The Golden Globes love Caitriona Balfe. She has contended as Best TV Drama Actress for each of the first four seasons of "Outlander." Indeed, the members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn., which hands out the Globes annually, just cannot quit the Irish actress.
Last year, Balfe was missing in action at the Globes because "Outlander" only aired four episodes within the 2019 eligibility window. This year, Balfe is back in contention and she might have her strongest chance yet to finally take home some hardware after losing her prior four Golden Globe contests to Taraji P. Henson (“Empire”) in 2016, Claire Foy (“The Crown”) in 2017, Elisabeth Moss (“The Handmaid’s Tale”) in 2018 and Sandra Oh ("Grey's Anatomy") in 2019.
SEE No lie, Nicole Kidman (‘The Undoing’) could snag another Golden Globe thanks to David E. Kelley
The show’s fifth season was hailed by critics and fans as one of the best to date, as the Fraser clan forged a new life together in colonial North Carolina. The season featured delirious highs with births, marriages, camaraderie and family, but was punctuated by a number of traumatic lows. Jamie (Sam Heughan) tragically lost his mentor Murtagh (Duncan Lacroix), daughter Brianna (Sophie Skelton) was brutally raped by villain Stephen Bonnet (Ed Speleers) and husband Roger (Richard Rankin) was captured and wrongfully hanged by violent thugs.
The devastating season drew to a shocking close when Claire was abducted, tortured and repeatedly raped by a rival gang, leaving her shattered and traumatized in the season’s final moments. The episode is one of the highlights of the series to date, showcasing Balfe's compelling range and maturity as the show's co-lead (alongside Heughan, also turning in his best work to date). Hopefully the HFPA was paying attention and will nominate her again.
However, the Best TV Drama Actress category is really crowded this year. Balfe is currently in sixth place with 22/1 odds according to our combined odds. To continue her impressive streak and claim a fifth nomination for her fifth season on the show, Balfe will need to fend off front-runners like recent Emmy nominees Olivia Colman ("The Crown"), Laura Linney ("Ozark"), Jodie Comer and Sandra Oh ("Killing Eve") as well as Globe favorite Sarah Paulson ("Ratched") and newcomer Jurnee Smollett ("Lovecraft Country").
I would bet against Balfe at your peril. A fifth nomination is likely because the HFPA voters have proven they adore her and they know how popular the "Outlander" phenomenon is worldwide. And despite their penchant for new shows and performers, they do like going back to the well time and time again, particularly in the Best TV Drama Actress category.
Angela Lansbury ("Murder, She Wrote") holds the record for consecutive nominations with a staggering nine bids in a row from 1985 to 1993. Lansbury could have even made it an even ten, had we counted 1995 and she hadn't missed out on a nom the year before. Edie Falco "The Sopranos" (2000-2008) is just behind her on seven consecutive nominations, while Joan Collins for "Dynasty" (1982-1987), Julianna Margulies for "The Good Wife" (2010-2015) and Kyra Sedgwick for "The Closer" (2006-2011) each earned six consecutive nominations for their respective series.
If Balfe scores a fifth consecutive nod for this season, she'll move past Gillian Anderson (with whom she shares bragging rights of four consecutive bids for "Th e X-Files" from 1996 to 1999) and will join the likes of the "five for five" club - Sharon Gless for "Cagney & Lacey" (1985-1989), Stefanie Powers for "Hart to Hart" (1980-1984), Linda Evans for "Dynasty" (1982-1986) and Susan Dey for "L.A. Law" (1988-1992).
SEE Hugh Grant (‘The Undoing’) could win his first Golden Globe in 26 years
Make your predictions at Gold Derby now. Download our free and easy app for Apple/iPhone devices or Android (Google Play) to compete against legions of other fans plus our experts and editors for best prediction accuracy scores. See our latest prediction champs. Can you top our esteemed leaderboards next? Always remember to keep your predictions updated because they impact our latest racetrack odds, which terrify Hollywood chiefs and stars. Don’t miss the fun. Speak up and share your huffy opinions in our famous forums where 5,000 showbiz leaders lurk every day to track latest awards buzz. Everybody wants to know: What do you think? Who do you predict and why?
SIGN UP for Gold Derby’s newsletter with experts’ latest predictions
Second paragraph correction:
“and Sandra Oh (“Grey’s Anatomy”) in 2019.”
