SAG Awards 2023: A Look at the Big Winners
The interdimensional adventure “Everything Everywhere at Once” won best ensemble at the 29th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday. It also broke records to become the biggest film winner in the show’s history, hitting nearly every category.
But SAG emphasizes the small screen as much as the big one. “Abbott Elementary,” a sitcom about teachers at an underfunded public school, won the statue for best TV comedy ensemble, while “The White Lotus,” a charming look at privileged guests at an Italian resort, took home best TV drama. file honor.
“Everything Everywhere and All At Once,” one of the few indies to break out big at the box office in recent times, dominated the night with four wins, followed by “The White Lotus” with two wins. “Everything Everywhere and All At Once” continued to build momentum during the marathon awards season, picking up top honors as it approaches the Oscars in two weeks. It won a Producers Guild Award this weekend and a Directors Guild Award last weekend for Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, the filmmaker duo behind the absurd story of a laundromat owner whose life intersects with parallel universes.
‘Everything Everywhere At Once’ Wins Top Honors at Producers Guild Awards, ‘The Bear’ and ‘The White Lotus’ TV: Complete List of Winners
An emotional Michelle Yeoh was named Best Actress for “Everything and Everywhere at Once” and took time on stage to note what her win meant to other Asian movie fans. “This is not just for me,” she said. “This is for every little girl who looks like me. Yeoh went on to say that artists of color and actors from underrepresented communities want “a seat at the table.” “So many of us need it,” she said. “We want to be seen. We want to be heard.”
Brendan Fraser won Best Actor for his performance as a morbidly obese man in “The Whale.” Fighting back tears, Fraser referenced his professional highs and lows in life in the film that took him off the A-list in the 1990s and the early career decline that left him. “I’ve been riding that wave lately and that wave knocked me to the bottom of the ocean,” Fraser said.
A24, the independent studio behind “Everything Everywhere and At Once” and “The Whale,” emerged victorious in all categories of film acting. It was an impressive feat for the company, coming at a time when non-superhero movies are struggling to gain traction.
Jason Bateman won best actor in a TV drama for his role as a money launderer in the final season of “Ozark,” while Jennifer Coolidge won best actress in a TV drama for her portrayal of a spoiled heiress in “The White Lotus.” Coolidge, a character actress who became the breakout star of the HBO series, thanked creator Mike White for creating her role. “The best gift you can give someone is to change someone’s perspective for the better,” she said.
Jeremy Allen White was named Best Actor in a TV Comedy for his performance as a talented chef trying to save a struggling restaurant in “The Bear,” and Jean Smart won Best Actress in a TV Comedy for her work as a stand-up comedian in the movie “Hacky.” Smart, who recently announced she is recovering from heart surgery, was not on hand to pick up her statuette. Her co-star Christopher McDonald accepted on her behalf.
The SAG Awards come at a tumultuous time for the film and television business, as major entertainment companies commit to a new era of belt-tightening and layoffs. This comes after many of these conglomerates were forced to pay down the debt they accumulated after a period of mergers and acquisitions, as well as the costs that came with launching their own streaming services. It also comes as SAG and other unions representing writers and directors negotiate new contracts, with members believing their compensation is being negatively impacted by the new streaming economy — which could lead to jobs if no deals are reached. strikes.
In a nod to the new ways people consume content, this year’s SAG Awards ditched their standard cable broadcast on Netflix’s YouTube channel. From 2024, the awards will be broadcast directly on the platform of the streaming service. Unlike the Golden Globes, which are awarded by a small group of journalists, the SAG Awards are far more predictive of future Oscar success. That’s because the awards are voted on by 122,000 members of the leading actors’ union, some of whom are also members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the organization behind the Academy Awards. In fact, eight of the last 10 lead actor winners at the SAG Awards have gone on to win Oscars. In addition, Best Ensemble winners such as “Spotlight,” “Parasite,” and “CODA” won Best Picture.
The evening had breakthrough moments beyond the historical records of “Everything everywhere and at once”. Both Yeah and her co-star, Best Supporting Actor winner Ke Huy Quan, became the first Asian artists to be honored in their respective categories. “This moment is no longer just mine,” Quan said. “It also belongs to everyone who asked for a change.” Quan, a former child star who appeared in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” said he left the profession because of a lack of opportunities. “The landscape looks so different here than before,” he said.
There were also some notable surprises. In an upset, Jamie Lee Curtis picked up Best Supporting Actress over Angela Bassett, who most viewers predicted would win for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” Curtis, the daughter of movie legends Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh Curtis, said she knew she was considered a “non-po child,” a buzzword for the children of celebrities who have made it in Hollywood.
