LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) – The 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG) took place Sunday (February 26) at Los Angeles’ Fairmont Century Plaza, honoring some of the year’s best in film and TV that were voted on by the actors themselves.
Quinta Brunson and Janelle Janes of the TV series Abbott Elementary kicked off the show with a few opening jokes, including one that suggested Viola Davis, a recent Grammy winner is beyond EGOT status and has entered into the “ShEGOTallofthem” status.
The Sci-Fi hit film Everything Everywhere All at Once saw the film’s stars Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Ke Huy Quan winning a SAG award in their respective categories.
Yeoh made history with her win in the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role becoming the first Asian woman to win a leading film acting award.
“SAG-AFTRA, to get this from you who understand what it is to get here … every one of you know the journey, the roller coaster ride, the ups and downs. But most importantly we never give up. I thank you … This is not just for me, this is for every little girl who looks like me.” Then, after collecting herself, the acclaimed actress let a litany of curses go screaming “sh*t” and “f&ck” as she tried to contain her excitement. She finished, “Thank you for giving me a seat at the table.”
Yeoh’s co-star Ke Huy Quan became the first Asian male to win an individual film acting award with his win in the Outstanding Supporting Actor by a Male Artist in a Leading Role category.
In his speech, Quan referenced his return to Hollywood after his roles as a child actor in the ’80s with turns in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Dome and The Goonies due to a lack of opportunities. In his speech, he thanked his castmates and directors saying, “the landscape looks so different now than before.” He ended with, “Please keep going because the spotlight will one day find you.”
Curtis won Best Leading Supporting Actress for her role in the film in a surprise win over favorite Angela Bassett with her turn as Queen Mother in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Before Curtis’ win, it appeared Bassett was paving a clear path to scoring an Oscar for her role, the first for a Marvel movie.
Curtis told those in attendance she was wearing the wedding ring her father Tony Curtis gave her mother Janet Leigh. “I know you look at me and think ‘Nepo baby,'” Curtis said as the crowd laughed. “But the truth of the matter is that I am 64 years old and this is just amazing.”
The five-time nominated film went home with the night’s biggest prize – winning the SAG for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture.
Brendan Fraser won Outstanding Leading Actor for his critically-acclaimed role in The Whale. His win beat out Austin Butler for his turn as Elvis in Elvis – who took home the Golden Globe and Colin Farrell for his role in The Banshees of Inisherin.
In the TV categories, Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Comedy Series went to Abbott Elementary while The White Lotus won the ensemble cast award for drama series.
The White Lotus saw one of its stars take home the trophy with Jennifer Coolidge’s win for Best Actress in a Drama Series. In typical Coolidge fashion, she thanked her date, longtime friend, actor Tim Bagley saying, “You’re a wonderful date tonight. I can’t wait until we get home.”
Ozark’s lead man, Jason Bateman took home the SAG for Best Actor in a Drama Series.
TV veteran Jean Smart won Best Actress in a Comedy Series for Hacks. Smart, who had just revealed she is recovering from heart surgery wasn’t in attendance, so her co-star Christopher McDonald accepted on her behalf. Jeremy Allen White won for Best Actor in a Comedy Series for his character in The Bear.
Best Male and Female Actor in a TV Movie or Limited Series went to Jessica Chastain for her role as Tammy Wynette in George & Tammy and Sam Elliott for 1883. Chastain who had a small fall while making her way to the stage spoke of advice she received from the late actor Philip Seymour Hoffman when he visited a college class she was taking.
“He told us all his frustrating stories about auditions and he encouraged us to keep going even when we felt like no one was watching us,” she told the crowd about the actor, who passed in 2014 at the age of 46. “At the end of the talk, he said, ‘I look forward to working with each of you,’ and it shocked me because it was like he brought it into being.” (Chastain had the chance to work with him on Othello in 2009.)
