"The Rise of Generation Y Actors", was the prevailing sentiment surrounding the Golden Globe nomination list. Among the twenty nominations in the leading actor categories, young actors secured ten spots, effectively claiming half the territory. Even in the supporting actor categories, this trend persisted; Andrew Garfield from "The Social Network" and Mila Kunis from "Black Swan" stood out prominently among the ten nominees.
In other words, a total of twelve Gen Y actors were nominated across the acting categories. This was unprecedented in previous years, truly reflecting a period of prosperous generational transition.
In this list of nominations, the focus wasn't primarily on Natalie Portman, who had a high chance of securing the first Golden Globe for Gen Y. Instead, the spotlight shone on two newcomers just in their early twenties: Jennifer Lawrence and Renly Hall.
For a fickle Hollywood, they always opened their arms with enthusiasm, welcoming the arrival of talents. Almost every year, countless exceptionally gifted newcomers emerged. Yet, even so, it was still rare to witness the consecutive rise of two outstanding actors in their early twenties.
Jennifer Lawrence's performance in "Winter's Bone" showcased a spirited and compelling portrayal. Her delicate yet weighty performance was a revelation to everyone. Her mature and seasoned approach, uncharacteristic of her age, garnered widespread acclaim and easily propelled her through the end-of-year awards season.
For a small-budget independent film without strong backing from a major distribution company, this was a classic Hollywood dream come true, witnessing the brilliance and happiness of overnight fame.
If Jennifer's sudden rise was a given in Hollywood's law of nature, then Renly's forceful ascent appeared almost unbelievable.
For young actresses, a breakthrough in Hollywood is relatively "easier". Under the influence of a male-dominated perspective, Hollywood always anticipates the emergence of new faces. Even now, the frequency of the changing of the "eye candy" actresses remains high. Under the sway of objectification, youthful and beautiful faces effortlessly gain opportunities to become a dazzling sight in movies.
This is also true in terms of performance. Performances of a similar level are usually easier for actresses to secure nominations and even awards, while actors have a much more difficult journey. Performers such as Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio in "Titanic", Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix in "Walk the Line", and Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling in "Blue Valentine" are examples of this.
Above the Oscars, the Best Supporting Actor category is often likened to a retirement home. Veterans who have toiled for years, earnestly and diligently, often find it easier to win. Academy members believe that young actors have plenty of time to improve. On the other hand, the Best Supporting Actress category is considered a cradle for new stars. Young, spirited, and youthful newcomers are more likely to be honored because the Academy wishes to see more emerging talents, maintaining a sense of freshness.
Of course, all of this comes at a cost.
An actress's golden age usually ends before the age of thirty-five. In 2015, Hollywood actresses collectively appealed to IMDb, publicly revealing their true ages on the website. Production companies often preferred younger actors, making it increasingly difficult for actors over the age of thirty-five to find work. Thus, these actresses requested IMDb to stop revealing their ages.
Yet, the golden era for male actors usually comes after the age of thirty-five. During their youth, they often find themselves relegated to roles of mere idol-like figures or polishing their skills in supporting roles, awaiting their own chances. Throughout the long history of the Oscars, there's been only one winner of Best Actor under the age of thirty—Adrien Brody from "The Pianist", who won at the age of twenty-nine and three hundred forty-three days.
It's precisely against this backdrop that Renly emerged.
Just last month, on the twentieth day, Renly had just celebrated his twenty-first birthday, reaching the legal drinking age in the United States. For Hollywood, this age hardly differed from that of a high school student. With the exception of movies like "Back to the Future", "High School Musical", and "American Pie", where the main characters are teenagers, there are almost no films that cast the lead role within this age range.
Because actors of this age have just emerged from adolescence, their acting skills are not yet solid, the depth of their characters lacks richness, and their performance types lack diversity. They are caught in an awkward position between not being mature enough yet not being youthful either.
More importantly, artistic creation at this age is immensely challenging. Children have family crises and a child's perspective, high school and college students have the troubles of growing up and the fears of society, middle-aged people have midlife crises of the middle class... But for those who have just left university, they are merely grappling with adaptation to society and find it difficult to excavate deeper content in artistic creation.
Moreover, the primary audience for films isn't in this age bracket. This means that even if films targeted at this age group were produced, the audience would be too narrow, making it difficult to achieve good results. This has led to a lack of interest from various production companies.