“So many people in our industry who are actors don’t do this job, and you look at nights like this and think, ‘Will this ever be possible for me?’ Curtis said. “And I know you’re looking at me and you’re like, ‘Well, no, honey, and I totally get it.’ But the truth is, I’m 64 years old and that’s just amazing.”
In other unexpected twists, Sam Elliott (“1883”) won best actor in a TV movie or miniseries over heavily favored Evan Peters (“Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”) and Paul Walter Hauser (“Black Bird”), while “George and Tammy’s” Jessica Chastain won Best Actress in a TV Movie or Miniseries over Amanda Seyfried, the Emmy-winning star of “The Dropout.”
Chastain became emotional in her speech as she recalled the setbacks and botched auditions actors must endure before getting their big break. “I just want to say to anyone who might be struggling at home, to any actor that I meet: Keep going,” she said. “You’re one job ahead. I look forward to working with you. See you on the set.”
Elliott also recognized his fellow guild members, calling the award the most meaningful of his 55-year career because it came “from a group of my peers, many of whom I don’t even know or know only from afar, as a fan who respects their work.”
The show also honored Sally Field, the Oscar-winning star of “Norma Rae” and “Places in the Heart,” with a lifetime achievement award. Field has earned nine SAG nominations throughout her career, winning one for Outstanding Performance in a Drama Series in 2009 for “Brothers & Sisters.” Field, like many of the night’s winners, highlighted the hardships and economic insecurity that characterize a career in the performing arts, as well as its rewards.
“Easy,” said Field, “is overrated.”
The complete list of winners can be found below.
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
Steve Carrell (“The Patient”),
Taron Egerton (“Blackbird”),
Sam Elliott (“1883”) (WINNER)
Paul Walter Hauser (“Blackbird”),
Evan Peters (“Dahmer”),
Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series,
Emily Blunt (“The English”),
Jessica Chastain (“George and Tammy”) (WINNER),
Julia Garner (“The Invention of Anna”),
Niecy Nash Betts (“Dahmer”),
Amanda Seyfried (“The Dropout”),
Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Carrigan (“Barry”),
Bill Hader (“Barry”),
Steve Martin (“Only Murders in the Building”),
Martin Short (“Only Murders in the Building”),
Jeremy Allen White (“The Bear”) (WINNER),
Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Comedy Series,
Christina Applegate (“Dead to Me”),
Rachel Brosnahan (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”),
Quinta Brunson (“Abbott Elementary”),
Jenna Ortega (“Wednesday”),
Jean Smart (“Hacks”) (WINNER),
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series,
“Abbott Elementary” (WINNER),
“Barry”,
“Bear”,
“Hacks”,
“Only Murders in the Building”,
Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Drama Series,
Jonathan Banks (“Better Call Saul”),
Jason Bateman (“Ozark”) (WINNER),
Jeff Bridges (“The Old Man”),
Bob Odenkirk (“Better Call Saul”),
Adam Scott (“Severance”),
Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Drama Series,
Jennifer Coolidge (“White Lotus”) (WINNER),
Elizabeth Debicki (“The Crown”),
Julia Garner (“Ozark”),
Laura Linney (“Ozark”),
Zendaya (“Euphoria”),
Outstanding Ensemble Performance in a Drama Series,
“You better call Saul”
“Crown”,
“Ozark”,
“Department”,
“White Lotus” (WINNER),
Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role,
Angela Bassett (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”),
Hong Chau (“whale”),
Kerry Condon (“The Banshees of Inisherin”),
Jamie Lee Curtis (“Everything and Everywhere at Once”) (WINNER),
Stephanie Hsu (“Everything and Everywhere at Once”),
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role,
Paul Dano (“The Fabelmans”),
Brendan Gleeson (“The Banshees of Inisherin”),
Barry Keoghan (“The Banshees of Inisherin”),
Ke Huy Quan (“Everything and Everywhere at Once”) (WINNER),
Eddie Redmayne (“The Good Sister”),
Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role,
Cate Blanchett (Tar”),
Viola Davis (“King of Women”),
Ana de Armas (“The Blonde”),
Danielle Deadwyler (“Till”),
Michelle Yeoh (“Everything and Everywhere at Once”) (WINNER),
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role,
Austin Butler (“Elvis”),
Colin Farrell (“The Banshees of Inisherin”)
Brendan Fraser (“The Whale”) (WINNER),
Bill Nighy (“The Living”),
Adam Sandler (“Hustle”),
Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture,
“Babylon”,
“The Banshees of Inisherin”,
“Everything and everywhere at once” (WINNER),
“The Fabelmans”
“Women Speak”,
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture,
“Avatar: The Path of Water”,
“Batman”,
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”,
“Top Gun: Maverick” (WINNER),
“King of Women”,
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series,
“Andor”,
“Boys”,
“Dragon’s House”,
“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power”,
“Stranger Things” (WINNER),
