![Cillian Murphy in "Oppenheimer."](jpg/65dab65b2500001a00dba5c1d1ff.jpg)
On Saturday night, the Screen Actors Guild doled out statuettes for the best TV and film performances of 2023 in a ceremony that streamed live on Netflix.
The ceremony presented audiences with a couple of surprise wins, veering off from what has been a long and repetitive awards show season.
Pedro Pascal won Best Male Actor in a Drama Series for his role in HBO’s “The Last of Us,” beating out Kieran Culkin, who won that category at the Emmys and the Golden Globes in January. Elizabeth Debicki won Best Female Actor in a Drama Series for her role as Princess Diana in “The Crown” over Sarah Snook, who won the Emmy and the Golden Globe in the same category. (See the complete winners list here.)
The ceremony did not have a formal host. But actor Idris Elba shined in his moments at the mic in an introduction, with his Robert De Niro impression and his enthusiastic acknowledgment of Oprah Winfrey. The show was also filled with several incredible cast reunions from iconic films and TV series, including “The Devil Wears Prada,” “Modern Family,” “The Fly” and “Breaking Bad.”
The SAG Awards followed a monumental year for TV and film writers and actors. Members of SAG-AFTRA, the largest union representing TV and film performers, were on strike for four months, fighting for fair and equitable treatment. The strike ended in November.
Barbra Streisand was awarded the SAG Life Achievement Award. Jennifer Aniston and Bradley Cooper gave glowing tributes to the icon before she accepted the award.
HuffPost reporters and editors chatted about the ceremony in this liveblog post. Read below to catch up on what unfolded on the show.
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The SAG Awards Reunited Several Iconic Casts — And We're Obsessed
Agree. I really loved seeing the reunions. I think it’s the perfect way for these awards shows to entice viewers with a bit of nostalgia. — Erin
Yes, more of this, please. Hope this year’s Oscars also follow suit. — Marina
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Lily Gladstone Shouts Out The Strikes Like A Total Boss
Kenneth Branagh also gave a really nice mention of the strike and SAG-AFTRA’s big contract wins in his speech on behalf of the cast of “Oppenheimer.” He notes that it’s “a full-circle moment” — the cast left the premiere of the film on July 13 to join the strike just as it was beginning. — Marina
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We Teared Up A Little At This SAG Awards Win
I also really appreciated Ruck shouting out the show’s casting director, Francine Maisler. She’s the reason that brilliant ensemble exists in the first place, and it’s a reminder that none of these great shows and movies exist without casting directors, who often go unsung (case in point — the Oscars recently announced the creation of a casting Oscar after years of advocacy from casting directors). — Marina
As soon as they gathered up for that group hug, I shed one little tear. We’ll miss you, Roys! I also chuckled hearing Alan Ruck refer to Sarah Snook as “Snooky.” — Erin
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Another Surprise Win At The SAGs: Elizabeth Debicki Wins For ‘The Crown’
Agreed on Elizabeth Debicki on “The Crown” (for anyone who doesn’t watch, she plays Princess Diana in the final two seasons). I enjoy her performance, but this is a surprise.
It’s strange that “Succession” has been underperforming tonight. SAG-AFTRA is a huge union, so maybe a lot more members than we think just didn’t watch it? — Marina
I keep thinking about that. Like, when I prepped the post for this, I was like, "'Succession' is gonna dominate!" I’m not too mad at the surprises, though. Or maybe just folks want to see some variety? Like, we’re not the only ones who want this, maybe? — Candice
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Ed O’Neill Has The Funniest Line In The ‘Modern Family’ Reunion At The SAG Awards
Like a lot of people, I soured on “Modern Family” in its later seasons, but this was a nice reminder of the show’s peak.