She added, “I’m telling this story now because it reminds me of how powerful our mind is and that we are what our thoughts create. So I just wanna tell everyone who might be struggling at home, to all the actors that I get to meet: Keep going. You’re one job away. I look forward to working with you. I’ll see you on set. I love you.”
During the pre-show, Top Gun: Maverick and Stranger Things took home the awards for Best Stunt Ensembles in film and TV, respectively.
Sally Field was given the Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by her Amazing Spider-man costar Andrew Garfield. She was accompanied to the stage by SAG Award nominee Austin Butler. During her speech, she spoke of her movie Mrs. Doubtfire and her late co-star Robin Williams. Williams passed away from suicide in 2014.
“What you think about immediately is Robin. There isn’t a moment of it that’s not filled with my love and joy at being in his presence. I mean, Robin was Robin. He was everything he seemed to be: a generous loving, sweet, talented man. We all miss him. He should be growing old like me, for god’s sake. I hate it that he isn’t here.”
Last night’s ceremony was live-streamed on Netflix’s YouTube channel, allowing for a more relaxed viewing experience with no commercial and some profanity making it through. The show will stream globally on Netflix beginning in 2024.
Next up are the Academy Awards which air on March 12. Final voting for the Oscars takes place March 2 – 7.
The full list of nominees is below, with winners in bold.
Motion picture cast
Babylon
The Banshees of Inisherin
WINNER: Everything Everywhere All at Once
The Fabelmans
Women Talking
Male actor in a leading role
Austin Butler, Elvis
Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin
WINNER: Brendan Fraser, The Whale
Bill Nighy, Living
Adam Sandler, Hustle
Female actor in a leading role
Cate Blanchett, Tár
Viola Davis, The Woman King
Ana de Armas, Blonde
Danielle Deadwyler, Till
WINNER: Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Male actor in a supporting role
Paul Dano, The Fabelmans
Brendan Gleeson, The Banshees of Inisherin
Barry Keoghan, The Banshees of Inisherin
WINNER: Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Eddie Redmayne, The Good Nurse
Female actor in a supporting role
Angela Bassett, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Hong Chau, The Whale
Kerry Condon, The Banshees of Inisherin
WINNER: Jamie Lee Curtis, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Stephanie Hsu, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Stunt ensemble in a motion picture
Avatar: The Way of Water
The Batman
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
WINNER: Top Gun: Maverick
The Woman King
Drama series ensemble
Better Call Saul
The Crown
Ozark
Severance
WINNER: The White Lotus
Comedy series ensemble
WINNER: Abbott Elementary
Barry
The Bear
Hacks
Only Murders in the Building
Male actor in a TV movie or miniseries
Steve Carell, The Patient
Taron Egerton, Blackbird
WINNER: Sam Elliott, 1883
Paul Walter Hauser, Blackbird
Evan Peters, Dahmer
Female actor in a TV movie or miniseries
Emily Blunt, The English
WINNER: Jessica Chastain, George & Tammy
Julia Garner, Inventing Anna
Niecy Nash, Dahmer
Amanda Seyfried, The Dropout
Male actor in a drama series
Jonathan Banks, Better Call Saul
WINNER: Jason Bateman, Ozark
Jeff Bridges, The Old Man
Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul
Adam Scott, Severance
Female actor in a drama series
WINNER: Jennifer Coolidge, The White Lotus
Elizabeth Debicki, The Crown
Julia Garner, Ozark
Laura Linney, Ozark
Zendaya, Euphoria
Male actor in a comedy series
Anthony Carrigan, Barry
Bill Hader, Barry
Steve Martin, Only Murders in the Building
Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building
WINNER: Jeremy Allen White, The Bear
Female actor in a comedy series
Christina Applegate, Dead to Me
Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
Jenna Ortega, Wednesday
WINNER: Jean Smart, Hacks
Stunt ensemble in a TV series
Andor
The Boys
House of the Dragon
Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
WINNER: Stranger Things
