There are very few rooms in Hollywood where Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson feels like the new guy. But on a Wednesday afternoon in Beverly Hills, he was celebrating a true career first: a Golden Globe nomination, for his lead role in the drama The Smashing Machine.
“It feels like a new chapter. It feels like a new life,” Johnson told me as awards season officially got underway. “And it feels great.”
For an actor who has spent decades shape-shifting across careers — from WWE superstar to box office force — the nomination landed less as validation (though that part is nice) and more as an invitation to keep taking risks. Johnson says the film wasn’t made with awards in mind, but as a personal creative challenge, one that required him to push beyond what felt comfortable.
“There’s a voice we all have,” said the 53-year-old actor, who is up for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama. “You may be comfortable in the spot you’re in, but go be uncomfortable. That thing is scary — go run toward it. It’s OK if you don’t know what the outcome is going to be, because you did something that you did for you.”
BFF’s only: Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart joke around at the luncheon. (Chris Pizzello/AP)
Johnson arrived with his close friend and Jumanji costar Kevin Hart, the two slipping onto the red carpet shortly before a Golden Globes luncheon celebrating first-time nominees kicked off. Hart, nominated for his stand-up comedy special, was enjoying the reminder that even after decades in the business, new milestones still land.
“At this stage, it’s a big deal,” Hart told me. “It shows you that there’s still things to get excited about. You can easily do the work within this business and find yourself getting lost in the everyday cycle of what the work [represents]. When you get something that looks or appears to be new, it makes you go, ‘Oh, wow.’ These are the bonuses within the craft.”
Hart says the recognition feels especially meaningful at age 46. “Just to be noticed in this space for the thing that I hold nearest and dearest to my heart — an extreme blessing. Extreme blessing.”
Chase Infiniti, Wagner Moura, Monica Padman, Eva Victor, Damson Idris, Britt Lower, Rhea Seehorn and Tramell Tillman were also in attendance. (Gilbert Flores/Penske Media via Getty Images)
Golden Globes president Helen Hoehne welcomed the room at the Maybourne Hotel with a toast that grounded the moment. Some nominees, she noted, were newer voices. Others had long, celebrated careers.
“Your work resonated with 400 voters from 95 different countries and regions,” Hoehne said. “We hope to continue this tradition of being in front of such an inspiring group of people.”
Before “the season starts and we all go crazy,” as she put it, this luncheon was meant to feel personal — a pause before the noise.
Lunch unfolded in a bright, tented space that felt elegant without being stiff. A strawberry field salad made its way to the tables, followed by a choice of herb-crusted branzino, Mary’s chicken breast or mushroom Wellington. Swarovski crystal tablescapes caught the light as conversations stretched on, and gift bags waiting by each chair included Meta Ray-Ban AI glasses and dinner for two at the Maybourne’s acclaimed restaurant, Dante. (At the actual show, winners and presenters will walk away with a fancy gift bag valued at around $1 million.)
At the film table, Johnson was seated next to Hart, of course. The comedian spent most of the luncheon talking to One Battle After Another breakout (and Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy nominee) Chase Infiniti and Damson Idris, who was there representing the film F1. The conversation moved easily, bouncing between craft, gratitude and the shared novelty of being here.
Here’s what table 1 looked like, with Johnson, Hart, Infiniti and Idris. (Michael Buckner/Penske Media via Getty Images)
For Infiniti, the nomination came with an emotional wave she hadn’t quite anticipated. “I knew gratitude was something that I would be feeling in general,” she told Yahoo, “but I think I’ve been far more emotional than I imagined I would be.”
The 25-year-old said acting is all she’s ever wanted to do. Being allowed to perform “at a scale like this” made the moment hit harder than expected.
Best Actress nominee Eva Victor (for the drama Sorry, Baby) brought a nervous yet very relatable energy to the room, describing her vibe simply as “happy to be here.” She spoke enthusiastically about the work that moved her this year, then laughed about navigating awards season with a bag full of ginger chews stashed in her purse. It was a small detail that perfectly captured the tone of the afternoon: accomplished artists still managing very human needs.
Infiniti and Eva Victor dress to impress. (Michael Buckner/Penske Media via Getty Images)
Across the room, the TV table had its own warm buzz. Severance costars Britt Lower and Tramell Tillman were deep in conversation at one point, joined by Rhea Seehorn (Pluribus) and Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent). Phones stayed off the table. People leaned in. Conversations felt unhurried.
Lower admitted to Yahoo that while the nomination was thrilling, her mind was also on something far more mundane: the fact that she still had Christmas gifts to wrap. “I have them bought, which is like a miracle,” she said, “but they’re all waiting for me to wrap them.”
Along with savoring the moment, she joked, she was juggling the everyday logistics of real life. “It’s dog walks and school runs and hiding the elf,” she said — a reminder that even in awards season, life doesn’t exactly pause.
Severance costars Tramell Tillman and Britt Lower have a laugh. (Gilbert Flores/Penske Media via Getty Images)
Seehorn spoke about a different kind of emotion — the responsibility of enjoying the moment during a time like this. “I want to be very present if somebody is complimentary or wants to talk to me about what the work means to them,” she said.
Rhea Seehorn poses with Johnson. (Michael Buckner/Penske Media via Getty Images)
What moved her most, she added, was hearing from people she’s worked with for years. “Not just proud of me,” she said, “but that they’ve always rooted for me to have success because of my behavior on sets.” The recognition left her, in her words, a little verklempt — and in this room, she wasn’t alone.
At my table, I spent the afternoon with The Pitt star Jalen Thomas Brooks, who was an absolute delight. We talked about family, the holidays and what it’s like building a life in Los Angeles — trading stories about how the city changes depending on where you are in it. He shared his New Year’s Eve plans, fielded a midlunch text from his costar Noah Wyle asking how the event was and confirmed that production on the second season is nearly wrapped — revealing nothing, except that it’s going to be amazing, as expected.
Jalen Thomas Brooks represented The Pitt. (Gilbert Flores/Penske Media via Getty Images)
Monica Padman was also at the table, nominated alongside Dax Shepard for Armchair Expert in the Golden Globes’ newly introduced podcast category. We talked about the novelty of seeing podcasts recognized alongside film and television this year — and then immediately pivoted to bonding over getting into mah-jongg, which we both agreed might just be the new pickleball.
It was a room full of people at wildly different stages of their careers, united by a moment they hadn’t expected — and weren’t rushing past.
The scene will look very different in a few weeks, complete with red carpets, speeches and probably some wild moments, given it’s Hollywood’s biggest party of the year. But on this afternoon in Beverly Hills, before any of that, the focus was simpler: genuine, happy-to-be-here vibes.
The 83rd Annual Golden Globes is streaming live Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET. You can watch it on CBS, Paramount+ and here on Yahoo.com.
