Against tough competition, British actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson earned himself an unexpected Golden Globe at the award’s 74th annual ceremony.
Mr Taylor-Johnson beat fellow nominees Jeff Bridges and Mahershala Ali to secure the award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the film Nocturnal Animals.
The Jewish actor, who began his career at age six, got his first big break while starring as John Lennon in the 2009 biopic Nowhere Boy. It was while he was working on the film that role that Taylor-Johnson met his future wife, the film director and artist, Sam Taylor-Wood.
In his acceptance speech, he thanked his wife, his four children and the rest of the cast and crew who worked on the film. “Creating this role and collaborating on this journey was an immense joy,” he said.
The heavily bearded actor, who was named by GQ magazine as one of the 50 best dressed British men in 2015, has said that, due to his thick facial hair, he has been likened to a Chasidic Jew in the past. He said he regarded the comparison as a compliment, “because I have really curly hair and also, I’m Jewish.”
Justin Hurwitz, a Jewish American composer, was also a winner at the ceremony in Los Angeles on Sunday. He took home two Golden Globes, for Original Score and Best Original Song, for his work on the film La La Land.
Mr Taylor-Johnson and Mr Hurwitz are also each in contention for a BAFTA – they were both among the nominees announced on Tuesday.
Joining them was Jerusalem-born actress Natalie Portman, nominated for Best Actress for his starring performance as Jackie Kennedy in the film Jackie, and British actor Andrew Garfield, who was named in the Leading Actor category for his role in Hacksaw Ridge.
And Denial, the story of historian Deborah Lipstadt's libel case victory against Holocaust denier David Irving, was nominated for the Outstanding British Film catagory.
The 70th British Academy Film Awards will be held on February 12th at Royal Albert Hall in London.
