As Hollywood prepares for the 83rd Golden Globes tonight, award-winning South African actor Greg Kriek is watching closely — not just as an industry insider, but as a working international actor navigating an industry undergoing transition.
Cape Town-born Kriek, who lives in Los Angeles and has more than 100 international film credits, says the Globes remain an important indicator of the upcoming Hollywood awards and Oscar season. This year, however, the Critics’ Choice Awards held its ceremony ahead of the Globes for the first time on January 4.
“The Golden Globes are always one of the first signals of what kind of stories and performances the industry is backing, honouring film, television and podcasts,” Kriek told the Sunday Times at Thursday’s Primate red carpet at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles.
“I’ve made a point of going to the cinema as much as possible — and I would say, my bet is on Sinners for Best Motion Picture-Drama. And for Best Motion Picture in a Musical or Comedy, I’m predicting One Battle After Another.”
Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another received a leading nine nominations, including best picture, best actor for Leonardo DiCaprio, and best supporting actress for Teyana Taylor.
Sinners received seven nominations, including best picture, best director for Ryan Coogler, and best actor for Michael B Jordan.
Among the frontrunners are Timothée Chalamet and DiCaprio. Chalamet is widely tipped for his turn in Marty Supreme, while DiCaprio has drawn strong early momentum, despite losing to Chalamet at last week’s Critics’ Choice Awards.
“It’s going to be a very tight race between Timothée and Leo,” added Kriek, who has acted in Black Mirror, The Serengeti Rules, and Rebel Moon — Part 1. “Timothée did an unbelievable spin, and his comedy presence gives him quite an edge, but those two will be two frontrunners.”
Michael B Jordan also features prominently in the 2026 conversation, with Kriek openly rooting for the actor. “One of my first jobs in the industry was Chronicle, and that’s where I got to meet Michael and spend a few months with him on set,” he says. “He had such a big impact on building my confidence to even think about entering the film industry, and I’m really proud of his career trajectory.”
For best actress, Kriek is backing Jessie Buckley and Rhea Seehorn. “I was thankful to be at an Oscar screening [of Hamnet] a couple of days ago, and I absolutely love Jessie Buckley. I also worked opposite Rhea in Inside Man 2, and I’m excited about her Golden Globe nomination.”
Seehorn is nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Series-Drama for her role in the Apple TV+ series Pluribus.
Kriek, who is a voting member of the US Television Academy, plays the role of Damon Lee in a new television series, The Nowhere Man, launching on January 16 on the STARZ network in the US, led by Naturi Naughton-Lewis and Bonko Khoza, and streaming globally on Amazon Prime.
The series is a high-stakes thriller about a former soldier fighting PTSD and his past in Johannesburg.
“The series has just launched in South Africa as well, and it showcases both international and African talents at the highest level,” he adds.
Kriek also appears in the US Western thriller Elkhorn, playing the role of Henry Tilden, and recently wrapped a major feature, Alphas, alongside Martin Henderson. “Something that’s quite a departure from what I’ve done before is playing a rock ‘n’ roll music manager in an action spy comedy shot in the US and Europe called Real, True, 100% Love.
Later in 2026, Kriek will shoot N17, a biopic in which he plays a real-life investigative journalist who uncovers a terrorist organisation, as well as a leading role in a film titled C2.
Tonight’s Golden Globes will see increased recognition of international and non-English language cinema, with The Secret Agent from Brazil, Sentimental Value from Norway, and Netflix’s K-Pop Demon Hunters among the hot favourites.
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