Golden Globe nominee Richard Jenkins on The Shape of Water: 'These movies don't come along very often'

The Hollywood Foreign Press awarded Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water with a whopping seven nominations on Monday morning, including best picture, director and acting nods for Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer, and Richard Jenkins. “It’s been a humbling morning,” says Jenkins, 70, who says he’s been emailing back and forth with his fellow nominees. “We all love Guillermo del Toro. All of us,” he says. “And Sally? Octavia? God, they’re the best.”

He credits his director — “This movie is Guillermo’s heart” — for the rapturous reaction to this modern-day fairytale about a mute woman, Elisa (Hawkins), who falls in love with an aquatic creature while working in a 1960s research facility. Jenkins plays Giles, the narrator of the film, who has his own battles with loneliness. “Giles is such a great, great role,” Jenkins says. “At my age — to be handed a movie like this? You know, 20 years ago I don’t know if I would have realized just how special it is. These movies don’t come along very often. When you get to be my age, especially. So when they do….I just really appreciate it.”

The date of the nominations announcement held a bit of extra meaning for Jenkins, too. “Today was my father’s birthday. He’s been dead for many years. I was an only child and he was so supportive to me, but he was always terrified of me becoming an actor.” He pauses. “So today really is special.”