Hollywood Foreign Press Association president Philip Berk hosted this morning's announcement of the Golden Globe nominations, which was a historic occasion for the organization. In several categories, the same person was nominated twice: Leonardo Dicaprio for both The Departed and Blood Diamond as best actor, Clint Eastwood for both Flags of Our Fathers and Letters From Iwo Jima as best director and Helen Mirren for both Elizabeth I and Prime Suspect: The Final Act.
Interview: Philip Berk on the Golden Globe Nominations
"The idea that Leonardo DiCaprio got nominated twice in the same category, and then Clint Eastwood getting nominated twice in the same category, I think that's a historic event," said Berk. "It's never happened in the history of Hollywood and I think that's a big story."
As nice as that sounds, this could create problems for the double nominees. "Two people getting double nominations in the same category, in other words competing against themselves. In other words, if somebody said, 'Well, might there be a downside?' It's possible that if he's on the final ballot, Leonardo is competing with Leonardo, which Leonardo is going to get the most votes and maybe it cancels out his chances for winning."
Berk does not expect that to happen though. "I think it becomes a clear cut choice as to what the best actor is."
Personally, Berk had his own surprises and disappointments. "I thought that actually Flags of Our Fathers is a great movie and it didn't get one of the five best films. There are surprises in the sense that something that I didn't nominate, I was surprised it was nominated but I'm too diplomatic to talk about that."
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