That Time Gary Oldman Called the Golden Globes ‘Meaningless’ in 2014

“Darkest Hour” actor had a bunch of choice quotes about the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s award show in a 2014 interview with Playboy

Gary Oldman Golden Globes
Getty Images

Gary Oldman took home a Golden Globe for his role in “Darkest Hour,” but just a few years ago, he apparently didn’t think much of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s award show, calling it meaningless.

The British star won Best Actor in a Drama Motion Picture in his role as Winston Churchill in the film. In his acceptance speech, he praised the other filmmakers in the room.

“Winston Churchill said, ‘My taste is very simple. I am easily satisfied with the very best.’ And I am surrounded by the very best,” Oldman said during the speech Sunday night

The Golden Globes saw celebrities dressed in black in solidarity with women as part of the #TIMESUP movement, a response to numerous women coming forward to report sexual misconduct by powerful men in Hollywood and beyond.

“I’m very proud of ‘Darkest Hour,’” Oldman continued. “It illustrates that words and actions can change the world and boy of boy does it need some changing.”

But back in 2014, Oldman was a little less complimentary of the Golden Globes. During an extensive interview with Playboy, in which he sounded off on topics including political correctness (“I think it’s like, take a f—ing joke — get over it”), Hollywood and racism (“At the Oscars, if you didn’t vote for ’12 Years a Slave’ you were a racist”), he had some choice words for the Globes in particular.

He called the Golden Globes “a meaningless event” in the interview, “… It’s 90 nobodies having a wank,” he said.

“What people don’t realize is that you need to work at being a celebrity,” Oldman went on to say. “I’m not talking about movies. I mean the other side of it. You have to campaign. It’s a whole other part of your career, and I wish I could have navigated it a bit better. I may have an Oscar now, had I … I know it certainly doesn’t mean anything to win a Golden Globe, that’s for sure.”

Thanks to his outstanding work in “Darkest Hour,” Oldman can now count himself among the nobodies.

Comments