The papal thriller “Conclave” won best ensemble and Timothée Chalamet took best actor at the 31st Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday, a pair of twists that added a few final wrinkles to an unusually unpredictable awards season.
In winning the guild’s top award, Edward Berger’s Vatican-set drama triumphed just as the Catholic Church was praying for the health of Pope Francis, who remained in critical condition Sunday after an asthmatic respiratory crisis. “Conclave” dramatizes the fictional election of a new pope. 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 Sean Baker’s “Anora,” which had won with the producers, directors and writers guilds. Now, with “Conclave” winning with the actors and at the BAFTAs, what will nab best picture in a week’s time at the Academy Awards is, again, anyone’s guess.
“Wow,” said “Conclave” star Ralph Fiennes taking the stage. “I’ve not been elected to speak. I’ve been designated to speak on behalf of our conclave, our ensemble.”
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 “The Brutalist” 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, the “A Complete Unknown” star spoke with composure and confidence.
“The truth is, this was 5 ½ years of my life,” said Chalamet. “I 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.”
He then added: “The truth is, I’m really in pursuit of greatness. I know people don’t usually talk like that, but I want to be one of the greats.”
The other Oscar favorites — Demi Moore, Zoe Saldaña and Kieran Culkin — all won. The SAG Awards are closely watched as an Oscar preview. Their picks don’t always align exactly with those of the film academy, but they often nearly do.
The last three best ensemble winners — “Oppenheimer,” “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and “CODA” — 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’s award for female actor last year for “Killers of the Flower Moon,” but the Oscar trophy went to Emma Stone for “Poor Things”.)
John Lithgow, Ralph Fiennes, Sergio Castellitto, and Isabella Rossellini of “Conclave” accept the SAG award (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
John Lithgow, Ralph Fiennes, Sergio Castellitto, and Isabella Rossellini of “Conclave” accept the SAG award (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Zoe Saldana poses in the press room with her SAG award for “Emilia Pérez” (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Zoe Saldana poses in the press room with her SAG award for “Emilia Pérez” (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Kieran Culkin accepts his SAG award for “A Real Pain” (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Kieran Culkin accepts his SAG award for “A Real Pain” (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Demi Moore accepts her SAG award for “The Substance” (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Demi Moore accepts her SAG award for “The Substance” (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Moore seemingly solidified her Oscar chances by following up her Golden Globe win for her performance in “The Substance.” Moore, whose campaign was boosted by her speech about being pigeonholed a “popcorn actress,” has traded awards with “Anora” breakthrough Mikey Madison.
“What we believe is so much more powerful than what we think,” said Moore. “The saying, ‘I’ll believe it when I see it’ — the reality is when I believe it, I will see it.”
The SAG Awards unfolded against the backdrop of the aftermath of the devastating wildfires that began in early January. 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 “the most attractive tables” among a sea of stars.
Jane Fonda, 87, given the guild’s Life Achievement Award, provided the evening with its most passionately political moment. Fonda, a famed activist, spoke indirectly about President Donald Trump’s administration.
“We are in our documentary moment,” said Fonda. “This is it. And it’s not a rehearsal.”
Fonda added that “woke just means you give a damn about other people.”
Jane Fonda accepts the Life Achievement Award (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Jane Fonda accepts the Life Achievement Award (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
“A whole lot of people are going to be hurt by what’s happening, by what’s coming our way,” said Fonda. “We are going to need a big tent to resist what’s coming at us.”
Jean Smart, who had advocated for canceling award shows because of the wildfires, won best female actor in a comedy series for “Hacks.” Smart didn’t 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 “Only Murders in the Building.” The Hulu series also won for best comedy ensemble.
“Wait, we never win. This is so weird,” said Selena Gomez. “Marty and Steve (Martin) aren’t here because, you know, they don’t really care.”
Richard Kind, Selena Gomez, Michael Cyril Creighton, Molly Shannon, and Kumail Nanjiani accept the SAG award for “Only Murders In The Building” (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Richard Kind, Selena Gomez, Michael Cyril Creighton, Molly Shannon, and Kumail Nanjiani accept the SAG award for “Only Murders In The Building” (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Colin Farrell won his first SAG award, for his performance in “The Penguin” and also became the first winner ever introduced, by Jamie Lee Curtis, as “the man who gave me COVID at the Golden Globes.” Farrell bounded to the stage and promptly responded, “Guilty as charged,” 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 for “A Real Pain.” Gripping the SAG trophy, he could quickly tell the difference.
“It is funny that the heaviest of all awards is given by actors,” said Culkin, who characteristically riffed his way through a rambling acceptance speech before swearing sincerity: “Believe it or not, this actually means a lot to me.”
Netflix’s “Emilia Pérez,” which has seen its awards hopes largely dashed by controversy over old tweets by lead actor Karla Sofia Gascón, took home the award for best female supporting actor, for Oscar favorite Saldaña.
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in the audience (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in the audience (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Ethan Slater and Ariana Grande in the audience (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Ethan Slater and Ariana Grande in the audience (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
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, “Shōgun” 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 the stunt performer ode “The Fall Guy.”
___AP Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton contributed to this report from Los Angeles.
