A few days after the Golden Globe Awards, a very similar crowd of movie and television stars gathered in Santa Monica, Calif., for the 23rd annual Critics’ Choice Awards.
The main portion of the two-hour event was broadcast on the CW on Thursday night — here are eight other things to know from the telecast. (See a list of winners below.)
1. Olivia Munn and Niecy Nash called out men of Hollywood — including Mark Wahlberg.
Wahlberg garnered plenty of criticism this week after USA Today reported that the actor earned $1.5 million for reshooting his role in “All the Money in the World” after Christopher Plummer replaced Kevin Spacey; meanwhile, his co-star Michelle Williams earned $1,000.
Critics’ Choice host Olivia Munn called him out during a bit with Niecy Nash, in which the two actresses toasted the “good guys” in Hollywood in the post-Harvey Weinstein era.
“I’d like to raise that glass to the studio executive who had me meet him in the hotel conference room instead of his actual hotel room,” Munn said.
“Yes! Congratulations for doing what you supposed to do,” Nash said. “And here’s to the male casting directors who didn’t ever say anything derogatory to me in an audition.”
“Way to be regular human beings, guys. Good job,” Munn said sarcastically. “Oh, and I’d also like to thank that famous actor who didn’t treat me like crap after I said I didn’t want to get drinks with him after the show.”
“Thank you to all of the men for speaking up at the Golden Globes and joining our sisters — ” Nash started, a jab at how many male actors wore Time’s Up pins at the Globes, but didn’t actually say what they meant.
“Actually, they didn’t say much there,” Munn interjected.
Then, Munn added: “Thank you to the producers for paying Niecy and I the same amount of money, and Mark Wahlberg $1 million.” (The crowd: “Ooohh.”) “I know, he took a pay cut. It’s really nice and generous of him.”
2. There’s still no clear front-runner for Oscar best picture.
Not that the Critics’ Choice is the most reliable indicator of what Oscar voters are thinking, but it helps narrow the field. “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” won best drama at the Golden Globes, while “Lady Bird” won best comedy. The National Board of Review presented best picture to “The Post.” At the Critics’ Choice, best picture went to…”The Shape of Water.” So that clears up nothing.
3. The Oscar acting categories, however, seem set.
The Critics’ Choice acting winners were similar to the Globes, and basically what we should expect from the Oscars: Allison Janney (“I, Tonya”) for supporting actress; Sam Rockwell (“Three Billboards”) for supporting actor; Frances McDormand (“Three Billboards”) for drama actress; and Gary Oldman (“Darkest Hour”) for drama actor.
The comedy categories were a bit different: Although Franco repeated his Golden Globes win for best comedy actor, Margot Robbie (“I, Tonya”) won the trophy over Saoirse Ronan (“Lady Bird”) for best comedy actress. And “The Big Sick” won best comedy instead of “Lady Bird.”
4. Celebrities alluded to the “#MeToo” era.
There was a lot of talk at the Golden Globes about the recent wave of sexual harassment allegations out of Hollywood. While it didn’t come up as often at the Critics’ Choice Awards, there were plenty of references to the current climate.
“We’re very happy that our movie is coming out in a year where Hollywood is having a lot of difficult conversations with itself, and we’re amplifying voices that have been silenced for too long,” Kumail Nanjiani said as he accepted the best comedy award for “The Big Sick.” “And I think as men, we have been talking for centuries. It’s time for us to shut up, listen and amplify.”
“In the past weeks and months, we’ve been witnessing a movement in our industry and society,” said “Wonder Woman” star Gal Gadot, who was honored with the #SeeHer Award, for accurate representation of women in entertainment. “And I want to share this award with all the women and men who stand for what’s right. Standing for those who can’t stand or speak for themselves.”
Rachel Brosnahan, who won best TV comedy actress for Amazon’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” reminded everyone not to “lose focus” on the Time’s Up initiative, a recently-created legal fund to fight sexual harassment.
5. There was one T.J. Miller joke.
Remember when the former “Silicon Valley” star hosted the Critics’ Choice Awards? No? Then you may have been a bit lost when Rachel Bloom (CW’s “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”) and Anthony Anderson (ABC’s “Blackish”) presented an award and talked about stilted onstage banter, and Bloom cracked, “It’s no more awkward than when T.J. Miller used to host this thing.”
Some people in the crowd audibly reacted to that one. “He can take it!” Bloom said. “He can take it.”
6. HBO’s “Big Little Lies” and Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” proved once again they’re unbeatable.
Just like the Emmy Awards and the Golden Globes, “THT” and “BLL” won best drama and best limited series, respectively. And as long as these two shows are on TV, we can’t imagine anything else ever winning again.
7. Nicole Kidman thanked “all” her children.
Also at the Emmys and Golden Globes, social media users notably reacted during Kidman’s acceptance speeches when she mentioned her two daughters she has with Keith Urban, and didn’t say anything about her two older children that she adopted with her ex-husband, Tom Cruise.
So one line in particular from Kidman’s speech was notable this time around, after she won for best actress in a limited series for her searing role in “Big Little Lies” as a lawyer-turned-housewife in an abusive relationship: “I want to thank all of my children, who show me so much love.”
8. “The Shape of Water” producer defended Fox Searchlight from the Disney merger.
Disney recently acquired the majority of assets from 21st Century Fox, including Fox Searchlight, the studio behind many acclaimed movies — including “The Shape of Water.” The film, a fairy tale love story between a mute woman and an otherworldly beast, won best picture, and its producer defended the studio in the wake of the merger.
