Hollywood's stars highlighted their favorite performances of the year.
via: Variety
“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.
The ceremony also had contended with technical glitches. At one point, a pre-recorded announcement interrupted Jane Fonda’s lifetime achievement award acceptance speech, and several presenters, such as Andrew Scott and Adam Brody, had to deal with finicky microphones.
“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 play a conniving warlord and his trusted interpreter, as well as a prize for its stunts. Both 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 heavily 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, fearful of getting on the wrong side of the White House, has been more muted since Trump was sworn in as president. But Fonda, as famous for her activism as she is for her performances in films like “Klute” and “9 to 5,” used her moment on stage to urge her fellow performers not to stay silent.
“This is big time serious folks, so let’s be brave,” Fonda said. “This is a good time for a little Norma Rae or Karen Silkwood or Tom Joad. We must not isolate. We must stay in community. We must help the vulnerable. We must find ways to protect an inspiring vision of the future.”
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.
2025 SAG Awards winners — Film Categories
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
A Complete Unknown
Anora
WINNER: Conclave
Emilia Pérez
Wicked
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
WINNER: Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown
Daniel Craig, Queer
Colman Domingo, Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes, Conclave
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Pamela Anderson, The Last Showgirl
Cynthia Erivo, Wicked
Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez
Mikey Madison, Anora
WINNER: Demi Moore, The Substance
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Jonathan Bailey, Wicked
Yura Borisov, Anora
WINNER: Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown
Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Monica Barbaro, A Complete Unknown
Jamie Lee Curtis, The Last Showgirl
Danielle Deadwyler, The Piano Lesson
Ariana Grande, Wicked
WINNER: Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez
Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
Deadpool & Wolverine
Dune: Part Two
WINNER: The Fall Guy
Gladiator II
Wicked
2025 SAG Awards winners — TV Categories
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
Abbott Elementary
The Bear
Hacks
WINNER: Only Murders in the Building
Shrinking
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
Bridgerton
The Day of the Jackal
The Diplomat
WINNER: Shōgun
Slow Horses
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Adam Brody, Nobody Wants This
Ted Danson, A Man on the Inside
Harrison Ford, Shrinking
WINNER: Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building
Jeremy Allen White, The Bear
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Kristen Bell, Nobody Wants This
Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
Liza Colón-Zayas, The Bear
Ayo Edebiri, The Bear
WINNER: Jean Smart, Hacks
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Tadanobu Asano, Shōgun
Jeff Bridges, The Old Man
Gary Oldman, Slow Horses
Eddie Redmayne, The Day of the Jackal
WINNER: Hiroyuki Sanada, Shōgun
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Kathy Bates, Matlock
Nicola Coughlan, Bridgerton
Allison Janney, The Diplomat
Keri Russell, The Diplomat
WINNER: Anna Sawai, Shōgun
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie
Javier Bardem, Monsters
WINNER: Colin Farrell, The Penguin
Richard Gadd, Baby Reindeer
Kevin Kline, Disclaimer
Andrew Scott, Ripley
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie
Kathy Bates, The Great Lillian Hall
Cate Blanchett, Disclaimer
Jodie Foster, True Detective: Night Country
Lily Gladstone, Under the Bridge
WINNER: Jessica Gunning, Baby Reindeer
Cristin Milioti, The Penguin
Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
The Boys
Fallout
House of the Dragon
The Penguin
WINNER: Shōgun
SAG Life Achievement Award
Jane Fonda
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