Oppenheimer was the big winner at the 2024 SAG Awards, sewing up what looks set to be an Oppenheimer sweep at the 2024 Oscars.
The Oppenheimer cast won Best Ensemble, while stars Robert Downey Jr and Cillian Murphy scooped the awards for Male Actor and Male Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture, with Robert thanking his wife of 20 years Susan Downey, by including her in a list of some of the world's most acclaimed actors before asking the rhetorical question of why he had named her alongside names such as Kenneth Branagh and Emily Blunt, sharing "that for 20 years she has flawlessly portrayed a same and rational individual who is happily married to an actor".
"This is extremely special to me," began Cillian, thanking his "Oppenhomies," and sharing that he had "have never felt so looked after or cared for by a group of actors".
The SAG Awards are a good bellwether for the Oscars acting and Best Picture categories, as they are voted by an actors' peers who make up the largest branch of the Academy, and so Lily Gladstone's surprising win for Female Actor in a Leading Role — Motion Picture for her work in Killers of the Flower Moon is an indicator that Emma Stone doesn't have her Oscar for Poor Things wrapped up just yet.
Lily was clearly surprised to hear her name read out, reacting with a big gasp although Emma was the first on her feet cheering Lily on.
Like she did at the Golden Globes Awards, she began her speech by speaking her indigenous language of Blackfeet, before telling her peers to "keep telling stories, keep speaking your truths and speaking up for each other".
Da'Vine Joy Randolph continued her awards success as she won the Female Actor in a Supporting Role — Motion Picture award for her work in The Holdovers; she thanked her fellow nominees, revealing that she was "so grateful to be considered amongst you.
Backstage, she told press that she looked to the women in her life, from her mother to her school teachers and bus drivers to the "archetypes from black cinema and television" for inspiration, and had learned from the role to be more "compassionate and empathetic" because "you never know what someone is going through".
"We are a lot more similar than we think, and I want to continue to incorporate empathy and compassion for everyone".
The 2024 ceremony kicked off with Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri from The Bear, and Beef's Ali Wong among the first winners of the night, while Pedro Pascal -- who later told HELLO! backstage that he had been drinking tequila -- revealed on stage that he was drunk and not expecting to win.
"I thought I could get drunk," Pedro shared as he hit the stage, revealing he did not think he would win.
"Oh God I am making a fool of myself but thank you so much, I have been in the union since 1999 so this is an incredible honor, and to the nominees, all of you... I can't remember any of your names right now!"
The Crown star Elizabeth Debecki was also clearly was not expecting to win, and she went on to ad lib her speech, sharing a story about how she "levitated" home when she was 10-years-old and won her first tole in a school play.
"I still feel like that every time someone gives me a job," she added.
Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri both won the main acting comedy categories for The Bear, and Jeremy later shared his thoughts on why some work, like The Bear, receives critical acclaim while other equally successful work such as Iron Claw, his new film with Zac Efron, does not receive awards.
"So much of this is out of our control and when I go to work it is about the project, and if it is fulfilling and I enjoy the people I'm around [then]t hat's a win for me, then outside of that you know never what will connect with the masses," he shared.
It was the first ceremony since the historic SAG-AFTRA strike this summer that effectively shut down Hollywood for over 100 days, and Idris Elba, who opened the show, took his moment to thank his peers for "standing up in solidarity".
SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher also gave a moving speech about the "hot strikes summer" while Jennifer Aniston and Bradley Cooper presented Barbara Streisand with her Lifetime Achievement Award. The 81-year-old started off her speech with a comedic beat, saying: "This is such a wonderful award to get, because you know in advance you're going to get it."
"And you don't have to sit there and squirm like I remember, wondering if you're gonna get it, you're not gonna get it. And if you don't get it, you're gonna have to put on such a happy face, 'I'm so happy to lose!'" she added jokingly.
But there was not a dry eye in the house by the end of her speech, with audience shots showing Anne Hathaway, Billie Eilish, Meryl Streep, Kieran Culkin, and more wiping away tears.
SAG Awards Film Winners:
Motion Picture cast
American Fiction
Barbie
The Color Purple
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer - WINNER
Male Actor in a Leading Role — Motion Picture
Bradley Cooper, Maestro
Colman Domingo, Rustin
Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers
Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer - WINNER
Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction
Female Actor in a Leading Role — Motion Picture
Annette Bening, Nyad
Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon - WINNER
Carey Mulligan, Maestro
Margot Robbie, Barbie
Emma Stone, Poor Things
Male Actor in a Supporting Role — Motion Picture
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
Female Actor in a Supporting Role — Motion Picture
Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer
Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
Penélope Cruz, Ferrari
Jodie Foster, Nyad
Da'Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers - WINNER
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
SAG Awards Television Winners:
Drama Series Ensemble
The Crown
The Gilded Age
The Last of Us
The Morning Show
Succession - WINNER
Comedy Series Ensemble
Abbott Elementary
Barry
The Bear - WINNER
Only Murders in the Building
Ted Lasso
Male Actor in a TV movie or Miniseries
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
Female Actor in a TV movie or Miniseries
Uzo Aduba, Painkiller
Kathryn Hahn, Tiny Beautiful Things
Brie Larson, Lessons in Chemistry
Bel Powley, A Small Light
Ali Wong, Beef - WINNER
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
Female Actor in a Drama Series
Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show
Elizabeth Debicki, The Crown - WINNER
Bella Ramsey, The Last of Us
Keri Russell, The Diplomat
Sarah Snook, Succession
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
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
Stunt Ensemble in a TV Series
Ahsoka
Barry
Beef
The Last of Us - WINNER
The Mandalorian