That should read “Killing Eve”, not “Grey’s Anatomy”
Caitriona Balfe hands down is the very best performer. She has proven to be a superb actress in all five seasons of Outlander. Not only so very beautiful she is articulate, intelligent and loved by all. She deserves the award and recognition for all her hard work and dedication!
Caitriona Balfe should win! She shows extraordinary range in character depth and her acting is right on! Outlander is the best series in TV!
Definitely Caitronia Balfe. She is phenomenal!!
Cait so deserves the award…she is such a great actress and plays the roll so well….Lots of well wishes coming her way…
Nominate Balfe for the 12th episode, which was specially created for her and played by makeup artists and male actors? Or for her silent lying/standing? When will this farce end?
what are you talking about? this makes no sense.
Claire’s abduction and post-trauma happen in the book and take quite a big part of “A Breath of Snow and Ashes”, so no, episode 12 was not created “specially for her”, they simply followed the book, in fact it was an abbrievated version of it. I didn’t much care for the episode as a whole, but the way they depicted the dissociation was genius and Caitriona was brilliant, particulary when portraying the said mechanism. And the male actors couldn’t have “played” the episode as they were barely there.
Caitronia Balfe is by far a brilliant actor, she embraces the roll of Claire Fraser in Outlander. She plays her roll so well, you feel her joy, sadness and pain! Caitronia definitely deserves the Golden Globes Award!
Caitriona Balfe plays her role in every season so believable that you could almost feel yourself living in those periods! She has passion for each of her roles and her ability to deliver such performances with perfection! So deserving👏👏🏆🏆🏆
Caitronia is a wonderful actress. Plays the role perfectly. Love her & Sam!
Yes catriona balfe is such a great actress in outlander. She deserves a reward
Yes catriona balfe deserves to wind this time. She is such a great actress. And she shows her great knowledge in how to portry cate in the shows. I personally love her. And wish her the best.
She plays her roll so well, you feel her joy, sadness and pain! Caitronia definitely deserves the Golden Globes Award!
to be honest, Catriona is not an actress. On the face of the mask instead of the game. I don’t understand who always promotes it to the globe? Her shooting partner is a real talent. The whole series is based on it. Catriona played in 12 series only and that helped makeup, male actors and that Jamie in the episode was relegated to the background. this scene is specially designed for BALF..for the nomination. Look at the other episodes of the season, she played poorly!!!!
What is it with you Sam fans that you have to trash Caitriona to elevate him? At least if you decide to comment make sure you know what you’re talking about. Episode 512 wasn’t specifically written for her. It was based on events in book 6 and Caitriona as usual was brilliant. I’ve never seen her fans invading articles about Sam to dismiss him and elevate her. It’s always you who do it and by doing so you tarnish him in the eyes of many including critics who know how wonderful her performances have been in all seasons. She’s the protagonist of the series and Season 4 proved what happens to the show when she’s sidelined. The quality suffered. Her acting range is spectacular and she’s a joy to watch.
I’m not a fan of Sam, I’m a fan of the show! I’m not a fan of Catriona, her mediocre game! All season long we discussed Sam’s game, admired him, but no one paid attention to Catriona’s game! It’s true! Sam was dragging the season forward, Catriona was only at the end, and it was obvious that there was no such episode in book 5! It was specially shoved by the writers from the 6th book of the series, the scene was shot in several takes! And the calculation was correct: Sam in the background, she in front. Catriona is promoted by Starz or someone she knows, and commissioned articles appear immediately after her little game. but only a blind person does not see that this is not in the image, but in the mask of suffering… She doesn’t let the game go through her heart, but treats the series like a job. Because of one stage of the nomination?Is this fair??Catriona has a lobby at the Golden globes!!5 times nomination……………………for what??
Repeat all you want that you’re not a Sam fan but your dismissal of Caitriona’s superb acting prowess exposes you. Now go play on his team where you belong and stop clogging articles about her with your nasty bias.
on the contrary!! In season 4, they switched places with Jamie! She is a strong woman who resists and doesn’t need Jamie, and Jamie asks her for help, not the other way around! The writers made Jamie weak in season 4. It was Claire that the producers tried to bring to the fore, and the season failed! However, awards are always coiffed by politicians, the game of the handsome, courageous, Scottish separatist is unlikely to get a nomination. I’m not a fan of Sam, I evaluate the game and see the injustice. On all forums, Sam’s game is discussed, it attracts the viewer and this is quite objective! Catriona has no charisma, plus a flat, monotonous game.This is just my opinion!!
