The 28th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG) has been handed out in 15 categories, encompassing film and TV.
‘CODA’ made history when he took home the award for best film ensemble, becoming the first film with a predominantly deaf cast to receive the award. The cast, including a shocked Marlee Matlin, expressed her surprise at the win. Matlin accepted the award, ending her speech, interpreted by a sign-language interpreter, by using the sign for “I love you” to the audience and SAG-AFTRA voters.
Earlier in the night, ‘CODA’ scored another historic win. After becoming the first deaf actor to score an individual nomination earlier this year, Troy Kotsur became the first deaf actor to win a SAG Award, taking home the best supporting actor trophy in the first award of the night. Using a sign-language interpreter, he professed his love to his wife, seated in the audience, and joked that his daughter can’t use the statuette to hold her jewelry.
Will Smith Wins Big at SAG
Meanwhile, Will Smith was overcome with emotion after being announced as the best actor in a leading role. “That may have been one of my greatest moments of my career just now because my name was called for King Richard while sitting by Venus Williams”, Will Smith said after receiving his award.
Likewise, Jessica Chastain won the best actress in a film for her role in ‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye’, and expressed her own surprise at the podium, noting she’d worked on the project for 10 years and hoped she’d made a project that Tammy Faye Bakker, whom Chastain portrayed, would be proud of, calling her a trailblazer.
Ariana DeBose won the award for best-supporting actress for West Side Story, calling the film “a great cinematic experience” and thanking director Steven Spielberg in her speech.
On the TV side, Jason Sudeikis won best leading actor and Jean Smart won best leading actress for their roles in the comedy series ‘Ted Lasso’ and ‘Hacks’, respectively, mirroring their wins from the Emmys in September. ‘Ted Lasso’ also took home the win for best comedy series ensemble, the equivalent of the Emmys’ best comedy series award, which the show also won in September. ‘Succession’, which was not eligible for the Emmys in September 2021, won the award for best drama series ensemble.
A visibly shocked Lee Jung-Jae was named best actor in a drama series for ‘Squid Game’, beating out the likes of Succession’s Brian Cox, Kieran Culkin, and Jeremy Strong and The Morning Show’s, Billy Crudup. Lee Jung-Jae noted that it was a truly great moment for him and he couldn’t even get to his prepared speech as he was so surprised. Later in the show, his co-star, Jung Ho-Yeon, won the award for best actress in a drama series and was equally surprised. Giving an emotional speech, she thanked the other actors in the room for having been her inspiration.
The broadcast aired on TNT and TBS from the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. Opening the ceremony were Daveed Diggs, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Leslie Odom Jr., all of whom were part of the original Broadway cast of Hamilton.
Full list of winners for the 2022 SAG Awards.
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