“Oppenheimer” Hollywood continued its run through awards season on Saturday, winning the grand prize for best ensemble cast, along with awards for best actor Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr., at the 30th Screen Actors Guild Awards.
as Oscars And as we get closer, Christopher Nolan's blockbuster biopic – which has already won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA – is increasingly looking like a cult favorite. The SAG Awards, one of the Oscars' hottest predictions, will only add to the momentum for Oppenheimer's film. Leading Oscar nominee With 13 gestures.
The SAG Awards were broadcast live on Netflix, a first for a major Hollywood awards ceremony. This brought about some important modifications to the ancient traditions of such celebrations. There were no ads. Profanity was permitted. (“Never say anything you wouldn't say in front of Oprah,” Idris Elba said.) The winners were sometimes interviewed backstage by red carpet co-host Tan France — sometimes awkwardly, sometimes charmingly.
The SAG Awards don't always mean Oscar success. Two of the last five guild winners (“The Trial of the Chicago 7” and “Black Panther”) lost at the Oscars. But in the past two years, all five of the major SAG Awards — Best Ensemble and Best Four Acts — have aligned with eventual Oscar winners, including the ensemble casts Everything Everywhere, All at Once and Coda.
That would mean the SAGs showed a preview of the Oscars in two of the close contests: Best Actor and Best Actress.
The most exciting win of the night went to Lily Gladstone For an actress in the lead role in the movie “Killers of the Flower Moon” directed by Martin Scorsese. No category was more hotly contested, with analysts evenly split between Gladstone and Emma Stone for Bad Things.
But Gladstone won on Saturday and the crowd erupted. Stone also stood up and applauded loudly. There may be more Oscar nominees this year than Gladstone. Her win would be a first for Native Americans.
“We are bringing compassion to a world that desperately needs it,” Gladstone said. “It's so easy to distance ourselves. It's so easy to shut down and stop feeling. And we all continue to feel bravely. This humanizes people. This brings people out of the shadows. It brings vision.”
Murphy and Paul Giamatti (“The Holdovers”) were also seen in a neck and neck contest. But Murphy has now won the SAGs, BAFTAs and Globes, suggesting he has a clear advantage heading into Oscars.
Downey Jr. and Joey Randolph both won for their supporting performances, which also cemented their status as Oscar nominees.
“Why me? Why now? Why do things seem to be going my way?” Downey Jr. said as he accepted his first SAG Award for Performance in a Movie. “Unlike my fellow candidates, I will never tire of my voice.”
Randolph's performance Alexander Payne “The Keepers” It was a breakthrough role for the 37-year-old actor. And now, it looks like she's on the cusp of winning an Oscar.
“To every actor still waiting for their chance, let me tell you: Your life can change in one day,” Randolph said. “It's not a matter of if, but when. It keeps going.”
Da'vine Joy Randolph accepts the award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role for “The Holdovers” during the 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Saturday, February 24, 2024, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
After more than two decades of airing on TNT and TBS amid dwindling viewership, Netflix has acquired the telecast rights to the SAG Awards in early 2023. Netflix, the dominant force for years in awards season, also becomes the host.
“I personally can't wait to get home and ask Netflix to recommend this show to me based on all the other things I watch myself,” Idris Elba, the night's actual director, joked.
The TV awards went largely to the same series that scooped up Emmys and Golden Globes: “The Bear” (Best Ensemble in a Comedy Series, Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edbury ); “Beef” (Ali Wong, Steven Yeun); And the crew of the movie “Caliphate”.
The only exception was Pedro Pascal, who won best actor in a drama series for “The Last of Us” over three of the stars of “Succession.”
“This is wrong for several reasons,” Pascal said, looking stunned. “I'm a little drunk. I thought I could get drunk.”
This year's SAG Awards follow An exhausting strike for months SAG-AFTRA has fought a bitter battle over a number of issues. Much of the downtime has been caused by changes in the film and television industry caused by streaming and the big change led by Netflix.
“Your solidarity has ignited the passion of workers around the world, leading to what will forever be remembered as the 'Hot Summer of Work,'” said Fran Drescher, President of SAG-AFTRA. “This was a defining moment in the history of our union.”
The new streaming platform is sure to shed more light on one of the most closely watched Oscars prognosticators. Voting for the Oscars ends on Tuesday.
Barbra Streisand captured the audience's attention while accepting the Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by Jennifer Aniston and Bradley Cooper.
“I remember dreaming about being an actress when I was a teenager sitting in my bed in Brooklyn with a pint of coffee and ice cream and a movie magazine,” said Streisand, who recalled being distraught over her “first crush” on Marlon Brando.
Streisand also took time to celebrate Jewish pioneers in Hollywood.
“Now I dream of a world where this prejudice is a thing of the past,” she said.
Saturday's show was one of Netflix's most significant forays yet into streaming events. Netflix previously hosted live streaming Comedy special from Chris Rocka celebrity golf tournament and a live episode titled “Love Is Blind” were It was marred by technical difficulties. But Netflix is preparing for more. On March 3, a live tennis event will be broadcast.
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Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP
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