“Conclave,” a thriller about the election of a new pope, triumphed at the 31st Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday, winning the top prize for best motion picture cast.
“Shōgun,” an epic look at feudal Japan, and “Only Murders in the Building,” a mystery satire, won the TV ensemble prizes in the drama and comedy categories.
It was a night filled with tributes to Los Angeles, which is recovering from the devastation caused by this year’s wildfires.
“The city and the people in it have been put through the wringer,” Kristen Bell, the show’s host said, before introducing tables of first responders.
“There is no way to properly express our gratitude to all of you,” she added.
Jane Fonda became the 60th recipient of SAG-AFTRA’s highest tribute, the SAG Life Achievement Award for career achievements and humanitarian accomplishments.
The actress, whose work spans over six decades, fittingly used her acceptance speech as a call for resistance against the Trump administration and spoke her mind on the importance of political activism, empathy, unions, and resistance.
“Make no mistake, empathy is not weak or woke. And by the way, ‘woke’ just means you give a damn about other people,” Fonda said after thanking her peers for the award. “A whole lot of people are going to be really hurt by what is happening, what is coming our way, and even if they’re of a different political persuasion, we need to call upon our empathy and not judge, but listen from our hearts and welcome them into our tent, because we are going to need a big tent to resist, successfully, what’s coming at us.”
After noting that her film career started at the end of McCarthyism and the Red Scare, Fonda emphasized the need for the Hollywood community to fight for what they believe in.
“This is big-time serious, folks, so let’s be brave,” she noted. “We must not isolate. We must stay in community. We must help the vulnerable. We must find ways to project an inspiring vision of the future,”.
“Shōgun” led the TV categories with four wins, picking up best lead and lead actress in a drama series for Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai, who plays a conniving warlord and his trusted interpreter, as well as a prize for its stunts.
The show and its stars have dominated awards season, earning top honors at the Golden Globes and the Emmys. “I feel like I’m in a dream of dreams,” Sanada said, fighting back tears.
The film awards spread the wealth, as no movie earned more than a single prize. “Conclave’s” victory comes during an unusually tumultuous awards season, one that’s seen early frontrunners like “Emilia Pérez” derailed by controversies.
“Anora,” which lost the ensemble prize to “Conclave,” won the Directors Guild and Producers Guild honors, making it the favorite to be named best picture at the Oscars.
However, “Conclave’s” victory at SAG, along with its win last week at the BAFTAs, signals it could ultimately triumph at the Academy Awards.
Timothée Chalamet (“A Complete Unknown”) and Demi Moore (“The Substance”) captured the leading actor and actress trophies. Chalamet transformed into a folk-era Bob Dylan, while Moore played an actress and fitness guru fired by misogynistic higher-ups for the sin of being middle-aged.
“We’re in a subjective business but the truth is I’m really in pursuit of greatness,” Chalamet, who won over the highly-favored Adrien Brody (“The Brutalist”), said. “I know people don’t usually talk like that, but I want to be one of the greats. I’m inspired by the greats. I’m inspired by the greats here tonight. I’m as inspired by Daniel Day, Lewis, Marlon Brando and Viola Davis, as I am by Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps, and I want to be up there.”
“The Substance” has marked a remarkable career comeback for Moore, who spent years in the Hollywood wilderness, a victim of the ageism and sexism that her film depicts.
“That little girl who didn’t believe in herself,” Moore said, growing visibly overwhelmed. “The words are kind of beyond me, so I’m just gonna have to say thank you.”
Jean Smart won best actress in a comedy series for the third time for playing a legendary stand-up comic in “Hacks,” while Martin Short picked up best actor in a comedy series for his role as a Broadway producer in “Only Murders in the Building.”
Neither performer attended the show — Smart was shooting a project and Short was sick.
“A Real Pain’s” Kieran Culkin, a previous SAG nominee for his turn as an acerbic corporate princeling on “Succession,” won best supporting actor playing a motormouthed young man on a trip to Poland.
“It is funny that the heaviest of all awards is the one that’s given by actors,” Culkin quipped while gesturing to his hefty statue. “It’s like, you know, us, what we do means so much.”
Zoe Saldaña was crowned best supporting actress for her performance as a lawyer for a cartel leader who undergoes gender-affirming surgery in “Emilia Pérez.”
“I believe that everybody has the right to be who they are,” she said. “‘Emilia Perez’ is about truth and it is about love.”
