The Golden Globes have announced their nominations for the 2013 award ceremony and the race for the Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television includes several first-time nominees and two returning nominees.
Max Greenfield: New Girl: The ever funny native New Yorker stars in the hit FOX comedy show New Girl as Schmidt. Greenfield, 32, is a veteran TV series actor, with appearances in Veronica Mars as Leo D'Amato and Ugly Betty as Nick Pepper. He has been nominated twice for his role of Schmidt on New Girl, one Teen Choice Awards (2012) for Male Scene Stealer and one Primetime Emmy (2012) for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. This is his first Golden Globes nomination and likely to be followed by many more. Greenfield is a hilarious actor who has a chance to be a surprise winner at this year's Golden Globes.
Ed Harris: Game Change: Sixty-two year old Ed Harris has acted in over 60 films since starting his career in the 1970s. In Game Change, Harris starred opposite Julianne Moore, who played Alaska politician and one-time Republican vice president nominee Sarah Palin, to portray former Republican presidential candidate and Arizona politician John McCain. The New Jersey native has starred in several big name titles, including A Beautiful Mind (2001) and Gone Baby Gone (2007). Harris has been nominated for a number of awards, including seven Screen Actors Guild Awards (1996, 1997, 2002, 2003, 2006 and 2013) and two Primetime Emmys (2005 and 2012). He's won two SAG Awards (1996), as well as several local and international awards. Harris is a five-time Golden Globe nominee and a one-time Golden Globe winner. Given his extensive acting background, numerous awards and the success of Game Change, Ed Harris is one of the frontrunners to win this year's award.
Danny Huston: Magic City: The Italian actor, whose resume rivals that of Harris', starred in the series Magic City as Ben Diamond, a Miami mobster. Harris, 50, has starred in several large projects, including, but not limited to, X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), The Aviator (2004) and the TV mini-series John Adams (2008). Huston has been nominated for several local and international film and television awards, including the Monte-Carlo TV Festival (2008) and the Toronto Film Critics Association Awards (2006). He has won a Satellite Award (2005), a Phoenix Film Critics Society Award (2004) and a Montréal World Film Festival award (2011). This is his first Golden Globes Award nomination and he'll prove to be tough competition.
Mandy Patinkin: Homeland: The 60-year-old Chicago native is a veteran TV actor, with credits in a number of hit TV shows. In the hit Showtime series Homeland, Patinkin plays Saul Berenson, Carrie Mathison's (Claire Danes) mentor and the CIA's Middle-East Division Chief. Patinkin is no stranger to popular dramas; he previously starred as Jason Gideon on Criminal Minds before leaving in 2007. He's also starred in Chicago Hope as Dr. Jeffrey Geiger (1994-2000) and in Dead Like Me as Rube Sofer (2003-2004). Patinkin has been for four Screen Actors Guild Awards (1995, 1996 and 2013) and two Primetime Emmys (1996 and 1999). He has also won one Primetime Emmy for his lead role in Chicago Hope in 1995. This is his third Golden Globes nomination; he was previously nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Comedy/Musical (Yentl) in 1984 and for Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series- Drama (Chicago Hope) in 1995. Like Huston, Patinkin will prove to be tough competition to beat, especially given Homeland's popularity and success.
Eric Stonestreet: Modern Family: One of Modern Family's breakout stars, Eric Stonestreet plays Cameron Tucker, partner to Mitchell Pritchett (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and father to Lily Tucker-Pritchett (Aubrey Anderson-Emmons). The hilarious Kansas native has starred in a number of productions, including Almost Famous (2000), The Island (2005) and Bad Teacher (2011). He has also made several appearances on different TV shows, such as American Horror Story: Asylum (2011), Nip/Tuck (2009), Bones (2007) and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2001-2005). His role as Cameron in Modern Family has earned him several nominations, Teen Choice Awards (2011), Screen Actors Guild Awards (2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013) and Primetime Emmy Awards (2011). Stonestreet has won a number of awards in recent years, including two SAG Awards (2011 and 2012) and two Primetime Emmys (2010 and 2012). This is the third consecutive year Stonestreet has been nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor (TV) and is a definite frontrunner to win the award.
Prediction: Without a doubt this year's nominees are a fierce group of actors, who each deserve recognition for their outstanding work. The award could be a tossup between Game Change's Ed Harris and Modern Family's Eric Stonestreet. With three nominations under his belt, Eric Stonestreet is my pick for this year's winner. However, New Girl's Max Greenfield could surprise both actors and take the award.