‘Ratched,’ ‘The Prom’ Drive Six Golden Globe Noms for Ryan Murphy Productions

‘Ratched,’ ‘The Prom’ Drive Six Golden Globe Noms for Ryan Murphy Productions

Cynthia Littleton
·3 min read

Ryan Murphy came away from Golden Globe nominations morning with a half-dozen mentions for his Netflix TV and movie productions, making him a significant contributor to the streamer’s industry-leading haul of 42 total mentions.

Murphy, co-creator of “Glee,” “American Horror Story” and many other series, has long been a favorite of Hollywood Foreign Press Association voters. But a top nomination for TV drama series for “Ratched” was a surprise in a highly competitive category, as the series derived from “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” drew lukewarm reviews.

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“Ratched” star Sarah Paulson earned a lead TV drama actress nom. Cynthia Nixon is up for TV supporting.

“The Prom,” the ensemble comedy movie that Murphy also directed, landed a mention for best musical or comedy feature. James Corden was the only member of the movie’s starry cast to grab an acting nom, another unexpected choice.

Jim Parson took in a TV supporting actor nomination for “Hollywood,” a twist on the period drama format that also drew decidedly mixed reviews. But “The Big Bang Theory” alum had been seen as a underdog in the category for his work as a seedy talent agent.

“I think we can’t let nominations, or lack thereof, dictate the worthiness of something,” Paulson tells Variety. “But it is certainly a wildly positive feeling and validating. It is a warm feeling, for sure. I think Ryan is a person who creates universes that we all kind of want to escape to and that he is interested in telling stories on characters on the sidelines of life, and I find that to be worthy work. I’m very proud to be associated with him.”

HFPA voters were quick to put the Globes spotlight on Murphy, helping him rise to become one of TV’s uber-showrunners. His Globes run started in 2004 when his early FX series “Nip/Tuck” earned acting noms for stars Julian McMahon and Joely Richardson. The following year the series was nommed for best drama series. In 2010, Murphy’s first major hit — Fox’s “Glee” — won for best comedy series.

Murphy’s long-running FX franchise “American Horror Story” has made regular appearances at the Globes, starting in 2012 when Jessica Lange won for supporting TV actor. In 2016, Lady Gaga earned a trophy for her role on “American Horror Story: Hotel.”

Paulson previously won an Globe in 2017 for her starring role in Murphy’s FX limited series “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.” In 2015, the Murphy-directed HBO movie “The Normal Heart” was nommed for TV movie. Star Matt Bomer won for TV supporting actor for his role.

In 2018, the FX limited series “Feud: Bette and Joan” raked in four noms, including mentions for stars Lange and Susan Sarandon, but went home empty-handed.

Last year, the first series Murphy produced under his mammoth Netflix overall deal, “The Politician,” grabbed noms for drama series and for star Ben Platt. Murphy’s FX drama “Pose” took in nominations in 2019 and 2020 for star Billy Porter. That series was also up for best drama in 2019.

—Mónica Marie Zorrilla contributed to this report.

(Pictured: “Ratched”)

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