Oppenheimer, the biopic helmed by Christopher Nolan, swept the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards on Saturday. In a poignant nod to the actors’ strike of last year, several winners lauded the industry’s resilience.
Cillian Murphy clinched the title of best actor, while Robert Downey Jr. earned recognition as best supporting actor. Additionally, the Oppenheimer ensemble secured the honor for outstanding performance by a cast.
Speaking at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, Irish star Murphy said he was proud to be given the award by his fellow professionals. He said:
“Twenty-eight years ago when I was trying to become an actor, I was a failed musician, and I felt extremely like an interloper. But looking out on all of you guys here today, I know I’m part of something truly wonderful.” Oppenheimer tells the life story of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the man who is often called “the father of the atomic bomb”.
Upon receiving the accolade for the outstanding cast, esteemed British actor Sir Kenneth Branagh expressed gratitude towards the actors’ union strike, acknowledging its impact on Hollywood projects last year.
“Thank you for fighting for us, thank you for every Sag-Aftra member whose support and whose sacrifice allows us to be standing here better than we were before,” he remarked.
Lily Gladstone, star of Killers of the Flower Moon, claimed the title of best leading actress at the SAG Awards and addressed the ongoing industry challenges in her speech.
“This has been a hard year for all of us,” Gladstone remarked, emphasizing solidarity with fellow unions.
The SAG Awards often serve as a reliable indicator of potential Academy Award winners, with the Oscars scheduled for March 10. While Cillian Murphy is poised as the frontrunner for the best actor category, the competition for best actress appears tighter.
Despite Gladstone’s strong position, she faces stiff competition from Poor Things star Emma Stone in the race for the coveted award.
Da’Vine Joy Randolph, from The Holdovers, clinched the award for best supporting actress, while Robert Downey Jr., of Oppenheimer, secured the title of best supporting actor. Transitioning to television, Succession triumphed as the best ensemble drama cast for its fourth and final season, while The Bear was honored as the best ensemble comedy cast.
Barbra Streisand received this year’s prestigious Lifetime Achievement Prize, presented by Jennifer Aniston and Bradley Cooper. Reflecting on her journey, Streisand reminisced about her youth, expressing her early aspirations to be in movies despite not fitting the typical Hollywood mold.
“I didn’t like reality, I wanted to be in movies. 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, some way, it all came true.”
During the show’s poignant In Memoriam segment, heartfelt tributes were extended to several esteemed individuals, including 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.
The stars of The Devil Wears Prada, Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, and Emily Blunt, came together for a special reunion to kick off the 30th SAG Awards. They delighted audiences by performing a sketch featuring memorable lines from the iconic movie, nearly two decades since its release.
Renowned London-born actor Idris Elba took on the role of presenting the ceremony, which marked the 30th anniversary of the SAG Awards.
Notably, this year’s event was streamed on Netflix for the first time. In a humorous remark, Elba quipped,
“Personally, I can’t wait to get home, and have Netflix recommend this show to me.”