Jessica Gunning, who portrayed a stalker in “Baby Reindeer,” earned best actress in a TV movie or limited series. Colin Farrell, who played the deranged crime boss at the center of “The Penguin,” was named best actor in a TV movie or limited series. He paid tribute to his chosen profession.
“It’s play time,” he said. “You don’t get to fully grow up. You get to kind of keep the dream of a child alive, to try to figure out what it is to be human.”
This year’s awards were handed out at a time of political upheaval, one that has seen Donald Trump, who most people in the SAG awards audience oppose, return to power.
Hollywood’s corporate leadership, wary of getting on the wrong side of the White House, has been more muted since Trump was sworn in as president. However, Fonda used her moment on stage to urge her fellow performers not to stay silent.
Beyond offering an endorsement of the kind of liberal politics currently under attack, the broadcast’s theme was one of regional pride.
Along with tributes to Los Angeles, there was also a montage of films and shows — from “Chinatown” to “Baywatch” — that were shot in the city, highlighting its beauty and iconography.
Though still the entertainment industry’s capital, shooting in Los Angeles has become a rarer occurrence, as productions have fled to places like Georgia and the United Kingdom that offer tax incentives. In the wake of the fires, some have advocated for more movies and series to be filmed in the city to help reinvigorate the economy.
The SAG Awards were shown live on Netflix for the second year in a row. It was the second time Bell, the star of the streaming service’s rom-com “Nobody Wants This,” served as emcee, having previously overseen the broadcast in 2018 back when it was on cable.
See the full list of winners below.
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
“Conclave” — Winner
“Anora”
“A Complete Unknown”
“Emilia Pérez”
“Wicked”
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Demi Moore, “The Substance” — Winner
Pamela Anderson, “The Last Showgirl”
Cynthia Erivo, “Wicked”
Karla Sofía Gascón, “Emilia Pérez”
Mikey Madison, “Anora”
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Timothée Chalamet, “A Complete Unknown” — Winner
Adrien Brody, “The Brutalist”
Daniel Craig, “Queer”
Colman Domingo, “Sing Sing”
Ralph Fiennes, “Conclave”
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
“Only Murders in the Building” — Winner
“Abbott Elementary”
“The Bear”
“Hacks”
“Shrinking”
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
“Shōgun” — Winner
“Bridgerton”
“The Day Of The Jackal”
“The Diplomat”
“Slow Horses”
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Zoe Saldaña, “Emilia Pérez” — Winner
Monica Barbaro, “A Complete Unknown”
Jamie Lee Curtis, “The Last Showgirl”
Danielle Deadwyler, “The Piano Lesson”
Ariana Grande, “Wicked”
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
Colin Farrell, “The Penguin” — Winner
Javier Bardem, “Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story”
Richard Gadd, “Baby Reindeer”
Kevin Kline, “Disclaimer”
Andrew Scott, “Ripley”
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
Jessica Gunning, “Baby Reindeer” — Winner
Kathy Bates, “The Great Lillian Hall”
Cate Blanchett, “Disclaimer”
Jodie Foster, “True Detective: Night Country”
Lily Gladstone, “Under The Bridge”
Cristin Milioti, “The Penguin”
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Martin Short, “Only Murders In The Building” — Winner
Adam Brody, “Nobody Wants This”
Ted Danson, “A Man On The Inside”
Harrison Ford, “Shrinking”
Jeremy Allen White, “The Bear”
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Jean Smart, “Hacks” — Winner
Kristen Bell, “Nobody Wants This”
Quinta Brunson, “Abbott Elementary”
Liza Colón-Zayas, “The Bear”
Ayo Edebiri, “The Bear”
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Hiroyuki Sanada, “Shōgun” — Winner
Tadanobu Asano, “Shōgun”
Jeff Bridges, “The Old Man”
Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses”
Eddie Redmayne, “The Day Of The Jackal”
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Anna Sawai, “Shōgun” — Winner
Kathy Bates, “Matlock”
Nicola Coughlan, “Bridgerton”
Allison Janney, “The Diplomat”
Keri Russell, “The Diplomat”
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Kieran Culkin, “A Real Pain” — Winner
Jonathan Bailey, “Wicked”
Yura Borisov, “Anora”
Edward Norton, “A Complete Unknown”
Jeremy Strong, “The Apprentice”
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
“The Fall Guy” — Winner
“Deadpool & Wolverine”
“Dune: Part Two”
“Gladiator II”
“Wicked”
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
“Shōgun” — Winner
“The Boys”
“Fallout”
“House Of The Dragon”
“The Penguin”
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