The movie “Oppenheimer” won this Saturday the highest award of the awards of the Hollywood actors union (Screen Actors Guild Awards, SAG), its first gala since last year its artists declared the longest strike in their history.
The prestigious Best Ensemble award at the SAG Awards is historically an important prediction for the Oscars, making “Oppenheimer” is a formidable favorite for best picture.
Christopher Nolan’s epic drama about the father of the atomic bomb also took home statuettes for best actor for Cillian Murphy, who plays the scientist, and best supporting actor for Robert Downey Jr., who plays his bitter rival.
“Thank you for the invitation to participate in the making this very important film“said actor Kenneth Branagh on behalf of the cast. “Oppenheimer” has not stopped winning awards all season.
The other awards that “Oppenheimer” won
The film, which has won important awards at the Golden Globes, the Critics Choice Awards, the Directors Guild Awards (DGA) and the British Baftas, now has the top SAG award for best cast.
In recent years, “Parasites” (2020), “CODA” (2022) and “Everything everywhere at the same time” (2023) They achieved a victory in that category and an Oscar for best film.
Many of the same actors who vote for the SAG Awards are part of the larger bloc of Oscar voters.
“Oppenheimer” beat out “Barbie,” “Killers on the Moon,” “American Fiction” and “The Color Purple.”
In the best actress category, Lily Gladstone (“The Moon Killers”) defeated his main rival, Emma Stone (“Poor creatures”), in a very close result that also opens wide the race in that category for the Oscar.
The actress of indigenous origin, who plays an Osage woman exploited by nefarious white neighbors in Martin Scorsese’s epic set in the 1920s, began and ended her acceptance speech in her native language, the Blackfoot language.
The supporting actress awards have consistently gone this season to Da’Vine Joy Randolph (“Those Who Remain”) and this Saturday’s gala was no different.
Barbra Streisand, 81, received the lifetime achievement award and received a standing ovation in a rare public appearance.
SAG Awards 2024: “The Bear”, another of the winners
The night also honored television. The comedy “The Bear” won for its cast and for its protagonists, Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri.
“Succession” won best ensemble in a drama series, while Elizabeth Debicki won best actress for her portrayal of the late Princess Diana in “The Crown.”
Pedro Pascal won the award for best actor in a series for “The Last of Us,” admitting that he was drunk and becoming one of the many performers who took advantage of the relaxed tone of the Netflix stream – and the different rules about what is allowed – to swear.
SAG Awards 2024 was broadcast for the first time in streaming
The 30th SAG Awards became the first Hollywood awards show to be broadcast globally on Netflix.
This change allowed the union’s awards to access thes 260 million subscribers of the streaming giantwithout commercial breaks.
“I can’t wait to get home and have Netflix recommend this show to me based on all the other things I’ve been in,” Elba joked.
The strike of SAG-AFTRA members
The atmosphere at the gala was festive, as members of SAG-AFTRA, the union that represents some 120,000 performers, including top notch starsthey gathered for the first time since the end of the strike in November.
Branagh recalled how the film’s cast walked out of its London premiere last July, when the work stoppage was about to begin. “We left the red carpet and didn’t see the movie that night. We left happily in solidarity with you.”
“So this, this is a full circle moment for us,” he said to loud applause.
In the end, the The union achieved considerable achievements, such as wage improvements and protections against artificial intelligence (AI) by studios such as Disney and Netflix.
“You survived the longest strike in the history of our union with courage and conviction,” SAG-AFTRA president, renowned actress Fran Drescher, also said this Saturday.
The actor Idris Elba also pointed out when opening the gala: “I want to take this moment to pay tribute and thank all of you, both those who are here and those who watch us from home, who have shown solidarity and supported SAG-AFTRA”.
Source: Ambito
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
