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For twenty-six years The Screen Actors Guild Awards –usually called the SAG Awards – have been given out by SAG-AFTRA to recognize excellence in acting in film and TV. This year was a little different, though. Because of COVID-19, for the first time ever, the ceremony had to be pre-recorded and the red carpet cancelled to keep the stars safe.
Despite holding the ceremony virtually, A-list celebrities turned out to accept their award from home. Many still dressed for the red carpet, wearing flashy looks and stunning couture for their acceptance speeches. Some took the opportunity to bring attention to the causes that matter most to them. A few also shouted out the late Chadwick Boseman, who earned a posthumous nomination. For some, the stakes are even higher than one award – SAG Awards can sometimes be predictors of The Academy Awards.
Viola Davis
Viola Davis accepted her award for outstanding performance by a female actor in a leading role for her work in Netflix’s original film “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” She wore a stunning green gown, custom-made by Louis Vuitton.
This was the fifth SAG Award that Davis has won, including her 2017 victory for “Fences” which she also won an Academy Award for. This victory, however, was bittersweet. Davis made sure to thank her co-star, and the winner for best performance by male actor in a motion picture, Chadwick Boseman, who tragically died in August of 2020.
Anya Taylor-Joy
Anya Taylor-Joy won the award for outstanding performance by a female actor in a miniseries or television movie. The lack of a red carpet didn’t deter Taylor-Joy from making a statement with her look.
The Star of “The Queen’s Gambit” had already made headlines for her sculptural Dior gown at the Golden Globes, where she also brought home an award – and at the SAG Awards her look was just as stunning. Her dress, designed by Vera Wang, was inspired by retro nightgowns and the look was completed with Tiffany & Co. diamonds worth about $800K.
Daniel Kaluuya
Viola Davis wasn’t the only winner to honor Chadwick Boseman in their acceptance speech. Daniel Kaluuya won best supporting male actor for his role in “Judas and the Black Messiah,” and dedicated the award to his “Black Panther” costar Chadwick Boseman.
Kaluuya also took the opportunity to shout out civil rights leader and Black Panther Party Chairman Fred Hampton, who he depicted in the film.
Jason Bateman
Actor Jason Bateman took home the award for outstanding performance by a male actor in a drama series for his work in the series “Ozark” – which will soon return for an extra long fourth and final series.
Bateman took the opportunity to thank healthcare workers and the researchers who workers to develop the vaccine, and encourage everyone watching to get vaccinated:
"The biggest thank yous go to the healthcare workers that have tended to us all during this last year, and the miracle work from scientists that have given us the vaccines that are not only going to let us continue making fake life but, most importantly, the real life that we're all yearning to get back to.”
Gillian Anderson
Like Daniel Kaluuya, Gillian Anderson took home an award for a brilliant portrayal of a historical figure – but she certainly wasn’t dedicating her award to Maggie Thatcher! Instead, Anderson, who won for outstanding performance by a female actor in a drama series, thanked her costars on “The Crown,” and her former partner and the series creator Peter Morgan.
While Anderson didn’t mention Thatcher in her acceptance speech, she has talked about portraying the polarizing prime minister. In an interview with Deadline, she stated, "It's interesting playing a character like Thatcher because she's so divisive. People have opinions that don't sit in the middle of the road."
Yuh-Jung Youn
Yuh-Jung Youn, a first-time nominee, took home the award for best female actor in a supporting role for her work in the film Minari. From the last ten SAG Awards, nine of the winners of this award have gone on to win the Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress, leading many to wonder if Youn is on a path to an Oscar.
"I don't know how to describe my feelings. I'm being recognized by Westerners!" said Youn. "…I'm honored, especially [that my] actor fellows chose me as their supporting actress!"
Jason Sudeikis
Jason Sudeikis took home the award for male actor in a comedy series, but he’s been making headlines for dressing down. After Golden Globes, Sudekis went viral for accepting his award wearing a rainbow tie-dye hoodie that promoted his sister’s dance studio. Many viewers, who had been working from home during the Covid-19 pandemic, found the star’s relaxed look relatable.
At the Critic’s Choice Awards, Sudeikis again wore a sweatshirt (this time referencing the film “Booksmart,”) so it should come as no surprise that he dressed casual for the SAG Awards – this time donning a navy sweater created by Gucci that reads “MY BODY MY CHOICE.”
Catherine O’Hara
The entire Schitt’s Creek cast had an incredible awards season – including taking home best ensemble in a comedy series at the SAG Awards – but this was a particularly special night for Catherine O’Hara. With her win for best actress in a comedy series, she has completed a clean sweep of the five major TV awards.
She has previously won the equivalent awards at the Emmys, Golden Globes, TCA Awards, and Critics Choice Awards.
Mark Ruffalo
A-lister Mark Ruffalo won the award for outstanding performance by a male actor in a miniseries or TV movie for his roles as twins in the series “I Know This Much Is True” on HBO. He referred to the win as a “crown achievement” of his career.
Because one of the characters that Ruffalo plays in the miniseries has schizophrenia, the actor took the opportunity of his acceptance speech to talk about the importance of ending stigma around mental health: "Mental illness is a real thing, and I just think it's really important that we're honest and open about it and have no fear and no shame.”
Sources: People, Harper’s Bazaar, deadline, IndieWire, New York Times, Daily News, Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly
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