The papal thriller 鈥淐onclave鈥� won best ensemble and Timoth茅e Chalamet took best actor at the on Sunday, a pair of twists that added a few final wrinkles to an unusually unpredictable awards season.
In winning the guild鈥檚 top award, triumphed just as the Catholic Church was praying for the health of Pope Francis, who Sunday after an asthmatic respiratory crisis. 鈥淐onclave鈥� dramatizes the Earlier in the evening onstage, Isabella Rossellini shared the cast's best wishes for Pope Francis.
All the momentum going into the SAG Awards was with which had won with the producers, directors and writers guilds. Now, with 鈥淐onclave鈥� winning with the actors and at the BAFTAs, what will nab best picture in a week鈥檚 time is, again, anyone鈥檚 guess.
鈥淲ow,鈥� said 鈥淐onclave鈥� star Ralph Fiennes taking the stage. 鈥淚鈥檝e not been elected to speak. I鈥檝e been designated to speak on behalf of our conclave, our ensemble.鈥�
That wasn't the only surprise in the ceremony held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles and streamed lived by Netflix. Chalamet's best actor win upset 鈥淭he Brutalist鈥� star Adrien Brody and put the 29-year-old on course to possibly win his first Academy Award.
Chalamet looked visibly surprised when his name was announced at the ceremony. But once he reached the staged, spoke with composure and confidence.
鈥淭he truth is, this was 5 1/2 years of my life,鈥� said Chalamet. 鈥淚 poured everything I had into playing this incomparable artist, Mr. Bob Dylan, a true American hero. It was the honor of a lifetime playing him.鈥�
He then added: 鈥淭he truth is, I鈥檓 really in pursuit of greatness. I know people don鈥檛 usually talk like that, but I want to be one of the greats.鈥�
The other Oscar favorites 鈥� Demi Moore, Zoe Salda帽a and Kieran Culkin 鈥� all won. The SAG Awards are closely watched as an Oscar preview. Their picks don鈥檛 always align exactly with those of the film academy, but they often nearly do.
The last three best ensemble winners 鈥� 鈥淥ppenheimer,鈥� 鈥淓verything Everywhere All at Once鈥� and 鈥淐ODA鈥� 鈥� all went on to win best picture at the Oscars. All but one of the SAG acting winners of the last three years has also won the Oscar. (The sole exception was Lily Gladstone, who won SAG鈥檚 award for female actor last year for 鈥淜illers of the Flower Moon,鈥� but the Oscar trophy went to Emma Stone for 鈥淧oor Things鈥�.)
Moore seemingly solidified her Oscar chances by following up her Golden Globe win for her performance Moore, whose campaign was boosted by her speech about being pigeonholed a 鈥減opcorn actress,鈥� has traded awards with 鈥淎nora鈥� breakthrough Mikey Madison.
鈥淲hat we believe is so much more powerful than what we think,鈥� said Moore. 鈥淭he saying, 鈥業鈥檒l believe it when I see it鈥� 鈥� the reality is when I believe it, I will see it.鈥�
The SAG Awards unfolded against the backdrop of the aftermath of the . Those fires forced the guild to cancel its in-person nominations announcement and launch a disaster relief fund for SAG-AFTRA members affected. Host Kristen Bell introduced attending firefighters as 鈥渢he most attractive tables鈥� among a sea of stars.
Jane Fonda, 87, given the provided the evening with its most passionately political moment. Fonda, a famed activist, spoke indirectly about President Donald Trump鈥檚 administration.
鈥淲e are in our documentary moment,鈥� said Fonda. 鈥淭his is it. And it鈥檚 not a rehearsal.鈥�
Fonda added that 鈥渨oke just means you give a damn about other people.鈥�
鈥淎 whole lot of people are going to be hurt by what鈥檚 happening, by what鈥檚 coming our way,鈥� said Fonda. 鈥淲e are going to need a big tent to resist what鈥檚 coming at us.鈥�
Jean Smart, who because of the wildfires, won best female actor in a comedy series for 鈥淗acks.鈥� Smart didn鈥檛 attend, but participated in a pre-taped introduction as her character, Deborah Vance.
Also not in attendance: Martin Short, though he upset Jeremy Allen White to win best male actor in a comedy series for 鈥淥nly Murders in the Building.鈥� The Hulu series also won for best comedy ensemble.
鈥淲ait, we never win. This is so weird,鈥� said Selena Gomez. 鈥淢arty and Steve (Martin) aren't here because, you know, they don't really care.鈥�
Colin Farrell won his first SAG award, for his performance in 鈥淭he Penguin鈥� and also became the first winner ever introduced, by Jamie Lee Curtis, as 鈥渢he man who gave me COVID at the Golden Globes.鈥� Farrell bounded to the stage and promptly responded, 鈥淕uilty as charged,鈥� before blaming Brendan Gleeson for giving it to him.
The night's first televised award went to Culkin, who has won just about every award in the category Gripping the SAG trophy, he could quickly tell the difference.
鈥淚t is funny that the heaviest of all awards is given by actors,鈥� said Culkin, who characteristically riffed his way through a rambling acceptance speech before swearing sincerity: 鈥淏elieve it or not, this actually means a lot to me.鈥�
Netflix鈥檚 鈥淓milia P茅rez,鈥� which has seen its awards hopes over old tweets by lead actor Karla Sofia Gasc贸n, took home the award for best female supporting actor, for Oscar favorite Salda帽a.
For Netflix's second time around streaming the awards, it inserted ads sporadically, like a traditional broadcast. Last year, downtimes were occupied by backstage interviews. Audio issues occasionally marred the broadcast, including brief interruptions of Fonda's speech.
After romps at the Emmys and Golden Globes, kept up its dominance. The FX series won best drama series ensemble, along with acting awards for Hiroyuki Sanada, Anna Sawai and for best stunt ensemble. The corresponding award for film went to
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AP Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton contributed to this report from Los Angeles.
Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
