The 30th Screen Actors Guild Awards — colloquially known as the SAG Awards — streamed Feb. 24 and birthed a night of firsts and surprises. Exclusively showcasing the achievements of actors, SAG presents 15 awards in film and television voted on by the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, or SAG-AFTRA’s, membership of more than 130,000 performers. The awards show aired in the wake of the 118-day-long SAG-AFTRA strike lasting from July 13 to Nov. 9, 2023, which advocated for just compensation for performers as well as concerns over AI in the entertainment industry.
The strike’s impact could be felt throughout the night — SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher made a speech affirming that the organization’s members “set the trajectory for many generations to come” while also voicing concerns over AI, stating that the technology “will entrap us in a matrix where none of us know what’s real.” In his opening monologue, actor Idris Elba also honored those who “stood up for SAG-AFTRA in solidarity and support.”
Nonetheless, like any awards show, SAG came with its own awkward moments, surprises, snubs and well-deserved wins.
Film nominations were dominated by “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” while HBO’s “Succession” led the television nominations. At the Golden Globes this past January, “Succession” garnered four wins, including Best Actor in a Drama Series for Kieran Culkin. In his acceptance speech, Culkin poked fun at fellow nominee Pedro Pascal, who was nominated for “The Last of Us,” by saying “Suck it, Pedro! Sorry. Mine.”
At the SAG Awards, both Culkin and Pascal were nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series. To the audience’s surprise — and much to Pascal’s tipsy astonishment — “The Last of Us” actor won the category. Pascal gave a hilarious yet humbling speech, citing that he thought he could get drunk, is thankful for his role because he has no other skills or interests and closed with “I’m going to have a panic attack and I’m going to leave.” In his backstage interview with SAG correspondent Tan France, Pascal joked that he would “make out” with Culkin as revenge for their awards feud and that while he did not remember his awards speech, he recalled that Culkin is “the greatest.”
Seventeen years after “The Devil Wears Prada” debuted, stars Emily Blunt, Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep reunited to present the award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series. After being introduced by Elba, Streep walked up to the microphone and promptly noted she had forgotten her glasses and envelope. Blunt and Hathaway instantly appeared with Streep’s glasses, drawing out the moment with witty banter from the 2006 film.
Billie Eilish and Melissa McCarthy also made a notable presenting duo for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series. McCarthy joked that she had known Eilish even before she was born, noting that she was her mother’s improv teacher while still pregnant with the singer. The actress then asked Eilish to sign her dress, which she refused to do, instead signing McCarthy’s forehead. On Instagram, the actress quipped that she would never wash her face again.
Numerous performers kept their successful momentum from previous award shows, including Ali Wong, who, in January, made history as the first Asian woman to win an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series, and Lily Gladstone, who became the first indigenous person to win a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama. Wong took home the SAG award for Actress in a TV Movie or Limited Series for her performance in “Beef” while Gladstone, making history again, became the first Indigenous performer to win a SAG award for Actress in a Lead Role for her work in “Killers of the Flower Moon.”
However, it would not be a complete awards show without unexpected snubs and surprise winners. After four seasons and a slew of awards for best actor, casting, directing and drama series, “Succession” was expected to be one of the night’s top award recipients, but only received the SAG Drama Ensemble Award. While Pascal won Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series, Elizabeth Debicki, who portrayed Princess Diana in “The Crown,” claimed a victory over Sarah Snook, who portrayed Shiv Roy in Succession, in the category for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series. Moreover, actress Quinta Brunson, who portrays Janine Teagues in “Abbott Elementary” and made history in January as the first Black woman to win best actress in a comedy in over 40 years, did not follow up her Emmy win with a SAG award. Instead, Ayo Edebiri of Hulu’s hit show “The Bear” took the SAG award for Female Actor in a Comedy Series; she also made history at the Emmys for becoming the third Black woman ever to take home the award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series.
Though having as many nominations as “Oppenheimer,” blockbuster hit “Barbie” lost in the four categories it was nominated for. And despite its success at the Golden Globes, British Academy Film Awards and Critics Choice Awards, “Poor Things” also lost to “Oppenheimer” and “Killers of the Flower Moon.” With similar nominations, it will be interesting to see how such films fare at the upcoming 2024 Academy Awards.
