Hollywood’s top actors honored the best of their craft Sunday night in Los Angeles at the 26th annual SAG Awards, an important bellwether in the ongoing Oscar race.
The South Korean thriller “Parasite” made history as the first foreign-language film ever to win the top prize of Best Ensemble, knocking off Hollywood titans like 鈥淥nce Upon a Time in Hollywood,” 鈥淭he Irishman,” 鈥淏ombshell鈥� and 鈥淛ojo Rabbit.”
Can it now go the distance at the Oscars?
Historically, the SAG champ has only won the Best Picture Oscar in 11 out of 24 years. The last time it matched was “Spotlight” (2015). Since then, SAG winner “Hidden Figures” lost to “Moonlight,” SAG winner “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” lost to “The Shape of Water,” and SAG winner 鈥淏lack Panther鈥� lost to 鈥淕reen Book.”
This still leaves the door open for “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” which won Best Picture (Comedy) at the Golden Globes (Hollywood loves to vote for movies about Hollywood), and the war film “1917,” which won Best Picture (Drama) at the Golden Globes and Best Film at the PGA Awards, a far better indicator of Oscar’s Best Picture.
Instead, the Screen Actors Guild is a far better predictor of Oscar’s acting categories.
Joaquin Phoenix won Best Actor for his terrifying turn in “Joker,” defeating Christian Bale (鈥淔ord v. Ferrari鈥�),聽Leonardo DiCaprio (鈥淥nce Upon a Time in Hollywood鈥�),聽Adam Driver (鈥淢arriage Story鈥�) and聽Taron Egerton (鈥淩ocketman鈥�). Phoenix delivered the night’s best acceptance speech, thanking his fellow nominees and his predecessor.
“I am standing on the shoulders of my favorite actor, Heath Ledger,” Phoenix said.
After previously winning at the Golden Globes,聽Phoenix is now a virtual lock to win his first ever Oscar next month. SAG鈥檚 Best Actor winner has gone on to win the Oscar every time the past decade except for once: Denzel Washington won SAG for 鈥淔ences鈥� but lost the Oscar to Casey Affleck for 鈥淢anchester by the Sea鈥� (2016).
Also no surprise, Ren茅e Zellweger won Best Actress for her transformation as Judy Garland in “Judy,” defeating Cynthia Erivo (鈥淗arriet鈥�),聽Scarlett Johansson (鈥淢arriage Story鈥�),聽Charlize Theron (鈥淏ombshell鈥�) and Lupita Nyong鈥檕 (鈥淯s鈥�).
“Judy Garland, 50 years later, your community is thinking of you tonight,” Zellweger said. “This is for you.”
Zellweger also won the Golden Globe, making her the favorite to win her first ever Oscar for lead actress.聽SAG鈥檚 Best Actress winner has gone on to win the Oscar every time the past decade except twice: Viola Davis won SAG for 鈥淭he Help鈥� but lost the Oscar to Meryl Streep for 鈥淭he Iron Lady鈥� (2011), while Glenn Close won SAG for 鈥淭he Wife鈥� but lost the Oscar to Olivia Colman for 鈥淭he Favourite鈥� (2018).
Brad Pitt won聽Best Supporting Actor as an aging stuntman in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” defeating Jamie Foxx (鈥淛ust Mercy鈥�),聽Tom Hanks (鈥淎 Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood鈥�),聽Al Pacino (鈥淭he Irishman鈥�) and聽Joe Pesci (鈥淭he Irishman鈥�).
“Let’s be honest, it was a difficult part, a guy who gets high, takes his shirt off and doesn’t get along with his wife,” Pitt joked. “It was a big stretch.”
Having already won at the Globes, Pitt will likely win his first acting Oscar next month.聽SAG鈥檚 Supporting Actor winner has gone on to win the Oscar every time the past decade except twice: Tommy Lee Jones won SAG for 鈥淟incoln鈥� but lost the Oscar to Christoph Waltz for 鈥淒jango: Unchained鈥� (2012), while Idris Elba won SAG for 鈥淏easts of No Nation鈥� but the Oscar went to Mark Rylance for 鈥淏ridge of Spies鈥� (2015).
Laura Dern won Best Supporting Actress for her fiery divorce lawyer in “Marriage Story,” defeating co-star Scarlett Johansson (鈥淛ojo Rabbit鈥�),聽Nicole Kidman (鈥淏ombshell鈥�),聽Jennifer Lopez (鈥淗ustlers鈥�) and聽Margot Robbie (鈥淏ombshell鈥�).
“I love you, dad,” Dern said to father Bruce.
