Women dominate "Big Little Lies ," both on the screen and in the behind-the-scenes power of Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman, who are executive producers as well as stars of the HBO series.
But how does Adam Scott, who plays husband Ed to Witherspoon's Madeline, feel about flipping the gender dynamic with a male version of the supportive wife or girlfriend role to which actresses have long been relegated? Scott's answer is immediate, and minus any hint of annoyance.
"First of all, I think it's great that it ('Big Little Lies') exists, and that more and more projects are being made where women are the protagonists, the true protagonists, and not everything that they say and do is linked to a man, how they feel about a man, how the man is perceiving them," he said.
Shailene Woodley, from left, Nicole Kidman and Meryl Streep attend the premiere of HBO's "Big Little Lies" season two at Jazz at Lincoln Center on Wednesday, May 29, 2019, in New York. (Photo by Evan AgostiniInvisionAP)
"Their lives are very full, and the characters are real people who have many other concerns," Scott said. To be part of the Emmy-winning hit drama, which returns 9 p.m. EDT Sunday with new addition Meryl Streep, is great, he said, "and I couldn't be happier."
Such selflessness could be suspect in an industry where the dictionary could, arguably, start at "e'' for ego. But factor in Scott's earlier, admiring remarks about his mother, retired teacher Anne Scott-Chambers, and cynicism seems shabby.
"She would bring me to any movie I wanted to see," said Scott, 46, including some three or four viewings of "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom." There was also a revival house in his hometown of Santa Cruz, California, where his mom introduced him to the films of Monty Python, Woody Allen and others and shared her thoughtful perspective on pop culture.
Scott-Chambers also backed his pursuit of the acting career he had dreamed of since he saw Harrison Ford swashbuckling his way through 1984's "Temple of Doom."
Living in a coastal town, even one as close to Los Angeles as Santa Cruz is, Scott said his aspirations seemed impossible. He finally voiced them as he watched the 1989 Oscar telecast that included young nominee River Phoenix (for "Running on Empty"), and his mom's reply was, "You can do that. You'll be great."
Scott drolly recalls the inevitable early bumps, starting with his arrival on the set of 1996's "Hellraiser: Bloodline," his debut movie role.
"This was it. This was the first day of my enormous career," he said. "This was, 'I'm so sorry, everyone I've known before, I may or may not be able to return your calls. I'm going to be incredibly busy and you're going to be nervous around me anyway.'"
Then he was guided to a chair marked with a strip of tape bearing his name, or close to it: Adam Craig. In retrospect, he says, his early optimism was critical.
"I'm so thankful for that delusion and that naiveté," he said. "Because if I could grasp the reality of my situation, then I don't know if I would have continued if I knew it would be another 15 years before I actually had a career to look at."
It's a solid and busy one, including dramas ranging from "Murder One" and "Party of Five" on TV to "The Aviator" on the big screen. When Scott landed in "Step Brothers," it kicked off a comedy run highlighted by his turn as socially awkward bureaucrat Ben Wyatt on "Parks and Recreation" and, more recently, his role as troublesome demon Trevor in "The Good Place."
He and his wife, Naomi, parents of two children, have a production company, with recent projects including "Fun Mom Dinner" with Toni Collette and Molly Shannon. Scott also makes time to co-host a podcast that reflects his devotion to rock group R.E.M.
"Big Little Lies" represents a return to drama for him, one Scott avidly pursued. It's based on the novel of the same name by best-selling author Liane Moriarty, who worked with series creator and writer David E. Kelley on the story.
"I was known for comedy, so didn't know if I could do this," said Scott, who auditioned for the part of Ed McKenzie, a devoted if thus far passive husband who was cuckolded last season by Madeline's extramarital fling. "I had to go in and sell them on it and, luckily, I got it."
Lucky for the series as well, according to Per Saari, a series executive producer. "Big Little Lies" challenges its uniformly top-notch cast, including Laura Dern, Zoë Kravitz and Shailene Woodley, with the bleakest of narratives, including murder, rape and abuse, along with a salting of dark humor.
"In terms of navigating tone, finding that blend of comedy and drama so unique to 'Big Little Lies,' Adam is a virtual acrobat, and the perfect sparring partner for Reese," Saari said.
While carefully avoiding spoilers in the seven new episodes, Scott signals a change ahead for his character.
"We're seeing Ed looking to define himself and his identity around things other than his marriage and his relationship with his wife," Scott said. "He's dressing a little differently, he's got a haircut. He's thinking about himself a bit more."
But it's still the women who count. "It's about time for men to keep playing these roles in female-driven shows. And I'm more than happy to be doing that," he said.
Lynn Elber can be reached at lelber@ap.org and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lynnelber .
The Golden Globes bill themselves as Hollywood’s booziest bash. This year, is anyone ready to party?
Political tension and industrywide uncertainty are the prevailing moods heading into Sunday night's 83rd Golden Globes. Hollywood is coming off a disappointing box-office year and now anxiously awaits the fate of one of its most storied studios, Warner Bros.
