Entertainment
  1. Home
  2. Entertainment
  3. Movies

Nicole Kidman leads Aussie charge at Golden Globes 2017 with 10th nomination

  • 47 reading now

Joel Edgerton is a first-time Golden Globe nominee, Mel Gibson is on a comeback tour with a best director nod for the Australian-produced Hacksaw Ridge, and Nicole Kidman has racked up her 10th Golden Globe nomination for the Australian-produced drama Lion.

But what they all share is national pride. "Wow, it's fantastic," Gibson says, referring to the three individual nominations as well as nominees for best drama, Hacksaw Ridge (and its lead Andrew Garfield) and Lion (and supporting actor Dev Patel). "Australia is truly a global player in the film world now and it's exciting to see the Aussies are so well represented."

Up Next

Trailer: Riverdale

null
Video duration
01:26

More Trailers Videos

null
Video duration
02:20

Trailer: Lion

null
Video duration
01:26

Trailer: Riverdale

null
Video duration
01:45

Trailer: Gold
null
Video duration
02:23

Trailer: Lemony Snicket's A Series of ...
null
Video duration
01:04

Trailer: Railroad tigers
null
Video duration
02:28

Trailer: The Music of Strangers
More videos

Trailer: Lion

A five-year-old Indian boy is adopted by a couple in Australia; 25 years later, he sets out to find his lost family.

Gibson and Kidman have a long history with the Golden Globe awards, given out for the past 74 years by a small group of foreign journalists based in Hollywood and long viewed as an important box to check on the way to the Academy Awards.

Says Kidman, "The first time I went to the Golden Globes, I was nominated for Billy Bathgate [1991 drama starring Dustin Hoffman] and I couldn't believe anyone even knew who I was, so to get nominated was just stunning to me." Times have changed for the movie star, whose date that year was her new husband, Tom Cruise. Tomorrow she'll be bringing her Aussie husband of 10 years, Keith Urban, and host Jimmy Fallon has asked her to participate in the show's pre-taped opening skit alongside Ryan Reynolds, Justin Timberlake and Tina Fey. "The Golden Globes is already the most fun awards show of them all and Jimmy will really tap into that vibe," she says.

Gibson vaguely remembers appearing as a presenter on the Golden Globes "when I was a young actor 30 or 40 years ago" but will never forget the "big thrill" he felt on  winning his 1995 best director Golden Globe for Braveheart. "It's always a good excuse to sit down, eat a rubber chicken and have a rubberneck at all the other famous people around," he says. "You get to meet people you've admired for a long time. Last time I met Sly and Clint Eastwood so it's kind of a cool, fun thing to do." He was also famously skewered by past host Ricky Gervais on two memorable occasions but is confident he's safe this year. "I've been told Jimmy is pretty harmless," Gibson says. "I remember after the last experience with Ricky, I wanted to strangle him. I saw him later and he said, 'We were great' and I said, 'Yeah right, now move on!'"

Edgerton has no idea what to expect as the new kid on the carpet, adding, "I've never been before but it feels exciting to be recognised in this category because they are all actors I admire greatly."

If the three Aussies continue making the rounds during the long awards season leading up to the Oscars on February 26, they will be spending a lot of time together. Kidman says, "I think any time you are nominated with fellow Australians and you start to see them all the time at these things, you feel like you get closer and closer."

Gibson is also looking forward to some bonding. "I know Joel, I've hung out with him a little bit but I've known Nic only peripherally and said hello to her one time so it'll be fun if we share a few more bad meals together!"

Fairfax Media's Golden Globes blog is live from Monday at 11am.