, but could the tiresome election coverage stop her from winning yet again?
If we turn to the last few years for Best Drama Series at the Globes, we’ll find a lot of cable shows like HBO and Showtime. Netflix has had a contender for the last 3 years, and Starz has popped in every so often–most loudly last year when Outlander landed 3 nods. There seems to be a growing interest in streaming platforms along with their love of HBO and cable programming, but it doesn’t seem like ingenues will play heavily in this year’s Best Actress in a Drama Series race. There might be two exceptions, however.
If Claire Foy doesn’t land a nomination for Netflix’s The Crown, I will buy the most British hat I can find and eat it. Foy somehow missed being nominated for Wolf Hall (as Jalal mentioned a few podcasts ago), but she’s front and center in the royal series. She holds her own against Globe winner John Lithgow, and the series has been rapturously received. I expect that The Crown will have a very warm reception with the HFPA, and Foy will deservedly be included.
For some reason, I can’t let go of the possibility of Kylie Bunbury getting nominated for FOX’s Pitch. She’s definitely a fresh face in an underdog type drama, but it feels like the buzz from Pitch has considerably faded since its premiere. It doesn’t seem out of the realm of possibility. If Callie Thorne can get nominated for Unnecessary Roughness on USA, Bunbury has a chance of getting in.
Is there anyone I missed? Am I reading way too much into this? What female television performance from a new show are you hoping gets nominated this year?
likely to repeat. 
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is the hot newcomer from Netflix, and it doesn’t hurt to have come from the producing/writing talents of Golden Globe favorite Tina Fey. The Globes showered affection on her 30 Rock, but my advice would be to not translate that immediately into similar affections for Schmidt. The Globes have long loved inside Hollywood comedy, and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is more of an absurdist comedy that could be deemed silly by the HFPA. I could see Ellie Kemper or Tituss Burgess getting in before the series itself. Still, the Hollywood Foreign Press does love some Tina Fey… We’ll see how deeply that love goes on Thursday.
for, though, given that it originally aired in the U.K. and has already had a second season in the can. Plus, it’s just really funny and charming, and sometimes the HFPA actually get it right and pick winners.