I cackled at Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s joke about the Tonys being the last award in “EGOT,” and then said he was “kidding,” to the cast of “The Gilded Age,” which contains multiple Tony winners. — Marina
I have never seen a single episode of “Modern Family” (it’s been on my list to watch for a long while), but I am always here for Ed O’Neill, aka Al Bundy. — Candice
Those first few seasons were so funny. But like Marina says, it definitely falls off. — Erin
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Netflix Replaces Commercials For SAG Awards With Cringey AF Interviews
Listen, the pre-show was damn near unwatchable because he was just being a big fan on the red carpet. I was cringing the whole time. — Erin
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At Last, Awards Season Gives Us The Surprise Win We've Been Waiting For
Erin, you took the words right out of my mouth! I totally was going to say, WAY TO SHAKE THINGS UP, SAG! I love him on this show. Happy to see him win. I love “Succession,” and will continue to love Kieran Culkin and Matthew Macfadyen on “Succession,” and that does not take away from the fact that Pascal is so good on “The Last Of Us” and really helps make the show. Happy for him. Happy that this ceremony has decided not to put us all to sleep and actually give us a surprise for a change. Here for all of this. — Candice
“I’m a little drunk.” Naturally, he probably thought Kieran Culkin was going to win, so he thought he could get away with just drinking freely, lol. But this is why surprises are good! You get the winners’ unfiltered and off-the-cuff reactions. That speech was so glorious. As if we could not love Pedro Pascal more. — Marina
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Jeremy Allen White From 'The Bear' Shows Why SAG Awards Speeches Are So Special
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‘The Devil Wears Prada’ Reunion Is EVERYTHING
I feel like I’ve seen this movie a zillion times and I never get enough of it. Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt and Anne Hathaway for the win, always. — Erin
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Idris Elba Is The Perfect Person To Kick Off The SAG Awards
He’s really killing this intro. Excellent De Niro impression, and a funny bit about whether people can swear on this show, now that it’s on Netflix and not airing on a network. He riffed on “not going full ‘Succession’ in terms of the swearing level, but maybe “Ted Lasso” would be fine. He also recommended just saying what you think would be appropriate in front of Oprah, and then they of course cut to Oprah, and he said: “F**k, that was Oprah!” 10/10, no notes. — Marina
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Two Winners Were Announced On The SAGs Red Carpet — And It Was Weird
I’m glad you said this, because I was like, well, why are they announcing this now? We saw Elaine Welteroth with a SAG ambassador (who was really hot, by the way) announce it in the middle of the pre-show. I feel similarly during the Grammys when it seems like SO MANY awards are not announced on the show. Give some of these folks some time to shine and be appreciated publicly! (But also find a way to not make the awards show a zillion hours long.) — Erin
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What To Expect From The SAG Awards
The two lead acting awards are actually quite competitive and tough to call, which is kind of exciting for late in the season. For Outstanding Male Actor, it’s going to be a photo finish between Paul Giamatti (“The Holdovers”) and Cillian Murphy (“Oppenheimer”). And for Outstanding Female Actor, it seems similarly close between Lily Gladstone (“Killers of the Flower Moon”) and Emma Stone (“Poor Things”). And I genuinely don’t know what film’s cast will win Best Ensemble. This award sometimes overlaps with what eventually wins Best Picture at the Oscars, so certainly, “Oppenheimer” is a strong possibility (and that is a pretty impressive cast). But I like when SAG goes their own way, so it would be fun to see a surprise here.
Over on the TV side, expect “Succession,” “Beef,” and “The Bear” to dominate, as they have done time and time again (and deservedly so). Even though we have seen them so many times over the years, and the show ended almost a year ago, I will admit that I’m actually kind of sad that this will likely be the last time we see the “Succession” cast together for the time being.
Erin and Candice, what are you thinking going into tonight? Anything you’re excited about, or are you also feeling a general sense of awards season fatigue? — Marina
I am so tired of awards season, too. I also am personally very aggravated that the SAG Awards are on Netflix because for some reason it is not connecting on my Chromecast in my living room, so I’m having to cover this from my bedroom, while watching on my Firestick. Obviously, that is a personal problem. I finally watched “Oppenheimer” the other day so I feel very caught up at this point ahead of the Oscars. What I’m really hoping for is a shakeup with who wins a few awards tonight. I know it’s not likely, but I need some excitement. Keep us on our toes, SAG! — Erin
I, too, am annoyed that this is on Netflix and that it’s on a Saturday night.
That aside, I, as always, want the surprises — the people and work that hasn’t been “predicted” from the major pundits. For one thing, that makes great TV. Another thing is, it shares the wealth a little. Like, I would love to see Sandra Hüller win for “Anatomy of a Fall,” or Danielle Brooks for “The Color Purple.” Like, something to keep us invested and allow this to not just be another repeat of what we’ve seen at other awards. That is boring to me — not to mention very obviously rigged. We’ll probably see this more at tomorrow’s Independent Spirit Awards, but there’s no reason why that shouldn’t happen here.
On the TV side, I imagine “Succession” and “Beef” will sweep most of everything. But I’m always here for a “surprise” win for, say, Ebon Moss-Bachrach for his performance on “The Bear” or something. Like, I get it, this is an industry that loves to congratulate itself. But, a little variety, PLEASE. — Candice