Between a Pedro Pascal who said he was drunk to a barefoot Elizabeth Debicki, who was Princess Diana, and no prizes for Barbie o poor creaturesthe movie Oppenheimer was crowned at the US Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG-AFTRA). It won, among others, the statuette for best cast, the highest recognition of these awards that marked the return of the performers after the strike they carried out in 2023 in search of better working conditions.
It was on stage at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles, California, and broadcast for the first time in history on the Netflix platform, not on a cable television network.
And yes, they are a powerful precedent when thinking about the next Oscar winners. The thing is that although the almost 10,000 qualified members are going to vote, the branch of performers is the most popular, and many of those who voted in this 30th edition of the SAG will do so in the Oscar.
“SAG-AFTRA, thank you for fighting for us, thank you to every member who supported us. The last time we were all together was on a red carpet from which we withdrew (due to the strike) in solidarity. This is a closing of the cycle for us,” said actor Kenneth Branagh, who received the award on behalf of the cast of Oppenheimer.
Cillian Murphy, who plays the tormented creator of the atomic bomb Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan’s film, won best actor, while Robert Downey Jr. He received the award for best supporting actor, continuing the success they had already obtained at galas such as the Golden Globes and the BAFTAs.
The best actress award went to Lily Gladstone for The Moon Killersso for the Oscar ceremony Emma Stone may not have it as easy as expected, after having won by poor creatures at the BAFTA Awards, Critics Choice Awards, in various critics associations of cities or states in the United States and London, and the Golden Globe, as a comedy actress.
The Golden Globes divide the awards into two categories: film, drama (for which Lily Gladstone won) and comedy or musical, for which Stone competed and won. “It’s a gift to be able to do this for a living. We bring empathy to a world that needs it. It would be easy to shut down and stop feeling, but we very bravely continue to feel,” Gladstone said.
Another award that was overdue and, yes, almost guaranteed to win the Oscar next Sunday, March 10, is Da’Vine Joy Randolph, for her role in Those who stayde Alexander Payne.
Surprise and a half: Barbiethe highest-grossing film of 2023, nor poor creaturesby Yorgos Lanthimos, did not receive any statuettes.
Oppenheimer It does confirm that it is the favorite film to win not only the Oscar award for best film, but surely direction, supporting actor (Downey Jr.), various technical areas and perhaps, Cillian Murphy as best leading actor. He has a difficult time there with Paul Giamatti, for Those who will come. The film by British director Christopher Nolan is the one with the most nominations: 13.
En TV, “Succession” y “The Bear”
As for television, the series The Bear y Successionwhich had already triumphed at ceremonies such as the Golden Globes, the Emmys and the Critics Choice Awards, were also successful.
The cast of Succession from HBO was named best ensemble in a drama series for its final season, with a family’s struggle for power in the media, and The Bear on FX, about a chef who tries to run a small restaurant, won awards for best cast in a comedy series and two others for best comedy actor – for the chef played by Jeremy Allen White – and best supporting actress in a series, for Ayo Edebiri’s performance.
It was a night with almost no surprises, and plenty of profanity, as many of the winners spoke candidly about the struggles and sacrifices that characterize their lives trying to earn a wage.
Pedro Pascal was the big surprise of the night by beating Kieran Culkin (Succession), the winner of Emmy and Golden Globe awards, in the category of best actor in a drama series for his character as Joel in the HBO series The Last of Us.
“This is wrong for many reasons, I’m a little drunk. Thank you very much, I have been part of this union since 1999 and this is an honor (…) It’s going to give me a heart attack,” said Pascal, moved to tears.
Actress Elizabeth Debicki, who plays Princess Diana in the series The Crown, won the award for best actress in a drama series. Debicki, who was not wearing shoes, admitted that she also did not expect to hear her name and that she had not prepared a speech.
And also, as expected, Steven Yeun and Ali Wong, who co-starred Beef as two strangers whose lives intersect after an incident on the road, they won awards for best performance in a television movie or limited series. Like White and Edebiri, the actors had also triumphed at the Globes and the Emmys, which were held just a few weeks ago.
Emotional moments and Fran Drescher
In turn, and as expected, the speech of the actress and president of SAG-AFTRA, Fran Drescher, was going to highlight some points of her victory after the historic strike carried out by Hollywood actors and screenwriters in 2023 against the studios and platforms of streaming.
“Their solidarity ignited workers around the world, triggering what will forever be remembered as the hot summer of work in which they took the hero’s path,” the actress said.
“They understood what our enormous contribution to this wonderful industry means and now here we are, standing tall and proud,” Drescher said.
Other highlights of the night were the tribute to the career of Barbra Streisand and the reunion of the protagonists of The Devil Wears PradaMeryl Streep, Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt on stage.