Golden Globes rally to cause of diversity in Tinsel Town
A YEAR ago they wore all black, taking to the red carpet under a cloud of sexual harassment claims enveloping Hollywood.
But now film and television stars are gearing up for the Golden Globes tonight amid renewed optimism as leading ladies dominate the field in what marks the start of the industry’s most diverse awards season yet.
Emma Watson set the tone in a message to fans saying how “optimistic” she was for a “fairer future” in cinema one year on from backing the Time’s Up movement.
The Harry Potter actress said she has been “so inspired” by y the way yp people p have come together her “as part of this movement for change”. nge”.
The campaign, launched aunched last January by more e than 300 actresses, writers and directors, provides legal al funds for victims of sexual al harassment in the workplace. place.
As of December, er, it had received $22million (£17million) in donations, onations, and the services of hundreds undreds of volunteer lawyers. .
In an Instagram m post lauding the movement, ent, Watson said: “The achievements ments so far make me optimistic c for a fairer future. 2018 was s just the beginning.”
Indeed, leading g ladies are expected to dominate minate the 2019 award season, son, which also features unprecedented recedented recognition for actors and actresses from minorities. norities.
Black Panther, with its predominately black cast, surpassed Titanic to become the third highest-grossing sing film of all time. The pioneering neering comic adventure e has been nominated twice,
and its stars Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong’o, Michael B Jordan and Sterling K Brown will present awards.
BlacKkKlansman, Spike Lee’s powerful true story of a black policeman in Colorado who infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan, is nominated for four awards, as is A Star is Born. Crazy Rich Asians, the first Hollywood blockbuster to feature an Asian director dire and all-Asian cast, is nominated nomi for Best Picture (comedy (com or musical).
The barrier-breaking barrie film took $238million $ (£186million) worldwide, making it the most successful romantic roma comedy in years.
Alfonso Cuaron’s Cuar muchlauded paean to his Mexico City hometown, hometown Roma, is another trailblazing trailblazin film, starring Yalitza Aparicio, an indigenous trainee pre-school pre-scho teacher who had never acted before.
The elegant black and white film, hotly tipped for the Oscars, is nominated for best b director, best screenplay and best foreign language.
While last year’s yea Golden Globes ceremony is remembered r for being the first awards aw of the postWeinstein era – nominees n wearing black and bringing bring survivors of sexual assault as their guests – the 2019 ceremony p promises to be far lighter in tone. ton
The awards, awa held in the Beverly Hills Hi Hotel, feature
nominees from both television and film, selected by the 90-odd members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
Hosts Sandra Oh, star of Killing Eve, and Andy Samberg, from Brooklyn Nine Nine, have said they’ll steer clear of politics and keep the show fizzing.
“Everyone is depressed, and maybe that’s as good a reason as any that everyone could use a little time to laugh and celebrate,” said Samberg.
Oh agreed, saying they hoped to bring “a moment of joy”. The co-host is also a nominee, favoured to win for her Killing Eve role.
“Honestly, with who is going to be in that audience, the nominees this year, it excites me so tremendously – mostly because of the diversity in that room,” she said.
Yet for all the optimism, as Watson and other campaigners note, there is “still a long way to go” for Hollywood.
Actor Kevin Spacey will appear before a judge in Nantucket, Massachusetts, tomorrow to be charged with sexually assaulting an 18-year-old in 2016.
And Harvey Weinstein’s case is likely to come to trial this year, despite his lawyers’ continued efforts to get the judge to dismiss all charges.
‘I am so inspired by the way people have come together as part of this movement for change’