Combined with her previous win at the Golden Globes, Dern is now almost certain to win her first ever Oscar next month.聽SAG鈥檚 Supporting Actress winner has gone on to win the Oscar every time the past decade except once: Emily Blunt won SAG for 鈥淎 Quiet Place鈥� but lost the Oscar to Regina King for 鈥淚f Beale Street Could Talk鈥� (2018).
Last but not least, SAG gave a non-televised honor to 鈥淎vengers: Endgame” for Best Stunt聽Ensemble, defeating 鈥淔ord v. Ferrari,”聽鈥淭he Irishman,”聽鈥淛oker鈥� and聽鈥淥nce Upon a Time in Hollywood.鈥� It was a consolation prize for the top-grossing film of the year.
Meanwhile, DiCaprio presented Robert De Niro with SAG’s Lifetime Achievement Award, a fitting choice considering both are Martin Scorsese’s favorite collaborators.
鈥淗e has given us career-long explorations of the human conditions,鈥� DiCaprio said.
Unlike the Oscars, the SAG Awards also honored the best in television.
It was a royal flush as聽Netflix’s 鈥淭he Crown鈥� won the top prize of Best Ensemble (TV Drama), defeating HBO’s 鈥淏ig Little Lies,” HBO’s 鈥淕ame of Thrones,” Hulu’s 鈥淭he Handmaid鈥檚 Tale鈥� and Netflix’s 鈥淪tranger Things.”
However, the queen is dead as Golden Globe winner Olivia Colman (“The Crown”) was upset by Jennifer Aniston for Best Actress (TV Drama) for her role in “The Morning Show,” also defeating Helena Bonham Carter (鈥淭he Crown鈥�), Jodie Comer (鈥淜illing Eve鈥�) and Elisabeth Moss (鈥淭he Handmaid鈥檚 Tale鈥�).
“This is unbelievable,” Aniston said.
Peter Dinklage won Best Actor (TV Drama) as Tyrion Lannister in the final season of 鈥淕ame of Thrones,” defeating Sterling K. Brown (鈥淭his Is Us鈥�),聽Steve Carell (鈥淭he Morning Show鈥�),聽Billy Crudup (鈥淭he Morning Show鈥�) and聽David Harbour (鈥淪tranger Things鈥�).
“I’d like to thank my wife who put up with me for more than nine years and lived in a place far from home, but made it home because we were together,” Dinklage said.
On the comedy side,聽Best Ensemble (TV Comedy) went to Amazon’s 鈥淭he Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” upsetting Amazon’s Golden Globe winner “Fleabag,” as well as HBO’s 鈥淏arry,” Netflix’s “The Kominsky Method,” and Pop TV’s 鈥淪chitt鈥檚 Creek.” “Maisel” also won Best Actor (TV Comedy) for Tony Shalhoub, besting Bill Hader (鈥淏arry鈥�), Andrew Scott (鈥淔leabag鈥�) and Alan Arkin and Michael Douglas (鈥淭he Kominsky Method鈥�).
“This makes no sense,” Alex Borstein said in shock. “”Fleabag’ is brilliant.”
“We’re very, very surprised,” Rachel Brosnahan said. “I forgot to vote.”
While the show itself lost, “Fleabag” star Phoebe Waller-Bridge still won聽Best Actress (TV Comedy), defeating Christina Applegate (鈥淒ead to Me鈥�),聽Alex Borstein (鈥淭he Marvelous Mrs. Maisel鈥�),聽Rachel Brosnahan (鈥淭he Marvelous Mrs. Maisel鈥�) and Catherine O鈥橦ara (鈥淪chitt鈥檚 Creek鈥�).
“At some point it will all hit me and I’ll just go into a corner and have a good old cry about it, but tonight we as a ‘Fleabag’ gang from the UK will soak this up,” Waller-Bridge said.
On the limited series side, it was all about the FX miniseries “Fosse/Verdon.”
Sam Rockwell won Best Actor (TV Movie or Miniseries) as iconic choreographer Bob Fosse, defeating Mahershala Ali (鈥淭rue Detective鈥�),聽Russell Crowe (鈥淭he Loudest Voice鈥�),聽Jared Harris (鈥淐hernobyl鈥�) and Jharrel Jerome (鈥淲hen They See Us鈥�).
Likewise, Michelle Williams won Best Actress (TV Movie or Miniseries) as iconic dancer Gwen Verdon, defeating Patricia Arquette (鈥淭he Act鈥�),聽Toni Collette (鈥淯nbelievable鈥�),聽Joey King (鈥淭he Act鈥�) and Emily Watson (鈥淐hernobyl鈥�).
Finally, SAG also threw a non-televised bone to genre favorites, as “Game of Thrones” won Best TV Stunt Ensemble, defeating 鈥淕LOW,”聽鈥淪tranger Things,”聽鈥淭he Walking Dead鈥� and聽鈥淲atchmen.”
