The 60th Golden Globe Awards ceremony had officially begun—just as expected.
The Golden Globes are considered the precursor to the awards season because the Hollywood Foreign Press Association has a precise and thorough grasp of industry trends. They can always sense Hollywood's shifts and changes early on.
This year was no different.
Last year, at the Emmys, The West Wing dominated, taking home the Best Drama Series award for the third consecutive year. All nine of the main actors received acting nominations, making history. Meanwhile, The Shield, another highly praised show, only managed to snag the Best Actor in a Drama Series award, sparking controversy that the Emmys had become stagnant.
At the same time, Friends finally won the Best Comedy Series award after four nominations, but it didn't take home Best Director or Best Writing, and was once again overshadowed by Everybody Loves Raymond.
Such results made it difficult to declare which series truly won. Additionally, Frasier, which many professionals considered the best comedy since Seinfeld, was once again snubbed, reigniting debates over which show deserved the title of best comedy of the era.
The debates continued.
So, the Golden Globes made their corrections.
Kim Cattrall, who played Samantha in Sex and the City, won her first Best Supporting Actress award, a major breakthrough for the iconic role.
Jennifer Aniston's career reached a turning point as well. After winning the Emmy for Best Actress in a Comedy Series last year, she claimed the same title at the Golden Globes for the first time, a moment of clarity after much uncertainty.
As the ceremony had only just begun, the Hilton Hotel in Hollywood was already filled with cheers, whistles, and applause, celebrating two long-overdue acknowledgments for these actors.
It was clear that after the Golden Globes wrapped up, the Emmy controversies would resurface, with the Golden Globes riding a wave of popularity effortlessly.
Whether the discussions would be positive or negative remained to be seen.
Meanwhile, one of the ceremony staff gently tapped Anson's shoulder, signaling that it was time for him to head backstage to prepare for his role as an award presenter—
Tonight, Anson was not only a nominee but also an award presenter.
It was clear that the Golden Globes were keen on capitalizing on Anson's popularity to create buzz.
Of course, Anson didn't mind.
He was set to present the Best Original Score award.
Arriving early backstage, amidst the chaos and noise, Anson once again experienced the weight of his newfound fame.
Everyone was greeting him.
Literally, everyone—whether they were attending the awards or working behind the scenes at the event, no exceptions.
It seemed the pre-show incident had given people a new perspective on him.
On one hand, the support from people like Maggie and Steven proved Anson's strong industry connections.
On the other hand, his calm and confident response showcased his composure—
Could Anson really be the secret son of a Hollywood executive, or a second-generation heir to old money, or maybe the youngest son of some aristocrat?
Where else could that confidence come from?
An ordinary person would have been overwhelmed by such attention.
Quietly, things were shifting, something Anson hadn't anticipated.
The only relief was that Anson had the role of presenter, so with a gentle nudge from the staff, he managed to avoid being completely surrounded.
Amidst the hustle, Anson finally reached the stage's wings, ready to make his appearance.
It wasn't until now, as he was about to present, that Anson realized presenters also had to rehearse. Even if it was just a few lines, the presenters had to go through the script and choreography with the production team, including all the dialogues for the night's ceremony.
After all, this was live TV.
One mistake could turn into a disaster for the whole night.
In 2004, during the halftime show of Super Bowl XXXVIII, top-tier star Janet Jackson—Michael Jackson's sister—performed with Justin Timberlake, who had recently gone solo from NSYNC.
At the end of the performance, Justin suddenly reached for Janet's chest without warning and ripped off part of her leather bodice, exposing her in front of millions of viewers. The incident caused a massive fallout, given the Super Bowl's immense audience reach.
The FBI even launched an official investigation, turning it into the infamous "Super Bowl Incident."
Though both Janet and Justin addressed the incident, the truth remained unclear, and speculation only grew.
Some said it was a publicity stunt by Janet, others claimed it was a pre-planned act by both Janet and Justin, while some believed it was a genuine accident, and others thought it was a mischievous act by Justin that turned into a full-blown scandal.
Opinions were divided.
However, the result was clear—
Janet Jackson faced unofficial blacklisting, her career severely impacted, while Justin continued to thrive. Despite skipping the following month's Grammy Awards, he still won a trophy, and his career flourished.
This incident marked a turning point for live television in the U.S.
Since then, all live broadcasts have been required to delay their transmission by at least 30 seconds to one minute, giving networks time to handle any unexpected incidents.
The effects of this policy are still felt today.
In 2021, Justin publicly admitted for the first time that the Super Bowl incident was his fault. His impulsive act, meant as a joke, triggered a series of unintended consequences, and he offered a formal apology.
For Janet, that apology came 17 years too late.
Returning to the present—
In 2003, there was no delay. Live meant live, with everything happening in real-time. Every detail of the awards ceremony was captured by cameras, even if someone was caught picking their nose—it was all on display.
Because of this, a palpable tension filled the air in the Hilton Hotel's ballroom.
The Golden Globes were second only to the Oscars in viewership, attracting over 30 million viewers each year.
No one wanted to embarrass themselves on live television.
So, Charlie Kaufman's fasting didn't seem so strange after all.
Before social media permeated every aspect of daily life, the Golden Globes were the perfect stage for those behind the scenes to finally gain exposure. Everyone dressed to impress and showcase themselves.
Just sitting in the audience, the invisible tension was palpable; how much more intense was it on stage?
As Anson stood in the wings, the heat and pressure slowly enveloped him, clawing at his nerves in a way completely different from the Emmys.
At the Emmys, his win had been unexpected. He hadn't anticipated the award, and everything happened so fast that there wasn't time to be nervous.
The Golden Globes, however, were a different story. Everything was planned, and Anson knew exactly what was coming, making the tension silently creep in and tighten around him.