sorry, I’m from Slovakia and I don’t write English very well. not about 12 series, but about season 12, and instead of the word “world”, ” Golden globe.” )
I absolutely agree with you Nikoli. Balfe in his game, throughout all seasons (exception the first) wooden, the range of expressions on her face is meager, for five seasons, she has not learned where to put their hands – they are either on their sides or glued to the face of the partner (she ostiopat?). From year to year, she is nominated for nominations, but not for a talented game, which is not in sight (she portrays herself), but for the trendiness of the image – a strong, feminized woman, now also burdened with posttraumatic syndrome , well, to be sure… That’s why the rape episode was taken from the books and shot last, and the character of Heughan was pushed into the background, so as not to overshadow the ,,Great Actress,, with his talented performance.
But the most disgusting thing about all this is that we, the audience, are treated as idiots who do not understand what is being done and why. Although, this is partly true, since quite a large part of the audience evaluates the quality of the series by the reliability and number of sex scenes filmed and the duration of kisses. Terribly. I am convinced that if the series had a different ideological orientation, a focus on universal values, and not on trending images, and if a truly talented, charismatic actress had played instead of Balfe, the series would have had every chance to achieve the success of Thrones or Vikings, and maybe more…
Wow, what a load of BS! Who put salt in your coffee? In a way, I’m glad that you posted this because it shows everyone what a phenomenal actress like Caitriona Balfe has had to endure from some in the Outlander fandom only because she’s been recognized for her amazing work while her co-star has not. Every time she’s nominated for an award, SH’s fans attack, vilify and minimize her talent. The viciousness of your post is typical and it happens every time she’s recognized for her talent but SH isn’t. Do you even comprehend that Caitriona and Sam don’t compete in the same category? She’s part of DRAMA ACTRESS while he’s part of DRAMA ACTOR. Unless he’s he’s become an actress, she’s not SHE’S NOT THE REASON WHY he’s not nominated. Fact is that Caitriona is one of the best actresses on screen today and deserves every recognition coming her way.
Heughan needs to polish his acting skills instead of becoming a brand. His acting has gotten worse since Season 2 and was atrocious in the final episode of Season 5. He showed more love and pain for Murtagh than his wife and treated his daughter’s returned as if she, her husband and child came back from shopping. HIs reaction to Claire’s abduction and ordeal was so off blasé it made me wonder why has Claire left her modern, safe and rewarding life for this guy? He should have been consumed by rage and left immediately to find her, not stay calm and take days to gather his men as if they were going on a fishing trip. That’s how his character was in the book. Heughan has no idea how to play a mature Jamie madly in love with the woman he’s desperately wanted and missed for 20 years. So, before you continue to bash Caitriona, remember that if not for her superb acting skills Outlander would not have seen a 2nd season. She brought prestige to the show through hard work, sheer natural talent and professionalism. There’s a reason why she’s been Number 1 on the call sheet since Season 1.
Caitríona deserves a nomination and is long overdue a win.
She always delivers a great performance.
I hope this is her year.
It is sad that people need to elevate one actor and put down the other. We should all take a cue from Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe who always support each other in real life and never trash talk. Both are brilliant and each have their own fan base. It is understandable that Cait gets nominated more as she is the protagonist and the story is told largely from her viewpoint. That does not mean that Sam is a bad actor. If you replace Sam with another actor, the show will flop almost immediately. The story is about the two of them and how they deal with all that is thrown at them.. they persevere and always return to each other. They are both perfectly cast and play their roles to perfection. Season 5 is emotionally draining for both Jamie and Claire. They both played their characters brilliantly and as they are now producers, they have brought that extra to their characters and the show in general. The two leads are mature in real life and know what the show is about and what their characters journey is. Recognition with awards is certainly welcome but it doesn’t mean that if you don’t get nominated or do not win, you are not talented..
Balfe’s acting talent can be judged by comparing Her performance with that of Lauren Lyle-everyone noted her brilliant performance, she easily outplayed Balfe, her acting is emotional, rich, while Balfe is boring, not expressive, mechanical. Not Claire, not an actress, not a game, but her persistent pushing for nominations causes confusion and suspicion of patronage.
Your entire post is full of code words hating this actress because she’s indeed talented and you can’t stand her being recognized and awarded for what is rightfully deserved. Saying her face is not expressive is BS when watching her one can see the wide rage of emotions she’s displaying, many in a matter of minutes. This predominately female fandom doesn’t deserve her and you’re another example of the constant misogyny she’s hit with every time she receives accolades for her memorable performance and talent.