“Conclave” emerged as the big winner at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards this Sunday, intensifying the uncertainty in the Oscar race with just one week remaining.
The drama about the selection of the Pope won the ceremony’s top prize for best ensemble cast, adding to its surge in momentum after last week’s best film win at the Baftas.
Among other victors were Demi Moore and Timothée Chalamet, who now enter next Sunday’s Academy Awards with heightened prospects of winning.
Accepting the award for “Conclave,” British actor Ralph Fiennes expressed gratitude towards director Edward Berger for his “perception, insight, and care.”
Earlier in the ceremony, his co-star Isabella Rossellini shared the cast’s well-wishes for Pope Francis’ speedy recovery following his pneumonia diagnosis.
The recipients of the SAG awards are chosen by their fellow actors. Highlighting the evening’s celebration of the actors’ union, Fiennes acknowledged, “We do recognize the supreme importance of community in our work and in the world.”
Despite not securing other awards, “Conclave’s” triumph in this significant category strengthens its position for the upcoming Oscars on March 2.
This year’s best picture race remains highly competitive, with “The Brutalist” and “Emilia Pérez” securing wins at the Golden Globes, “Conclave” at the Baftas and now the SAG Awards, and “Anora” gaining recognition from various industry guilds, including those of producers, writers, and directors.
Moore’s recent victory for her role in the body horror film “The Substance” adds complexity to an already tight best actress race, now perceived as a toss-up between her and newcomer Mikey Madison, who recently won the Bafta.
Accepting her SAG award, Moore reflected, “This is extraordinary and so deeply meaningful.”
She reminisced about receiving her first SAG card at age 15, noting, “It changed my life because it gave me meaning, purpose, and direction.”
Moore continued, “I was a kid on my own with no blueprint for life, and I certainly knew nothing about acting. But I watched, listened, and learned from all of you.”
“You have all been my greatest teachers, and I am so grateful that I have continued over these many years to be able to try, sometimes succeed, and sometimes fail, but always to keep going.”
In “The Substance,” Moore portrays an aging aerobics instructor who resorts to a black market drug to attain a younger, more attractive self.
Meanwhile, Chalamet’s unexpected win for best actor for his role as Bob Dylan in “A Complete Unknown” surprised many, outperforming Adrien Brody, who has dominated the category throughout the awards season.
“I know the classiest thing would be to downplay the effort that went into this role and how much this means to me,” Chalamet said in his speech.
“But the truth is, this role consumed five-and-a-half years of my life. I poured everything I have into playing this incomparable artist, Mr. Bob Dylan, an American hero, and it was the honor of a lifetime playing him.”
Chalamet concluded, “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, inspired by the greats.”
“This doesn’t signify that, but it’s a little more fuel, a little more ammo to keep going.”
In the category of best supporting actor, Kieran Culkin took home the award for his role in “A Real Pain,” portraying one of two cousins traveling across Poland in remembrance of their grandmother.
“Thank you, SAG-AFTRA, for this incredibly heavy award,” Culkin joked as he accepted his trophy on stage.
Describing the award as a “huge honor,” he extended thanks to the sister of his director Jesse Eisenberg for recommending him for the role.
“He cast me in this movie without an audition or seeing my work in anything,” Culkin recalled. “But he cast me because his sister told him to, so yes, thanks to Jesse for putting me in this movie, but I want to take a moment to thank your sister Hallie.”
“Thank you, Hallie, for thinking of me and putting my name in your stupid brother’s ear.”
Zoe Saldaña continued her winning streak in the supporting actress category for her performance in the Spanish-language musical “Emilia Pérez,” portraying a Mexican drug lord undergoing a gender transition.
“I’m proud to be part of a union that allows me to be who I am,” Saldaña said. “I believe everyone has the right to be who we are, and ‘Emilia Pérez’ is about truth and it’s about love.”
“Actors now more than ever before have to tell stories that are beautiful and thought-provoking, and live within the spectrum of artistic freedom.”
Despite having the most nominations, “Wicked” left the SAG Awards empty-handed, while “Anora,” a frontrunner for best picture, also failed to replicate its previous success.
