“Oppenheimer” took top honors at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards on Saturday, as Hollywood stars partied at their union’s first prize-giving gala since staging its longest-ever strike last year.
The prestigious prize for best performance by a cast at the SAG Awards is historically a strong predictor for the Oscars, and makes “Oppenheimer” a formidable frontrunner for best picture.
Christopher Nolan’s epic drama about the father of the atomic bomb also took the awards for best actor for Cillian Murphy, who plays the titular scientist, and best supporting actor for Robert Downey Jr, portraying his bitter rival.
“Thank you for the invitation to play a genuine part in making this scarily important film,” said Kenneth Branagh, speaking on behalf of the cast.
The mood at the gala was celebratory all round, as members of SAG-AFTRA — the union that represents some 120,000 performers, including A-list stars — congregated in numbers for the first time since the strike ended in November.
Branagh recalled how the film’s cast had walked out of their London premiere last July as the work stoppage was about to begin.
“We went from the red carpet and we didn’t see the film that night. We happily went in the direction of solidarity with your good selves.
“So this, this is a full circle moment for us,” he said, to loud applause.
The guild ultimately extracted hard-fought gains including better pay and protections against artificial intelligence (AI) from studios including Disney and Netflix.
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“You survived the longest strike in our union’s history with courage and conviction,” said SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher.
Warning that AI could “entrap us in a matrix where none of us know what’s real,” Drescher said “seminal” gains made in talks would “set the trajectory for many generations to come.”
FULL LIST OF AWARD WINNERS AT THE 30TH SAG AWARDS
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Bradley Cooper, “Maestro”
Colman Domingo, “Rustin”
Paul Giamatti, “The Holdovers”
Cillian Murphy, “Oppenheimer” *WINNER
Jeffrey Wright, “American Fiction”
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Annette Bening, “Nyad”
Lily Gladstone, “Killers of the Flower Moon” *WINNER
Carey Mulligan, “Maestro”
Margot Robbie, “Barbie”
Emma Stone, “Poor Things”
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Sterling K. Brown, “American Fiction”
Willem Dafoe, “Poor Things”
Robert De Niro, “Killers of the Flower Moon”
Robert Downey Jr., “Oppenheimer” *WINNER
Ryan Gosling, “Barbie”
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Emily Blunt, “Oppenheimer”
Danielle Brooks, “The Color Purple”
Penélope Cruz, “Ferrari”
Jodie Foster, “Nyad”
Da’Vine Joy Randolph, “The Holdovers” *WINNER
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.
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“American Fiction”
“Barbie”
“The Color Purple”
“Killers of the Flower Moon”
“Oppenheimer” *WINNER
TELEVISION CATEGORIES
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
Matt Bomer, “Fellow Travelers”
Jon Hamm, “Fargo”
David Oyelowo, “Lawmen: Bass Reeves”
Tony Shalhoub, “Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie”
Steven Yeun, “Beef” *WINNER
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
Uzo Aduba, “Painkiller”
Kathryn Hahn, “Tiny Beautiful Things”
Brie Larson, “Lessons in Chemistry”
Bel Powley, “A Small Light”
Ali Wong, “Beef” *WINNER
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Brian Cox, “Succession”
Billy Crudup, “The Morning Show”
Kieran Culkin, “Succession”
Matthew Macfadyen, “Succession”
Pedro Pascal, “The Last of Us” *WINNER
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
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Jennifer Aniston, “The Morning Show”
Elizabeth Debicki, “The Crown” *WINNER
Bella Ramsey, “The Last of Us”
Keri Russell, “The Diplomat”
Sarah Snook, “Succession”
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Brett Goldstein, “Ted Lasso”
Bill Hader, “Barry”
Ebon Moss-Bachrach, “The Bear”
Jason Sudeikis, “Ted Lasso”
Jeremy Allen White, “The Bear” *WINNER
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Alex Borstein, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
Rachel Brosnahan, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
Quinta Brunson, “Abbott Elementary”
Ayo Edebiri, “The Bear” *WINNER
Hannah Waddingham, “Ted Lasso”
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
“The Crown”
“The Gilded Age”
“The Last of Us”
“The Morning Show”
“Succession” *WINNER
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
“Abbott Elementary”
“Barry”
“The Bear” *WINNER
“Only Murders in the Building”
“Ted Lasso”
STUNT ENSEMBLE HONORS
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
“Barbie”
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3”
“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”
“John Wick: Chapter 4”
“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” *WINNER
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
“Ahsoka”
“Barry”
“Beef”
“The Last of Us” *WINNER
“The Mandalorian”