After the longest SAG-AFTRA strike in history, the union’s members finally got to celebrate their achievements at the 30th SAG Awards ceremony.
Some of the biggest names in the film industry made their way to the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles last Saturday.
There they honored their colleagues’ achievements and celebrated decades of noteworthy films. English actor Idris Elba hosted the event while Tan France and Elaine Welteroth held red carpet and backstage interviews.
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Reunions Galore
The casts of some of the most beloved movies and TV shows reunited during the awards ceremony. While Meryl Streep was up on stage to present the Best Male Actor in a Comedy Series, her The Devil Wears Prada co-stars Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt playfully stepped in.
Streep pretended to forget her glasses and the envelope so that Hathaway and Blunt, who played her assistants in the movie, would have to give them to her.
“It’s an age old question—where does the character end and the actor begin?” Streep said. Blunt replied with “Meryl and Miranda Priestly are like twins,” which Streep denied. “No, no, that wasn’t a question,” Hathaway interrupted, mirroring Streep’s character.
The casts of Modern Family and Breaking Bad also reunited to present awards for Best Ensemble in a Comedy and Drama series. The actors passed on the honor to the casts of The Bear and Succession respectively.
Lastly, Lord of the Rings stars Elijah Wood and Sean Astin had a mini reunion 20 years after Return of the King won Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. Wood commented about never receiving his statuette and Astin joked that he sold the award on eBay.
Barbra Streisand’s Lifetime Achievement Award
Not many have achieved the stardom that singer and actress Barbra Streisand has. As an EGOT winner with a career spanning six decades, the Lifetime Achievement Award was more than well-deserved.
“That face. That voice. That talent. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime talent and how lucky it’s in our lifetime,” Jennifer Aniston said while introducing Streisand. “Barbra didn’t just pave the way for us. She bulldozed it.”
Celebrities like Anne Hathaway, Emma Stone, and Joey King were in tears while Streisand reminisced about her love of films during her speech. “I dream of a world where such prejudice is a thing of the past. I’ve always believed in the power of the truth. And I think really good actors rely on the character’s truth as well as their own.”
“To my fellow actors and directors, I’ve loved working with you, playing with you, and inhabiting that magical world of the movies with you,” she added. “And most of all I wanted to thank you for giving me so much joy watching you all on the screen.”
Pedro Pascal’s Acceptance Speech
Becoming one of the funniest moments of the night, Pedro Pascal admitted that he was intoxicated during his acceptance speech.
Winning the award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series, the Last of Us actor said “This is wrong, for a number of reasons. I’m a little drunk. I thought I could get drunk.”
Big Winners
The casts of The Bear and Oppenheimer won big that night, receiving three awards each. The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri, and the ensemble cast won for Outstanding Performance in a Comedy Series.
Meanwhile, Oppenheimer’s Robert Downey Jr. took home the award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Cillian Murphy for Leading Role, and the ensemble for their collective Outstanding Performance.
Beef’s dynamic duo Ali Wong and Steven Yeun both won in their respective categories in Outstanding Performance in a Television Movie or Limited Series.
Later in the night, Lily Gladstone made history as the first Native American actress to win the award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role. Gladstone portrayed Mollie Kyle in Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon.
“Keep telling stories to everybody in this room, to everybody watching abroad. Those of you who are not actors, but have a voice, have a story that needs to be heard,” she said in her acceptance speech. “Thank you for all of the compassionate souls in this room and all of the storytellers here tonight. Keep speaking your truths, and keep speaking up for each other.”
Banner image via Instagram @sagawards.