A celebratory mood might be even more elusive given that the wide majority of the performers and filmmakers congregating at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, oppose the policies of President Donald Trump. Likely to be on the minds of many attendees: the recent U.S. involvement in Venezuela and the fatal shooting of 37-year-old mother Renee Good in Minneapolis by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
But through their ups and downs, the Globes have always tried to put pomp over politics. Host Nikki Glaser has vowed as much.
“You’d be surprised that half the room had no clue why I was saying ‘Venezuela,’” Glaser told The Associated Press earlier in the week, referring to her comedy-club warm-ups. “People aren’t getting the news like we all are.”
Glaser, a comic known for her roast appearances, has promised to go after A-listers in her second time hosting.
“We’re going to hit Leo,” Glaser said. “The icebergs are coming.”
Here’s what to look for at this year’s Globes:
The Golden Globes kick off at 8 p.m. EST on CBS while streaming live for Paramount+ premium subscribers. E!’s red carpet coverage begins at 6 p.m. EST.
The Associated Press will be have a livestream show beginning at 4:30 p.m. Eastern with a mix of stars' arrivals, fashion shots and celebrity interviews. It will be available on YouTube and APNews.
The overwhelming Oscar favorite “One Battle After Another” comes in with a leading nine nominations. It’s competing in the Globes’ musical or comedy category, which means the drama side might be more competitive. There, Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” Chloé Zhao’s “Hamnet” and Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value” are all in the mix.
But thus far, “One Battle After Another” has cleaned up just about everywhere. Much of Paul Thomas Anderson’s cast is nominated, including DiCaprio, Teyana Taylor, Sean Penn, Chase Infiniti and Benicio Del Toro.
If it and “Sinners” take home the two biggest prizes, it will be a banner night for Warner Bros. even as its future hangs in the balance. The studio has agreed to be acquired by Netflix is a deal worth $82.7 billion. Movie theaters have warned such a result would be “a direct and irreversible negative impact on movie theaters around the world.”
The merger awaits regulatory approval, while Paramount Skydance is still trying to convince Warner shareholders to accept its rival offer.
After an audacious promotional tour for “Marty Supreme,” Timothée Chalamet is poised to win his first Globe in five nominations. In best actor, comedy or musical, he’ll have to beat DiCaprio, a three-time Globe winner, and Ethan Hawke (“Blue Moon”).
In best actress, comedy or musical, Rose Byrne is the favorite for her performance in the not especially funny A24 indie “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.” One prominent nominee in the category, Cynthia Erivo (“Wicked: For Good”), won’t be attending due to her schedule in the West End production “Dracula.”
Jessie Buckley (“Hamnet”) is the clear front-runner in best actress, drama. In the star-studded best actor, drama, category, the Brazilian actor Wagner Moura (“The Secret Agent”) may win over Michael B. Jordan (“Sinners”) and Joel Edgerton (“Train Dreams”).
In the supporting categories, Teyana Taylor and Stellan Skarsgård come in the favorites.
The Globes, formerly presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, have no overlap or direct correlation with the Academy Awards. After being sold in 2023 to Todd Boehly’s Eldridge Industries and Dick Clark Productions, a part of Penske Media, the Globes are voted on by around 400 people. The Oscars are voted on by more than 10,500 professionals.
But in the fluctuating undulations of awards season, a good speech at the Globes can really boost an Oscar campaign. Last year, that seemed to be the case for Demi Moore, who won for “The Substance” and gave the night's most emotional speech. Mikey Madison (“Anora”), however, scored the upset win at the Oscars.
A few potentially good moments this year went instead in a Golden Eve ceremony earlier this week. There, the Cecil B. DeMille and Carol Burnett honorees, Helen Mirren and Sarah Jessica Parker, accepted their awards.
One to watch, if he wins, will be the Iranian director Jafar Panahi. His revenge drama “It Was Just an Accident” is up for four awards. Panahi has spent most of his career making films clandestinely, without approval of authorities, and was until recently banned from leaving the country. Last month, he was sentenced to a year in prison, which would be only his latest stint behind bars if Panahi returns home to serve it. This week, protests over Iran’s ailing economy have spread throughout the country in a new test to Iran's leaders.
For the first time, the Globes are trotting out a new podcast category. The nominees are: “Armchair Expert,” “Call Her Daddy,” “Good Hang With Amy Poehler,” “The Mel Robbins Podcast,” “SmartLess” and “Up First.”
In TV, HBO Max’s “The White Lotus” — another potential big winner for Warner Bros. — leads with six nominations. Netflix’s “Adolescence” comes in with five nods.
But the most closely watched nominee might be “The Studio.” The first season of Seth Rogen’s Hollywood satire memorably included an episode devoted to drama around a night at the Globes. (Sample line: “I remember when the red carpet of the Golden Globes actually stood for something.”) “The Studio” is up for three awards, giving three chances for life to imitate art.
For more coverage of this year’s Golden Globe Awards, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/golden-globe-awards
Tessa Thompson arrives at the Golden Globes Golden Eve on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, at The Beverly Hilton Hotel, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Nikki Glaser rolls out the red carpet during the 83rd Golden Globes press preview on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
