James Friel, Newcomerstown, Ohio.

You nailed it! The Boston-born Wahlberg brothers got their start in the biz singing—Mark as Marky Mark (of the Funky Bunch) and older brother Donnie as a member of New Kids on the Block. But the golfing buddies have taken on darker, meatier roles through the years: Donnie landed a lead on CBS’ Blue Bloods, and Mark earned an Oscar nomination for The Departed and a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in The Fighter.

“I spent the last 10 years or so working hard to build respectability as an actor,” says Donnie, 41, who has taken on film and TV in Band of Brothers, Righteous Kill, Boomtown and The Kill Point, while Mark, 39, executive-produced HBO’s Entourage and appeared in The Italian Job and Max Payne. “The irony is the Wahlberg boys are always playing cops,” Donnie jokes. “Nobody confused us for cops when we were kids.”

Just in: Ricky Gervais has signed for an encore performance. He’ll host The 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, Jan. 16, 2011 on NBC. This year’s show will again be broadcast live at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. “I can’t believe they invited me back after awful things I said,” said Gervais in a release from NBC and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. “Let’s see how far I can go this time.” – Ann Oldenburg

Two announcements today make it clear that movie award season is upon us.  First, British actor and comedian Ricky Gervais, most recently the star of The Invention of Lying, will host the Golden Globe Awards on January 17.  Gervais is the first host of the show since 1995. His presenting skills at both the Emmys and last year's Golden Globes (watch him below) were a cut above all the rest.  Second, The Hollywood Reporter, announced the return today of its yearly Awards Watch, both online and in print.  It's not the only publication covering entertainment with an informed look at films – my friend Tom O'Neil does a masterful job at his Goldderby.com  (take a look at his 12 front-runners now).  Bookmark both if you're awards obsessed.

It’s going to be a great Golden Globes ceremony on Jan. 11. The nominations are out today and if you look at the list just for a taste of who will be making the awards scene at this party, and probably the ones for the SAG Awards and the Oscars, there’s lots to look forward to. Brad Pitt (at right in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) and Angelina Jolie (Changeling) will be arm in arm again, this time with matching nominations as best actor and actress; Meryl Streep will be there as well — she has two nominations, for Doubt and Mamma Mia! — and I always like to see whom she will bring (often one of her children). We’ll see good friends and co-stars Kate Winslet (another double nominee, for Revolutionary Road and The Reader) and Leonardo DiCaprio (Revolutionary Road), and Vicky Christina Barcelona co-stars turned couple Javier Bardiem and Penelope Cruz. We’ll see heartthrobs Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Jonathan Rhys Meyers (The Tudors) and, for we women of a certain age, Gabriel Byrne (In Treatment). Favorites like Sally Field (yes, we still like her), Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson, Shirley McLaine, Susan Sarandon and Laura Linney got nominations — all for movies except Field, who is up again for Brothers and Sisters. Tom Cruise got a Globe nomination for his Tropic Thunder cameo, so he and Katie Holmes should go because that nod is not likely to be repeated. And I’m thrilled to see Blair Underwood nominated for In Treatment, as it may have been the best performance on television this year. To see if your favorites made the list, click here.

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures