It’s often said that comedy is harder to do than drama, because the actor needs to do everything a dramatic actor would do but make the audience laugh as well.
There must be something to that, since the frontrunners for this year’s Golden Globe for Best Movie Actor in a Comedy or Musical made us do just that: Laugh.
Should the award go to Christian Bale in rare comedic form for “The Big Short”? What about his cast mate, Steve Carell?
Also Read: Wrap-Ranker Poll: What's the Worst Razzie-Winning Movie of All Time?
Or did Matt Damon steal the spotlight with his unexpectedly wry take on a man stuck on another planet in “The Martian”?
Vote for your favorite for the 2016 Golden Globe for Best Movie Actor, Comedy or Musical.
Vote: Your Globe Picks for Best Actor, Movie Comedy or Musical
Golden Globes Snubs and Surprises: From Johnny Depp to Lady Gaga (Photos)
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Hulu
SURPRISE: "Casual"
This freshman comedy from director Jason Reitman marks the first time a Hulu series has been nominated for a Golden Globe.
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MGM/Warner Bros.
SNUB: "Creed"
Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler both failed to get a nomination, while the film did not get a nomination for Best Drama despite being a critical and box office success. But Sylvester Stallone did get nominated for Best Supporting Actor-Drama
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Amazon
SURPRISE: "Mozart in the Jungle"
The new Amazon dramady set in a fictional New York symphony orchestra secured two nominations (Best TV Comedy and Best Actor in a Comedy Series) despite the fact that the show has not generated as much buzz as Amazon's other major series, "Transparent."
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AMC
SNUB: "Mad Men"
While Jon Hamm got nominated, the final season of AMC's "Mad Men" failed to secure any other nominations for the Golden Globes
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Universal
SNUB: "Straight Outta Compton"
Universal's NWA biopic failed to get any nominations, despite a strong cast of young actors and major critical and box office success
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Warner Bros.
SNUB: Johnny Depp
Despite major praise for his role as gangster James "Whitey" Bulger, Johnny Depp failed to get a Best Actor-Drama nomination.
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Fox
SURPRISE: Fox
After getting shut out at the SAG Award nominations, Fox secured four nominations, including Best TV Drama ("Empire") and Best Actress in a TV Drama (Taraji P. Henson)
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Getty Images
SNUB: Kevin Spacey
"House of Cards" star Kevin Spacey did not get nominated for his performance as Frank Underwood this year, despite winning the Best Actor in a TV Drama last year
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Comedy Central
SNUB: Amy Schumer
While Amy Schumer's feature debut, "Trainwreck," got a nomination, the comedian failed to get one for her Comedy Central sketch series, "Inside Amy Schumer."
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USA
SURPRISE: "Mr. Robot"
The freshman USA drama "Mr. Robot," which deals with hacking and cyber security, landed three nominations in addition to its SAG nominations
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ABC
SURPRISE: Mark Ruffalo
Mark Ruffalo got a nod for "Infinitely Polar Bear." The surprise is that he did not get nominated for his performance in the critically-acclaimed "Spotlight"
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Amazon
SURPRISE: New faces in comedy actor category
Jeffrey Tambor from Amazon's "Transparent" is the only returning nominee in the Best Actor in a TV Comedy category. New nominees include: Aziz Ansari ("Master of None"); Rob Lowe ("The Grinder"); Gael Garcia Bernal ("Mozart in the Jungle"); and Patrick Stewart ("Blunt Talk")
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Netflix
SNUB: "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt"
Ellie Kemper earned widespread praise for her role in the Tina Fey Netflix series "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt." Yet both she and the show failed to receive any Golden Globe nominations
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Getty Images
SNUB: Ruth Wilson
Ruth Wilson won the Golden Globe last year for her performance in Showtime's "The Affair," but did not even get nominated this year
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FX
SURPRISE: Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga secured the only acting nomination for Ryan Murphy's FX anthology series, "American Horror Story: Hotel." Her appearance on the show as The Countess marks her first major acting role in a television series
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The CW
SURPRISE: Rachel Bloom
Rachel Bloom, star of CW's "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend," got a nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy series, despite the show's low ratings
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CBS
SNUB: Julianna Margulies
Julianna Margulies failed to get a nomination for her role in CBS' "The Good Wife," despite being nominated in the Best Actress in a TV Drama category for the past five years
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NBC
SNUB: NBC
Mirroring Fox at the 2016 SAG Award nominations, no NBC series managed to get a nomination for the Golden Globes, including the final season of "Parks and Recreation"
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Getty Images
SURPRISE: Jamie Lee Curtis
Jamie Lee Curtis nabbed a nomination for her role on Fox's "Scream Queens," making her the only actor or actress from the freshman show to secure one
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Lionsgate
SNUB: Benicio Del Toro
Veteran actor Benicio and Oscar winner Benicio Del Toro did not get a nomination for his portrayal of drug enforcement agent Alejandro in critically acclaimed thriller "Sicario"
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Sony
SNUB: "The Walk"
Joseph Gordon-Levitt's biopic of high-wire artist Philippe Petit and his walk between the World Trade Center tower failed to secure any nominations despite being pegged as an early Best Picture contender
Several critical darlings get shut out, while a number of relatively unknown projects score big
SURPRISE: "Casual"
This freshman comedy from director Jason Reitman marks the first time a Hulu series has been nominated for a Golden Globe.