'Carol' Actress Rooney Mara Gets Golden Globe Nomination and Cinema Vanguard Award

In addition to the holidays, Rooney Mara has lots to celebrate this time of year. The 30-year old actress just received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Drama for her role as lesbian Therese Belivet in Carol.  No doubt her performance is also one of the reasons the film itself is nominated for Best Motion Picture in the Drama category, as well as its director Todd Hayes being nominated for Best Director.  In addition, Mara will also be awarded the Cinema Vanguard Award at the 31^st Santa Barbara Film Festival.  The award is given to actors who take artistic risks. 

Festival director Roger Durling recently commented "From her scene-stealing turn in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo to her outstanding performance in his year's Carol, Rooney has repeatedly showcased her talents as one of the most gifted actors of her generation. I truly admire the enigmatic and complex nature of her performances. She's an adept, beguiling actor."  The award will be presented to Mara by her Carol co-star Cate Blanchett, ironically also nominated for a Golden Globe in the same category.   

In a recent interview, the great granddaughter of New York Giants founder Tim Mara almost let the quintuple Golden Globe nominated film slip through her fingers. "I passed on Carol, which when I think about it now is insane to me, because Cate is one of my favorite actresses in the world," said Mara before adding "Working with her is like a dream come true, so the fact that I passed up on that opportunity - I can only imagine the state of mind I must have been in."

In regards to Mara's performance, double Oscar winner Blanchett claimed "Rooney plays her acting cards pretty close to her chest, but when she plays her hand, it is breathtaking, beautifully judged, connected and felt."

The two share a love scene together that is described as extremely intense.  Mara said "I think doing a love scene can be more or less comfortable but that's just depending on what character you're playing and who you're doing it with...I felt very comfortable around Cate."   

With the Golden Globes ceremony being broadcast on January 10^th and the Santa Barbara Film Festival taking place between February 3^rd -13^th, Mara will be starting 2016 off on a busy, but happy note.