Neon’s “Parasite” won best motion picture cast at the 26th Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday, becoming the first foreign language film to pick up the top prize. Netflix’s “The Crown” was named best TV drama and Amazon’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” earned the prize for best TV comedy in a strong showing for streaming services.
“The Crown’s” victory came in a season of major changes for the insider look at the House of Windsor, one that ushered in an entirely new cast of performers, as Queen Elizabeth II entered middle age on screen.
“Mrs. Maisel,” the story of a barrier-breaking female stand-up in the 1960s, faced headwinds of its own on the path to victory. It triumphed over the heavily favored “Fleabag.” “I voted for ‘Fleabag,'” Alex Borstein, one of the cast members, said during her speech. “This is really weird. This makes no sense…’Fleabag’ is brilliant.”
“Parasite,” a twisty South Korean thriller, has become a box office phenomenon, grossing nearly $140 million globally. One of its key awards season competitors, “1917,” was not up for an ensemble prize. It earned a Producers Guild Award on Saturday.
Unlike the Oscars, the Screen Actors Guild Awards honor both film and television and are voted on by members of the main acting union.
“Joker’s” Joaquin Phoenix was named best actor in a leading role, becoming one of the rare performers honored for a comic book movie. In a magnanimous speech, Phoenix praised the work of his rival nominees, as well as of another performer who had put his indelible stamp on the Joker in “The Dark Knight.”
“I’m standing here on the shoulders of my favorite actor, Heath Ledger,” said Phoenix.
“Judy’s” Renee Zellweger won best actress for her transformative performance as Judy Garland — a role in which she not only captured the star’s final years, but also sang many of her iconic torch songs. “I feel so lucky to be a member of this family of storytellers, who gets to do work that reflects the experience of being human and fosters understanding, and empathy and unity, and, with some luck, maybe pushes history a little bit closer to the light,” said Zellweger. —Variety
