Richard Jenkins spoke to the Times Monday.
Q: Were you up and watching the nominations this morning?
A: No, I was not. I was asleep. The publicist called. I know, I know. It was amazing.
Q: This is actually your first Globe nomination?
A: It is my first. I've actually never been. It always looks like such fun, it just looks like a real party. I'm excited to go.
Q: What does it mean to be recognized for this role in particular?
A: Maybe it connected with people. All of the nominations the film got is heartening. Whenever you make a movie, you want it to connect with people, you want it to connect on an emotional level. That's the reason you made it. And when it does, it's just, to be back in high school, it's just really cool.
Q: Your character finds himself as an unlikely co-conspirator in spiriting away the creator. Is there anything in particular you enjoyed about the character?
A: I love somebody who does something that they're terrified to do. So you know they're doing it for a good reason. It's not easy for them, it's just really hard. And they'd do anything to get out of it, but they go through with it. It's what the movie is about, it's about love, his love for Eliza [Sally Hawkins] and his understanding finally that she is his dearest friend.
Q: I think it's really speaking to people to see these outsiders come together.
A: I think there's no justice a lot of times, and once in a while there is some justice in the show business world. And for Guillermo [del Toro, the director], it is justified and it's beautiful. He's like nobody else. This whole group was just a great group of people. Sally is the best, Octavia [Spencer] is the best, Michael Shannon, Michael Stuhlbarg, it's an incredible group. And you know it when you're filming it, but you just don't know what will happen when the movie comes out.
Q: Have you seen any of your other nominees in theaters?
A: I haven't seen anything. But I did see "Lady Bird." That's about the only one that I've seen. And I loved Laurie Metcalf in it, and I just love Saoirse Ronan. I thought they were just frickin' incredible.
