- By Steven McIntosh
- Entertainment reporter
1 hour ago
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Cillian Murphy said it was “extremely special” to win an award chosen by fellow actors
Oppenheimer continued his awards season dominance, winning several major awards at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards on Saturday.
Christopher Nolan's film won the award for best film cast, while Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr. won individual acting awards.
Sir Kenneth Branagh accepted the top prize on behalf of the cast, saying they were all “grateful, humble and proud”.
The evening was peppered with remarks about the actors' strike that paralyzed Hollywood last year.
Paying tribute to the US actors' union, Sir Kenneth said: “Thank you for fighting for us, thank you for every Sag Aftra member whose support and sacrifice allows us to be here better than before.”
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Sir Kenneth Branagh (left) accepted the evening's top prize on behalf of the cast of Oppenheimer
“We left the red carpet, we didn't see the movie that night, we happily walked in the direction of solidarity with our good selves, so this is a full circle moment for us,” he told the audience of actors.
“We are grateful, humbled and proud to not only be part of Mr. Nolan’s masterpiece, but also proud to be in your company.”
The film about theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, described as the father of the atomic bomb, will almost certainly win the best picture prize at the Oscars next month after its success at SAG and other precursor ceremonies.
The Best Film Cast award is considered the highest honor at the SAG Awards because there is no Best Picture category. Winners at the annual ceremony in Los Angeles are chosen by fellow actors.
Irish actor Cillian Murphy said his win was “very, very special to me because it comes from you”.
He recalled: “28 years ago, when I was trying to become an actor, I was a failed musician and felt extremely like an interloper, but today when I look at all of you here, I know that I am a part of it. “ something really wonderful, so thank you very much.”
Ahead of the Oscars on March 10, the race for best actor was a two-way battle, but Murphy's victory gives him a significant lead over his closest rival, Paul Giamatti of “The Holdovers.”
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Lily Gladstone's Best Actress win gives her Oscar campaign a major boost
Elsewhere, Killers of the Flower Moon star Lily Gladstone was named best actress – giving her own Oscar campaign a major boost.
“This has been a tough year for all of us, those of us in this room, those of us not in this room. I am so proud that we came here in solidarity with all our other unions,” she said in her acceptance speech.
“It’s truly a gift that we do this for a living. That's the benefit of being able to be here, to be on set, to be able to tell stories. We bring empathy to a world that so desperately needs it.”
She added: “It's so easy to distance ourselves, to close ourselves off, to stop feeling and…” [actors] Everyone continues to feel bravely, it brings people out of the shadows, it brings visibility.”
Gladstone's win leaves the best actress Oscar category a close call after Poor Things star Emma Stone won at the Baftas last week.
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“The Holdovers” star Da'Vine Joy Randolph continued her winning streak in the Best Supporting Actress category
“Holdovers” star Da'Vine Joy Randolph was named best supporting actress, a prize she has won consistently throughout awards season and one she will almost certainly win at the Oscars.
“I wake up every day overwhelmed with gratitude to be a working actress,” she said. “In what other profession are people able to live so many lives and touch so many hearts of those they have never met?”
She added: “For every actor out there who is still waiting for his chance, I want to tell you that your life can change in a day. It’s not a question of if, it’s a question of when – keep going.”
Best Supporting Actor was awarded to Oppenheimer's Robert Downey Jr., who also dominated his category.
He described the award as “incredibly meaningful” and acknowledged his status as an Oscar front-runner by asking, “Why me, why now, why do things seem to be going my way?”
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Alan Ruck (center) accepted the main prize in the TV categories on behalf of the cast of Succession
Winners in the television categories included Ali Wong and Steven Yeun for the Netflix road rage series “Beef” and Pedro Pascal for the post-apocalyptic drama “The Last of Us.”
Ayo Edebiri and Jeremy Allen White also won for their kitchen comedy The Bear, while Elizabeth Debicki won best drama actress for her role as Princess Diana in The Crown.
“The Bear” won best ensemble comedy cast, while “Succession” won best ensemble drama cast for its critically acclaimed fourth and final season.
“Not only did we all work on perhaps one of the greatest television shows of all time, but we also made friends for life,” said actor Alan Ruck as he accepted the award on behalf of the cast.
The series' “In Memoriam” paid tribute to Matthew Perry, Harry Belafonte, Sir Michael Gambon, Tina Turner, Angus Cloud, Glenda Jackson, Alan Arkin, Julian Sands, Lance Reddick, Lee Sun-kyun, Tom Wilkinson, Andre Braugher and Chita Rivera Segment.
The Devil Wears Prada Reunion
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The Devil Wears Prada stars Emily Blunt, Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway reunited to present an award
Streep first appeared to accidentally walk right into the microphone stand – before explaining to the audience that she didn't have her glasses or the winner's envelope with her.
The two actresses, who played their assistants in the 2006 film, then appeared wearing envelopes and glasses before the trio delivered a light-hearted skit with some of the film's most famous lines.
Melissa McCarthy presented another category, asking Billie Eilish to sign her forehead as she told the singer what a big fan she was, and the cast of Modern Family and Breaking Bad reunited to present the awards for the best cast of comedy and drama ensemble.
Idris Elba hosted
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The SAG Awards were broadcast worldwide on Netflix for the first time, which host Idris Elba referenced when opening the ceremony.
“Personally, I can't wait to get home and have Netflix recommend this show to me,” the Wire star joked.
He also acknowledged how “difficult” it has been for actors during the recent strike, adding: “I would like to take a moment to honor and appreciate all of you, both here and at home, who watching at home, standing up in solidarity and support.” .”
Elba said the ceremony, which was streamed rather than broadcast on a television network, allowed actors to swear in their acceptance speeches – but he urged them not to reach “the full stage of succession.”
“Here's a good rule of thumb: Don't say anything you wouldn't say in front of Oprah,” he told an audience that included Oprah Winfrey herself.
Barbara Streisand wins her life's work
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Streisand said it was “a privilege to be part of this profession” as she accepted her lifetime achievement award
Morning Show star Jennifer Aniston and Maestro's Bradley Cooper presented this year's lifetime achievement award to veteran singer and actress Barbara Streisand.
“All of us in this room and far beyond have been inspired by Barbara’s magic,” Aniston said. “Barbara didn’t just pave the way for us women, she bulldozed it.”
Accepting her award, Streisand joked that it was “such a wonderful award because you know in advance that you're going to get it.”
Recalling her childhood, she said: “I didn't like reality, I wanted to act in films. Even though I knew I didn't look like the other women on screen. My mother said, 'You'd better learn to type.' . But I didn't listen. And somehow it all came true.”
“It is a privilege to be part of this profession. For a few hours people can sit in the theater and escape their own worries – what an idea.”
She paid tribute to her fellow actors and directors and concluded: “I loved living with you in the magical world of films.”