Five reasons Josh O’Connor could be a surprise Golden Globe nominee for ‘Challengers’

Luca Guadagnino‘s steamy, intoxicating love triangle “Challengers” between Mike Faist, Josh O’Connor, and Zendaya had audiences gripped this past spring. The film became a surprise financial success, earning just shy of $100 million at the worldwide box office. Now, with the Golden Globes nominations just around the corner on Monday, Dec. 9, “Challengers” is once again in the conversation, but there’s one actor we might be underestimating. Here are five reasons why Josh O’Connor will be nominated for Best Film Supporting Actor against the odds.

He’ll be carried along by support for his film

Gold Derby’s odds currently predict that “Challengers” will be nominated in three categories: Best Film Comedy/Musical, Best Film Comedy/Musical Actress (Zendaya), and Best Score (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross). Meanwhile, O’Connor is on the bubble in the Best Film Supporting Actor race. He currently sits in ninth place with the backing of two of our expert journalists who think he’ll make the cut. Last year Willem Dafoe (“Poor Things”) was similarly helped by a wave of support for his film and secured a nom in this very category.

He’s a previous winner

O’Connor is a previous winner at the Golden Globes on the TV side for his role as Prince Charles in the Netflix chronicle “The Crown.” That was under a different voting body, yes (the now defunct Hollywood Foreign Press Association), but there are members who voted for him who remain in the current Golden Globes Association. Of the contenders vying for one of this category’s last couple spots, O’Connor is the only past champ. That likely helped Rosamund Pike (“Saltburn”) come from behind (also in ninth place in our odds) to land a nod last year in Best Film Supporting Actress.

He’s part of a critical fave

Judging from last year’s nominations, this voting body has high-brow sensibilities. This bodes well for “Challengers” which was a hit with critics. It earned “universal acclaim” on Metacritic (scoring 82), along with a certified fresh 88% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

He has international appeal

The Golden Globes Association also showed a refreshing willingness last year to recognize international artists. Alma Poysti’s nomination in Best Film Comedy/Musical Actress for “Fallen Leaves” is one example. Both Guadagnino and O’Connor’s acclaimed bodies of work outside of the United States, including O’Connor’s work in Alice Rohrwacher’s “La Chimera,” might give them a leg up.

He’s basically a co-lead

O’Connor being one of three leads in his film is beneficial as he has plenty of material for voters to sink their teeth into. Just ask Julianne Moore (“May December”). So at 56/1 odds, Josh O’Connor is a good wildcard to have in your predictions. If you’re right, you’ll score a lot of points.