<i>Angels in America</i> sweeps Golden Globes; Charlize Theron honored for <I>Monster</i> (11102)

HBO's epic miniseries Angels in America and BBC America's offbeat comedy The Office took center stage Sunday in the TV portion of the 61st annual Golden Globes. Mike Nichols's painstaking six-hour dissection of Reagan-era America in the AIDS-themed Angels in America swept the long-form categories with a total of five wins, including best miniseries or TV movie, lead actress for Meryl Streep, and lead actor for Al Pacino. Director and executive producer Nichols was in London, so Angels in America executive producer Cary Brokaw accepted the award for best miniseries or TV movie. "We'd like to acknowledge all the scientists, organizations, and individuals fighting [AIDS]," Brokaw said. "We can all do more because AIDS can and will be defeated."

In keeping with the political stance of the miniseries based on Tony Kushner's Pulitzer prize-winning play, Streep, in accepting her award, took a shot at some of the messages President Bush delivered last week in his State of the Union address. "I just want to say that I don't think the two biggest problems in America are that too many people want to commit their lives to one another till death do us part, and steroids and sports," she said.

Meanwhile, the British mockumentary comedy series The Office was the surprise winner for best comedy series and best comedy actor for Ricky Gervais. The Office became the first foreign-produced show to win a Golden Globe. Sunday also was a big night for the Fox drama 24, which, two years after landing its first Golden Globe for star Kiefer Sutherland, added a second statuette for best drama series. "Well, I've had three years to prepare this speech, and I don't know what the hell to say," cocreator and executive producer Joel Surnow said. HBO, a leader coming in with 20 nominations, dominated the field with seven wins. Celebrating the first Golden Globes in its history, BBC America was unexpectedly the only other multiple winner of the night with two nods for The Office. Gervais, the show's star, cocreator, writer, and director, stayed true to its irreverent tone in accepting the best comedy series award. "Obviously we didn't expect this," he said, trying unsuccessfully to remember who he was supposed to thank. "I'm not from these parts," he said. "I'm from a little place called England. We used to run the world before you." He fared a little better on his second trip to the stage to collect his award for best comedy actor but once again failed to deliver something remotely close to an acceptance speech. "It's good. Two bookends, excellent. You need the set," he said, hoisting the statuette. "Obviously I haven't prepared a speech, as you've guessed, just milking the time, really. I want that thing to come up, 'Get off.' "

NBC, which entered the race as the second-most-nominated network behind HBO with 10 nominations, was shut out. The peacock's hit comedy Will & Grace was left empty-handed once again after a total of 24 nominations in the past five years. Still, after The Office was announced as the winner as best comedy series, the foursome at the center of Will & Grace--Debra Messing, Eric McCormack, Sean Hayes, and Megan Mullally, all of whom were nominated in comedy acting categories--raised their glasses in a toast. In keeping with the Golden Globe tradition of acknowledging new faces on the small screen, the lead actor and actress in a drama series categories went to first-time nominees Anthony LaPaglia of CBS's Without a Trace and Frances Conroy of HBO's gay-inclusive Six Feet Under. "This is so amazingly unexpected," LaPaglia said. "This award is the result of hundreds of people, my entire crew at Without a Trace who get there before I do, leave after I do, and work way harder than I do." The Hollywood Foreign Press Association took an exception to the out-with-the-old-in-with-the-new rule in the lead actress in a comedy series category, bestowing a fourth Golden Globe on Sarah Jessica Parker for her role on HBO's Sex and the City, which is bowing out this year. "This is for the cast and the crew...300 people who have enriched my life and changed my life," said Parker, who had just returned from filming the final episodes in Paris. "I will miss all of you very much."

One of the loudest laugh lines of the night came from the onstage remarks by another Angels in America winner, Mary-Louise Parker, who took the award for supporting actress in a series-miniseries category; her costar Jeffrey Wright won in the supporting series-miniseries actor category. Parker noted that she'd just made a friendly wager with The West Wing star Janel Moloney. "Janel Moloney just told me she would pay me $1,000 if I thanked my newborn son for my boobs looking so good in this dress," Parker said from the stage. "Get out your checkbook."

In the film category, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King took best picture, drama, and directing for Peter Jackson, while Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation was honored as best picture, comedy, and best screenplay. Actress Charlize Theron was named best actress, drama, for her portrayal of lesbian multiple murderer Aileen Wuornos in Monster. Here is a complete list of Golden Globes winners:

Motion Picture, Drama: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Actress, Motion Picture, Drama: Charlize Theron, Monster
Actor, Motion Picture, Drama: Sean Penn, Mystic River
Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy: Lost in Translation
Actress, Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy: Diane Keaton, Something's Gotta Give
Actor, Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy: Bill Murray, Lost in Translation
Foreign Language Film: Osama (Afghanistan)
Actress, Supporting Role, Motion Picture: Renee Zellweger, Cold Mountain
Actor, Supporting Role, Motion Picture: Tim Robbins, Mystic River
Director, Motion Picture: Peter Jackson, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Screenplay, Motion Picture, Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation
Original Score, Motion Picture: Howard Shore, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Original Song, Motion Picture, "Into the West," The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Television Series, Drama: 24
Actress, Television Series, Drama: Frances Conroy, Six Feet Under
Actor, Television Series, Drama: Anthony LaPaglia, Without a Trace
Television Series, Musical or Comedy: The Office
Actress, Television Series, Musical or Comedy: Sarah Jessica Parker, Sex and the City
Actor, Television Series, Musical or Comedy: Ricky Gervais, The Office
Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television: Angels in America
Actress, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television: Meryl Streep, Angels in America
Actor, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television: Al Pacino, Angels in America
Actress, Supporting Role, Series, Miniseries, or Motion Picture Made for Television: Mary-Louise Parker, Angels in America
Actor, Supporting Role, Series, Miniseries, or Motion Picture Made for Television: Jeffrey Wright, Angels in America