Gabriel LaBelle (‘The Fabelmans’) would be all-time youngest nominee in his Golden Globe category

Stepping into the shoes of two-time Golden Globe-winning director Steven Spielberg is a tough task, but it’s one that Gabriel LaBelle has nonetheless adroitly accomplished. The rising star is now close to being recognized by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association himself thanks to his performance in “The Fabelmans,” which Spielberg co-wrote and directed as a roman à clef based on his own childhood. At 20, LaBelle is the youngest hopeful in this year’s Best Film Drama Actor Golden Globe race, and would indeed be the category’s youngest nominee ever.

The title of all-time youngest Best Film Drama Actor contender has been held since 1982 by Timothy Hutton, who was 21 when he was nominated for “Taps” against eventual victor Henry Fonda (“On Golden Pond”). Until then, the distinction had belonged to 1964 nominee Stathis Giallelis (23, “America America”). Hutton also still holds the record for youngest Best Film Supporting Actor winner, which he achieved by taking the gold for “Ordinary People” at age 20.

All five of the other film acting Golden Globe categories’ low-end nominee age records were set by performers under 18, with Best Drama Actor being the only one in which no child has ever competed. LaBelle is already a dozen years too old to top the general list of youngest Golden Globe contenders, as the position still belongs to 1980 supporting nominee Justin Henry (eight, “Kramer vs. Kramer”).

Those who rank highest in this regard in the remaining film categories are Drew Barrymore (nine, Supporting Actress, “Irreconcilable Differences,” 1985), Tatum O’Neal (10, Comedy Actress, “Paper Moon,” 1974), Macaulay Culkin (10, Comedy Actor, “Home Alone,” 1991), and Evan Rachel Wood (16, Drama Actress, “Thirteen,” 2004).

LaBelle could, of course, also become his category’s youngest champion, surpassing Tom Cruise (27, “Born on the Fourth of July,” 1990). What’s more, his potential victory would make him the youngest male actor to ever win a Golden Globe, as he would even outpace Hutton by a margin of eight weeks. The only younger performers who have been honored by the HFPA at all are 15-year-olds Linda Blair (Best Film Supporting Actress, “The Exorcist,” 1974) and Claire Danes (Best TV Drama Actress, “My So-Called Life,” 1995).

LaBelle currently ranks eighth in Gold Derby’s Best Film Drama Actor predictions, but he can take comfort in the fact that placing outside of our top five did not stop recent nominees such as Tahar Rahim (“The Mauritanian”), Christian Bale (“Ford v Ferrari”), and Jonathan Pryce (“The Two Popes”). As it stands, we expect “The Fabelmans” to win Best Drama and Best Director and pick up bids for its screenplay and actors Michelle Williams (lead) and Paul Dano (supporting).

Nominations for the 80th Golden Globes will be revealed on Monday, December 12. The awards ceremony is set to air on NBC and stream on Peacock on Tuesday, January 10.

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