Thus, in Hollywood, male actors between the ages of twenty and twenty-five find themselves in the most uncomfortable position. Many actors either grit their teeth and endure until they turn twenty-six when the situation tends to improve, or they get submerged among numerous new faces, gradually disappearing from the public eye.
Zac Efron is the most representative example. He rose to fame at seventeen with "High School Musical", and after completing the trilogy at the age of nineteen, he found himself in a four-year struggle. On one hand, he couldn't go back to playing high school students, and on the other hand, he lacked competitiveness for roles that were slightly older. Even in romantic films targeting a younger audience, he couldn't outcompete the main actors around thirty years old.
This situation persisted until he turned twenty-five, when things started to improve. But afterward, his acting career gradually transformed into that of a comedic actor who often traded on his physique, narrowing his career path, similar to figures like Vin Diesel or Adam Sandler.
Initially, the same applied to Renly's audition for "The Pacific". Eugene Sledge was a nineteen-year-old youth, yet Steven Spielberg preferred twenty-six-year-old Joseph Mazzello over twenty-year-old Renly. If it weren't for that fortuitous encounter that evening that changed Steven's mind, the situation would have been entirely different now.
Currently, Renly has broken free from the confines of age, scripting a miracle.
He first won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor, and then he delivered an astonishing performance in "Buried", securing an unwavering position in the awards season and earning his first Golden Globe nomination in one go! And a second Golden Globe nomination!
In addition to the nomination for Best Actor in a Drama, "The Pacific" has once again earned Renly a nomination in the competition for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie.
Just like Johnny Depp, Renly secured two nominations as an actor, standing tall among the nominees.
Even when everyone thought "The Pacific" had marked the pinnacle for a newcomer actor, Renly presented "Buried", a work that defied expectations, and conquered Toronto with an incredible presence. As the male lead, Renly's young and tender shoulders displayed a rare air of grandeur and composure.
For a young man who had just turned twenty-one, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to use the most magnificent words to describe him. Hollywood hadn't seen such an outstanding young talent for years. The last young male actor who had garnered so much admiration was undoubtedly Heath Ledger.
However, even Heath Ledger only encountered "Brokeback Mountain" after turning twenty-five. Now, Renly was a full four years younger than Heath!
Thus, when the Golden Globe nominations were announced, all of Hollywood fell into a frenzy of praise. They celebrated the official arrival of the golden period for Gen Y actors, the emergence of a new generation of actors, a breakthrough in the film industry's progress, and the exceptional performances of the new generation actors, witnessing the rise of a new era of talent.
As a heavyweight in the industry, Hollywood Reporter produced a special feature on the rise of Gen Y.
Within it, Natalie Portman undoubtedly took the top spot, unquestionably recognized by the magazine as the actor with the most potential to become a future superstar. Unexpectedly, in the second spot, Hollywood Reporter bypassed James Franco, who had a strong presence this year, and Ryan Gosling, who had consistently produced good works over the past four years, and chose Renly Hall.
"Talented, resolute, exceptional in skill, and elegantly poised, Renly awakens people's memories of the stars of the golden era."
In a concise comment, the high regard "Hollywood Reporter" held for Renly was palpable. The recognition from this authoritative industry magazine was the highest affirmation for "Buried".
However, Hollywood Reporter wasn't alone. Other media outlets also sang Renly's praises. Countless flowers and applause surrounded him. People speculated fervently about who would receive commendation in this year's Oscar awards ceremony. Could Renly ascend further and create a miracle?
Four years ago, Ryan had earned his first Oscar nomination with "Half Nelson", when he was just twenty-six. Now, Jesse, James, and Renly all had hopes of breaking through and receiving their first Oscar nominations. The fierce competition among the new generation was intense, but it also ignited passion.
Especially in the face-off between "127 Hours" and "Buried", along with the direct showdown between James and Renly, as the awards season progressed, their competition gradually surfaced. One work dominated the limelight due to its timeliness and topical focus, while the other was an underdog that had flown under the radar, yet their rivalry was becoming increasingly intense.
It was widely believed that only one of these two works would survive the Oscars. But who that would be, with the awards season only just beginning, remained uncertain.
"The golden era of the Golden Globe Awards belongs to Gen Y! The era has arrived!"