Timothée Chalamet, Demi Moore, Kieran Culkin, Zoe Saldaña,, the cast of ‘Conclave’ and the series ‘Shogun’ were the big winners at the 31st edition of the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
The ceremony, broadcast live on Netflix, took place at The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles and was hosted by actress Kristen Bell, nominated that night for her role in ‘Nobody Wants This’. In her opening monologue, Bell paid tribute to the Los Angeles firefighters, some of whom were present at the gala, expressing her gratitude for their bravery during the wildfires that ravaged the city last January.
The award for best lead actor went to Timothée Chalamet for his portrayal of Bob Dylan in ‘A Complete Unknown’, the biopic directed by James Mangold. «I really didn’t expect this at all. I put everything I had into portraying this incomparable artist,» Chalamet said as he accepted his award in a speech where he mentioned Daniel Day-Lewis, Marlon Brando, and Viola Davis and sports figures like Michael Jordan or Michael Phelps as his biggest inspirations and references for «reaching the top.»
Chalamet’s victory comes as a bit of a surprise and breaks the trend just a week away from the Oscars, in a awards season where this category had been dominated by Adrien Brody, who with his work in ‘The Brutalist’ won at the Golden Globes, the BAFTA Awards, and the Critics’ Choice Awards.
Demi Moore, also a favorite for the Oscars, won the award for best actress in ‘The Substance’, beating out Pamela Anderson, nominated for ‘The Last Showgirl’, Mikey Madison for ‘Anora’, Cynthia Erivo for ‘Wicked’, and Karla Sofía Gascón, the Spanish actress nominated for ‘Emilia Pérez’ who has been absent from awards ceremonies following the crisis sparked by her past racist tweets.
If her colleague in ‘Emilia Pérez’ won, Zoe Saldaña, who continued her winning streak, picked up the award for best supporting actress. «I am proud to be part of a union that allows me to be who I am. Everyone has the right to be who they are,» the actress said as she accepted her award.
Kieran Culkin was the winner in the best supporting actor category for his work in the dramedy ‘A Real Pain’ and is also a strong favorite after already winning at the Golden Globes, the BAFTA Awards, and the Independent Spirit Awards. The actor had previously won two SAG Awards as part of the Succession cast.
The award for best ensemble went to the papal election thriller ‘Conclave’, beating out the casts of ‘Wicked’, ‘A Complete Unknown’, ‘Anora’, and ‘Emilia Pérez’.
‘SHOGUN’ CONTINUES TO DOMINATE
On television, and after dominating at the Emmys and the Golden Globes, the historical drama ‘Shogun’ culminated its triumphant run by winning four awards: best ensemble in a drama series, best action doubles, best lead actress in a drama series for Anna Sawai, and best lead actor in a drama series for Hiroyuki Sanada.
Jessica Gunning, actress from ‘My Stuffed Reindeer’, beat out Jodie Foster, Cate Blanchett, and Kathy Bates to win best actress in a telefilm or limited series, and thanked her co-star and the series creator, Richard Gadd, for «making my dreams come true.»
Colin Farrell won his first SAG Award for best lead actor in a limited series for his performance in ‘The Penguin’, beating out Richard Gadd for ‘My Stuffed Reindeer’, Kevin Kline for ‘Disclaimer’, Andrew Scott for ‘Ripley’, and Spanish actor Javier Bardem nominated for his work in ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’.
Jean Smart, star of ‘The Hacks’, won her third SAG Award for best comedy actress, and Martin Short was the surprising winner of the best actor in a comedy series for ‘Only Murders in the Building’. The award for best comedy ensemble went to ‘Only Murders in the Building’.
AWARD FOR JANE FONDA
During the ceremony, Jane Fonda received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Julia Louis-Dreyfus as «a woman whose life on and off the screen has been simply epic.»
«This means a lot to me,» Fonda said to a standing ovation. The 87-year-old actress reflected on her «strange» career and described herself as «late» in her resurgence. In reference to the current political climate in the United States, which Fonda compared to McCarthyism, she said that «being awake just means you care about others» and that «many people will be harmed by what’s happening.» «We must not deceive ourselves for a moment about what is happening. This is very serious, friends, so let’s be brave,» she concluded.
The SAG Awards, voted on by the actors themselves, are a major indicator in the acting categories leading up to the Oscars as the acting branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the largest voting bloc in the Academy Awards. Last year, SAG winners Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., and Da’Vine Joy Randolph all took home Oscars in their respective categories.
