The Golden Globes went pretty swimmingly this year. No huge controversies emerged, so there will likely be some doomsday take on ratings soon enough, but overall, the broadcast went well. Host Jerrod Carmichael roasted the HFPA in a playful yet effective way, and we received plenty of Jennifer Coolidge and Colin Ferrell. As well, Carmichael took a savage swing at Scientology, and Eddie Murphy made a Will Smith joke that actually worked in 2023.
Oh, and Paul Walter Hauser won the category for Best Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture made for Television. He did so through the strength of his performance in Black Bird. Hauser portrayed suspected serial killer Larry Hall in the Apple TV+ limited series, and he beat out several strong category contenders, including F. Murray Abraham (The White Lotus), Domhnall Gleeson (The Patient), and Seth Rogen (Pam and Tommy).
Hauser’s win was a well deserved one, given that he’s a phenomenal character actor who I particularly enjoyed in I, Tonya, in which he played Jeff Gillooly’s “bodyguard,” Shawn Eckardt, to plenty of laughs. He also portrays Cobra Kai‘s Raymond/”Stingray,” who started out as a cartoonishly over enthused, older-than-his-dojo-mates buffoon. However, he became pivotal in Seasons 4 and 5, given how Terry Silver forced Stingray to help him frame John Kreese. This turned into a surprisingly intense and emotional arc, and Cobra Kai fans simply love the dude. They came together for Paul while led by Yuji Okumoto, who plays the great Chozen and offered congrats on Twitter.
Congrats to Paul Walter Hauser on your Golden Globes award win! #BlackBird #PaulWalterHauser #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/gJZXhWCndT
— Yuji Okumoto (@YujiOkumoto) January 11, 2023
Soon, the chorus of “Stingray!” began, as it rightfully should have done.
I honestly didn't think there was much they could do with Stingray character, beyond just a goofy, middle-aged, stuck in the past class clown type. But Paul and the writers brought a lot of depth to Stingray! Amazing work by all involved!
— Mr Justin Becker (@MrJustinBecker) January 11, 2023
stingray just won a golden globe pic.twitter.com/4fYUhYAsU2
— karlye 🐍⚡️ (@billymacchio) January 11, 2023
Stingray!!!
— The Don (@JerryDon6) January 11, 2023
https://twitter.com/LaurBadea/status/1613490258716553217
— Unusualsuspect (@Unusual29143790) January 11, 2023
— voEROS (@voEROSttv) January 12, 2023
To see him in cobra kai and blackbird shows how talented and dynamic an actor he is! Congratulations to him!
— Rick Handfield (@HandfieldRick) January 12, 2023
Best actor in the world for the past 10 years. pic.twitter.com/aFs6F5Ljma
— Attitude Fan (@AttitudeFan1) January 12, 2023
Black Bird is streaming on Apple TV+, and of course, Cobra Kai‘s (first) five seasons can be found on Netflix.