It's hard to imagine overshadowing actors like Ethan Hawke and George Clooney. But that's what Leonardo DiCaprio and Timothée Chalamet did in their heated race to win a Golden Globe. Tonight, it was Chalamet who came out on top.
At the 83rd Golden Globes, held at The Beverly Hilton in California, Chalamet received the award for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy. He won for Marty Supreme, the acclaimed picture from Josh Safdie about a reckless yet ambitious young man determined to become America's premier ping-pong athlete.
In his acceptance speech, Chalamet thanked his fellow nominees, describing them all as greats. "This category is stacked, I look up to all of you. Thank you," Chalamet said. A true pro, Chalamet quickly thanked director Josh Safdie ("Thank you for this role, thank you for believing in me"), studio A24, screenwriter Ronny Bronstein, and his "amazing" co-stars Odessa A'zion, Gwyneth Paltrow, Tyler the Creator, Fran Drescher, and Kevin O'Leary.
"If you would have told me when I was 19 years old that I would be thanking Mr. Wonderful from Shark Tank," said Chalamet, which drew laughter out of the room, including O'Leary. "You're laughing, so I got away with that. Thank you Kevin."
Chalamet continued his train of thought: "I would have been stunned, but I would have been very grateful. My dad instilled in me the spirit of gratitude growing up. Always be grateful for what you have. It's allowed me to leave this ceremony in the past empty-handed, my head held high, grateful just to be here. But I would be lying if I didn't say this moment didn't make those moments that much sweeter."
After thanking his parents and his partner Kylie Jenner, Chalamet ended his speech with one last expression of gratitude. "Thank you so much," he said.
The category really was, in Chalamet's words, stacked. Also in competition were George Clooney (Jay Kelly), Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon), Jesse Plemons (Bugonia), Lee Byung-Hun (No Other Choice), and of course, Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another). But the high profile of One Battle After Another—currently a frontrunner for the Best Picture Oscar—made the race between DiCaprio and Chalamet interesting.
DiCaprio is a three-time Golden Globe recipient (for The Aviator, The Wolf of Wall Street, and The Revenant) who may receive his second Oscar in March. Before tonight, Chalamet hadn't won a Golden Globe.
The two also have history. Besides starring in Don't Look Up together, Chalamet told British Vogue in 2022 that DiCaprio offered Chalamet some major career advice. "No hard drugs and no superhero movies," is what DiCaprio told him.
Tonight, the student surpassed the master as Chalamet collected his first Golden Globe. But will Chalamet also take home his first Oscar? Or will DiCaprio have something new to put next to his 2015 trophy for The Revenant? We'll find out in March if Marty Mouser can win one more battle.
