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ITN Source
USA: The Screen Actors Guild Awards given out in Los Angeles
USA: The Screen Actors Guild Awards given out in Los Angeles
The Screen Actors Guild Awards were given out in Los Angeles on Sunday (January 28), one step further towards determining who will take home the Oscars on February 25. Last year, the award for best ensemble went to "Crash" in a first sign that "Brokeback Mountain" did not have a lock on the Oscars, which "Crash" later won. In addition, 19 of the 20 actors nominated for Oscars this year were up for SAG awards -- showing once again that the actors' choice will be a strong indicator of what happens at the Academy Awards. British actress Helen Mirren picked up two awards for playing queens of England -- one for best actress in a television mini-series or movie for the title role in the HBO drama "Elizabeth I," and the award for best actress in a motion picture for her work in "The Queen," about the current monarch, Elizabeth II. "I thank you, Screen Actors Guild, I thank my fellow actors, I thank my director, Tom Hooper and HBO, who allowed you all to see it, so thank you very much," said Helen Mirren, upon accepting her first award for the evening for her role in the HBO miniseries "Elizabeth I" Mirren's co-star, fellow Brit Jeremy Irons, won for best actor in a television movie or mini-series for his work in "Elizabeth I." "It is fantastic to be singled out among such co-nominees," said Jeremy Irons, accepting his award for best actor in a TV miniseries or movie. Comedian Eddie Murphy and newcomer Jennifer Hudson, a former "American Idol" contestant, were named best supporting actor and actress for their performances in "Dreamgirls." "This is a tremendous honour to me," said Actor Eddie Murphy while accepting his award, imitating a British accent. "No I'm sorry -- it's just when the British people come up and get their awards they're so smooth with their stuff, and I feel goofy up here because I don't be winning stuff, but thank you so much, this is a huge honour," he added. Murphy plays a James Brown-like singer who falls on hard times in the film based on the rise of a Supremes-like group, while Hudson plays a singer expelled from the group. "Thank you for noticing little old me, and for accepting me and thank you for making me feel so welcome and thank you for this honour," said Hudson in accepting her award. British actor Hugh Laurie took home an award for his work on "House M.D.," a medical drama about a brilliant but acerbic physician. "Every day I am extremely grateful for the chance I've been given to play what is, to me, such a fascinating character, to do it here in America -- I'm British, by the way," said Hugh Laurie, in accepting his award for best actor in a TV drama. The cast of classic comedy "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" reunited at the awards show Sunday evening to present the award for best ensemble cast for a TV drama, which went to the NBC sitcom "The Office." "This is quite the honour having these people present this to us," said "Office" actor Steve Carell, accepting the award from Mary Tyler Moore. The award for best ensemble cast in a TV drama went to medical drama "Grey's Anatomy," which also picked up an award for best actress, Chandra Wilson. "We love this category more than you know. We're honoured to be in the company of all the fellow nominees -- so inspiring," said "Grey's" actress Ellen Pompeo, speaking on behalf of the group. The quirky comedy "Little Miss Sunshine" won the top prize of the evening, best ensemble cast in a motion picture, giving the underdog film about a family of losers a big boost in the race for the Oscars. In a good omen for the film, three of the last four winners of the SAG award for best ensemble have gone on to win the Oscar for best picture. "Little Miss Sunshine" herself, Abigail Breslin, was so little in fact, that she had to be picked up by a taller Greg Kinnear, who plays her father in the movie, in order to accept the award on behalf of the group. "Hello, um. I don't know, who do you want to thank?" said actress Abigail Breslin, accepting the award on behalf of the cast of "Little Miss Sunshine." The Guild awards had assumed greater importance than usual this year because the fight for its top award -- best cast ensemble performance -- was too close to call. SAG members chose between five films for best ensemble performance: "Babel," "Bobby," "The Departed," "Dreamgirls" and "Little Miss Sunshine." In the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, actors make up about 22 percent of Oscar voters, making them the biggest single voting group for the awards.
ITN Source | January 31, 2007
