Keira’s in star wars!
Knightley and Pike lead British assault on Golden Globes
BRITAIN’S brightest stars are set to face formidable competition at the Golden Globes – from each other. A number of the country’s biggest names have f ound t hemselves nominated in the same categories as they vie to take home a prestigious gong.
And it appears it will be the night the screen wives battle it out on the podium.
Squaring up for a fight for best female actress are Rosamund Pike – nominated for her portrayal of cunning wife Amy Dunne in Gone Girl – and Felicity Jones, who plays Jane Wilde, first wife of physicist Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything.
Meanwhile Keira Knightley, daughter of Glasgow-born former actress and playwright Sharman Macdonald, has been nominated in the best supporting actress category for her portrayal of Alan Turing’s fiancée in The Imitation Game.
Emily Blunt, star of musical fairytale Into the Woods, is taking on Dame Helen Mirren’s French restaurateur from The Hundred-Foot Journey for best actress in a comedy or musical.
Hollywood regards the Golden Globes as a key indicator for success at the Oscars, which could mean good news for three British heavyweights of the silver screen. Benedict Cumberbatch has been nominated for his portrait of wartime computer genius Turing in The Imitation Game, Eddie Redmayne has received a nod for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking in The Theory Of Everything and David Oyelowo, is in the running for his performance of Martin Luther King in the film Selma.
Ralph Fiennes was the sole Brit in the best actor in a comedy or musical line-up, for his hotel concierge i n Wes Anderson’s wry comedy The Grand Budapest Hotel.
The nine film acting nominations for British stars represented an impressive third of the total movie acting list.
There were no celebrations f or Angelina Joli e’ s film Unbroken and Clint Eastwood’s thriller American Sniper, both of which were tipped for awards attention but snubbed.
Interstellar, which has been widely acclaimed by critics and has strong performances by Anne Hathaway and Matthew McConaughey, was nominated only for best score.
Plenty of Brits also flew the flag in the Golden Globe TV nominations, including Ruth Wilson and Dominic West, listed for their roles playing married people who have an illicit relationship in The Affair.
Joanne Froggatt wa s recognised with a best supporting actress nomination for lady’s maid Anna in Downton Abbey.
London- based Australian Frances O’Connor was named in the best actress: mini-series or TV film section for her role as the mother in heartbreaking BBC TV drama The Missing. However, James Nesbitt, who plays the missing schoolboy’s father, was not nominated.
Ricky Gervais, a former Golden Globe show host, was remembered for his TV comedy Derek, and Martin Freeman got a nod f or playing a detective in TV drama Fargo, with Clive Owen also mentioned for his performance in The Knick.
The biggest British films in contention are The Imitation Game and The Theory of Everything, with five nominations apiece – the same number as grassroots popular hit Boyhood.
Birdman, starring f ormer Batman Michael Keaton as a stage actor going over the edge, tops the line-up with seven nominations.
The awards ceremony will take place on January 11.