“Thank you to Fox Searchlight . . . they’re making the kind of movies that we need to make, we want to make, and people need to see,” said J. Miles Dale. “So I don’t know if [Walt Disney Company chief executive] Bob Iger’s out there or not, I don’t know what will happen with this Disney thing, but I urge you not to mess this up. They’ve got a good thing going and they rock.”
Awards presented on the telecast:
BEST PICTURE
“The Big Sick”
“Call Me by Your Name”
“Darkest Hour”
“Dunkirk”
“The Florida Project”
“Get Out”
“Lady Bird”
“The Post”
“The Shape of Water” — winner
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
COMEDY
“The Big Sick” — winner
“The Disaster Artist”
“Girls Trip”
“I, Tonya”
“Lady Bird”
TV DRAMA ACTOR
Sterling K. Brown, “This Is Us” (NBC) — winner
Paul Giamatti, “Billions” (Showtime)
Freddie Highmore, “Bates Motel” (A&E)
Ian McShane, “American Gods” (Starz)
Bob Odenkirk, “Better Call Saul” (AMC)
Liev Schreiber, “Ray Donovan” (Showtime)
TV DRAMA ACTRESS
Caitriona Balfe, “Outlander” (Starz)
Christine Baranski, “The Good Fight” (CBS All Access)
Claire Foy, “The Crown” (Netflix)
Tatiana Maslany, “Orphan Black” (BBC America)
Elisabeth Moss, “The Handmaid’s Tale” (Hulu) — winner
Robin Wright, “House of Cards” (Netflix)
TV COMEDY ACTRESS
Kristen Bell, “The Good Place” (NBC)
Alison Brie, “GLOW” (Netflix)
Rachel Brosnahan, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Amazon) — winner
Sutton Foster, “Younger” (TV Land)
Ellie Kemper, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” (Netflix)
Constance Wu, “Fresh Off the Boat” (ABC)
TV COMEDY ACTOR
Anthony Anderson, “Blackish” (ABC)
Aziz Ansari, “Master of None” (Netflix)
Hank Azaria, “Brockmire” (IFC)
Ted Danson, “The Good Place” (NBC) — winner
Thomas Middleditch, “Silicon Valley” (HBO)
Randall Park, “Fresh Off the Boat” (ABC)
TV DRAMA SERIES
“American Gods” (Starz)
“The Crown” (Netflix)
“Game of Thrones” (HBO)
“The Handmaid’s Tale” (Hulu) — winner
“Stranger Things” (Netflix)
“This Is Us” (NBC)
SUPPORTING ACTOR
Willem Dafoe, “The Florida Project”
Armie Hammer, “Call Me By Your Name”
Richard Jenkins, “The Shape of Water”
Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” — winner
Patrick Stewart, “Logan”
Michael Stuhlbarg, “Call Me by Your Name”
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Mary J. Blige, “Mudbound”
Hong Chau, “Downsizing”
Tiffany Haddish, “Girls Trip”
Holly Hunter, “The Big Sick”
Allison Janney, “I, Tonya” — winner
Laurie Metcalf, “Lady Bird”
Octavia Spencer, “The Shape of Water”
TV MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES ACTOR
Jeff Daniels, “Godless” (Netflix)
Robert De Niro, “The Wizard of Lies” (HBO)
Ewan McGregor, “Fargo” (FX) — winner
Jack O’Connell, “Godless (Netflix)
Evan Peters, “American Horror Story: Cult” (FX)
Bill Pullman, “The Sinner” (USA)
Jimmy Tatro, “American Vandal” (Netflix)
TV MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES ACTRESS
Jessica Biel, “The Sinner” (USA)
Alana Boden, “I Am Elizabeth Smart” (Lifetime)
Carrie Coon, “Fargo” (FX)
Nicole Kidman, “Big Little Lies” (HBO) — winner
Jessica Lange, “Feud: Bette and Joan” (FX)
Reese Witherspoon, “Big Little Lies” (HBO)
ACTION MOVIE
“Baby Driver”
“Logan”
“Thor: Ragnarok”
“War for the Planet of the Apes”
“Wonder Woman” — winner
DIRECTOR
Guillermo del Toro, “The Shape of Water” — winner
Greta Gerwig, “Lady Bird”
Martin McDonagh, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Christopher Nolan, “Dunkirk”
Luca Guadagnino, “Call Me By Your Name”
Jordan Peele, “Get Out”
Steven Spielberg, “The Post”
BEST LIMITED SERIES
“American Vandal” (Netflix)
“Big Little Lies” (HBO) — winner
“Fargo” (FX)
“Feud: Bette and Joan” (FX)
“Godless” (Netflix)
“The Long Road Home” (National Geographic)
TV COMEDY
“The Big Bang Theory” (CBS)
“Blackish” (ABC)
“GLOW” (Netflix)
“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Amazon) — winner
“Modern Family” (ABC)
“Patriot” (Amazon)
ACTOR
Timothée Chalamet, “Call Me by Your Name”
James Franco, “The Disaster Artist”
Jake Gyllenhaal, “Stronger”
Tom Hanks, “The Post”
Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out”
Daniel Day-Lewis, “Phantom Thread”
Gary Oldman, “Darkest Hour” — winner
ACTRESS
Jessica Chastain, “Molly’s Game”
Sally Hawkins, “The Shape of Water”
Frances McDormand, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” — winner
Margot Robbie, “I, Tonya”
Saoirse Ronan, “Lady Bird”
Meryl Streep, “The Post”