The early riser (who is typically at the gym every day by 4:30 a.m.) explained that the recent strikes offered “a time for reflection and a time for reaching out to our crew members.”
Wilmer Valderrama had an early start to the week. The NCIS star was up hours before dawn to help announce this year’s Golden Globe nominees alongside president Helen Hoehne and fellow CBS star Cedric the Entertainer. Moments after all the names were announced, Valderrama chatted with The Hollywood Reporter about the difficulty of his duties at the podium, getting back to work after the strike and whether or not he’ll be at the big show on Jan. 7.
As an actor, you’re probably used to early call times …
I am. I’m in the gym at 4:30 a.m. every morning because working out at the end of the day doesn’t work. By the time I get home from work, I’m tired and exhausted. If I get up at 4:30 a.m., I get a running start on the day. It’s pretty intense but, honestly, once you settle into that kind of routine, there’s something beautiful that comes with the serenity of getting up that early. And to be here this early, it’s a chance to be a part of a little piece of history. It’s pretty remarkable.
And for your CBS family, too. Because you’re here as a presenter today does that mean you’re also going to present at the show?
I’m not sure. It was a divide and conquer thing today. I do know that there will be a lot of incredible people that will be highlighted on that stage. I have no doubts that there will be a lot of our communities represented on that stage. I haven’t heard anything yet about presenting but this was an unbelievable opportunity to be a part of it.
It was also a tough job. You had a lot of names to pronounce…
Yeah, and no matter how much rehearsals you have… at 4 a.m., it’s not easy. Plus, it’s hard to be coherent at this time. But as long as it rhymes with who got nominated, I think they’ll get the point.
Do you get a run-through before so you know the names?
Yeah. We did a quick little secret meeting. You only have just a few minutes with the copy, so you’re not surprised with pronunciations. You do your best, but it’s a big testament of a lot of the individuals that are nominated, because there are so many cultures represented. Some names require a rolling on the Rs, some have silent Hs and Ls, so it was an interesting list. I actually did not want to announce the best score nominees because the composer names were very tough. Thankfully, Cedric had those.
I know it’s hard to process all the names after only hearing them all a few minutes ago, but did you happen to hear an actor’s name or a movie or TV show title that you’re a fan of or that you really loved this year?
I was actually blown away by the drama category, how diverse in tone those dramatic films are. Also the comedy [film] category, there’s such a large spectrum of films, so many colorful movies in the same genre. It’s kind of iconic. And, of course, you have a movie like Barbie in there as well. How do you even vote and pick one? I’m also excited for the Latino nominees. I know [Pedro Pascal] is nominated and that’s really exciting. It always feels like a new beginning for our Latino community as we enter the mainstream community. We’ve been a part of it for a long time but to be able to share the stage is really special.
The Globes introduced a new category for cinematic and box office achievement. The TV side does not have a similar category. As someone who stars on one of TV’s most successful franchises, how do you feel about that? Do shows like NCIS deserve more recognition on the award stage?
There are shows that have been around for a long time and sometimes they run up against complacency or the shows run their course. But a show like NCIS is still going strong at 21 years is remarkable. The writers are still swinging, the actors are still fresh and also swinging hard. To do a procedural and actually have the stamina to do 22 episodes a season with episodes that are still that good with performances that are still energetic and fun, there’s something to be said about that. It’s also a show that continues to be welcomed by new generations of fans, passed from one generation to the next — there’s something really unique about that.
The SAG contract was just ratified. What was the strike like for you and how did you spend your time off?
I was really stressed for my team and a lot of my crew members. Let’s be honest, our job as individuals that are the working actors was to kind of raise awareness for the individuals that really needed to be highlighted. I was very concerned about our crews who are in either hourly rates or daily rates. There weren’t enough music videos, commercials or independent movies [with waivers] for everybody to work on that would allow them to make it through the summer. We’re also in a situation now where a lot of shows are not coming back until January, so most of the year is done for some. It’s a very stressful and really tough time for people in our industry as we head into the holidays.
Are you back to work?
I’m part of one of the few shows gearing up. I just started the show last Friday. We started filming what will be our season premiere and we’re at least going to get two episodes in before Christmas break. We’re very fortunate, but I think a lot about my friends and families of the entertainment industry who are really struggling right now. I hope we can go back to the volume that we had before, but it doesn’t seem likely. The strike, for me, was a time for reflection and a time for reaching out to our crew members who were understandably very stressed.
Golden Globes producer Dick Clark Productions is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Penske Media Corporation and Eldridge that also owns The Hollywood Reporter.