UPDATE 2-Gervais targets Hollywood scandals. 'Succession' named best TV drama

Acerbic British comedian Ricky Gervais kicked off the Golden Globes ceremony on Sunday with cutting jokes about the rise of streaming services, diversity in Hollywood and the sexual misconduct scandal that has roiled the industry. HBO's media dynasty show "Succession" was named best TV drama series, while British actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Russell Crowe and Ramy Youssef won acting awards for TV shows "Fleabag," "The Loudest Voice" and "Ramy," respectively.

Crowe was absent on Sunday, deciding to remain at home in Australia where the nation is fighting devastating bushfires. South Korean directors Bong Joon Ho's social satire "Parasite" was named best foreign language drama.

Gervais, hosting the awards ceremony for a fifth time, threw caution to the wind with jokes that drew mostly nervous laughter in the room of A-list celebrities. Actor Tom Hanks was shown on screen looking particularly uncomfortable. Gervais quipped that many actors had abandoned traditional television networks and movie studios for streaming services like Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Studios and Apple TV+.

The remainder opted for superhero movies, he said. "Their job isn't acting anymore. Their job is going to the gym twice a day and taking steroids," he joked. Gervais noted that the room was packed with entertainment executives "They are all terrified of Ronan Farrow. He's coming for you," he said, referring to the American journalist whose reports helped fuel the sexual misconduct scandal that has swept Hollywood over the past two years.

While preparing for the show's traditional In Memoriam segment, Gervais said he resisted. "When I saw the list of people who died, it wasn't diverse enough. I thought 'Nah. Not on my watch.'" In the movie awards, to be announced later on Sunday, Netflix's wrenching "Marriage Story" and its costly gangster epic "The Irishman" lead the drama field. Immersive World War One movie "1917" and religious biography "The Two Popes" round out the movie drama contenders.

One of the closest contests is for best movie drama actor between publicity-averse stars Joaquin Phoenix and Adam Driver. Phoenix's terrifying "Joker" performance has made him a force to be reckoned with this year, while Driver's heart-wrenching role as a father resisting divorce and its consequences follows acclaimed turns as villain Kylo Ren in "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" and political tale "The Report."

A win in the best movie drama or comedy/musical fields by Netflix would mark the biggest Hollywood breakthrough so far by streaming services that have revolutionized the entertainment industry. Netflix leads the pack with a total of 34 nominations across film and television. One of the few actor shoo-ins on Sunday appears to be Renee Zellweger for her role as the legendary entertainer Judy Garland in "Judy."

Lopez, who wowed audiences as a feisty pole dancer in "Hustlers," which she also produced, appears to be the favorite for the supporting actress statuette, while Pitt is the presumed front-runner for his supporting role as a 1960s stunt man in the nostalgic "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," awards watchers say. On the television side, actress Jennifer Aniston crowned her return to the small screen with an acting nomination for "The Morning Show," one of the first offerings from Apple TV+.

 

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)