The 29th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards were held on Sunday (February 26th), airing on Netflix’s YouTube channel as the streaming platform continues to develop its live streaming technology. There was no host for the 2023 ceremony, falling in line with the 2020 and 2021 shows.
The night’s big winner was Everything Everywhere All at Once, taking home four awards in total including Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture. “I think if I speak, my heart will explode,” Michelle Yeoh said, accepting the award for Outstanding Female Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture. According to Variety, Yeoh made history as the first Asian actress to win in this category.
Jamie Lee Curtis kissed Yeoh on the mouth when she won Outstanding Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, and Ke Huy Quan teared up while accepting the award for Outstanding Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture. “This is a really emotional moment for me. Recently, I was told that if I would win tonight, I would become the very first Asian actor to win in this category,” Quan said. “When I heard this, I quickly realized that this moment no longer belongs to just me. It also belongs to everyone who has asked for change. When I stepped away from acting, it’s because there were so few opportunities.”
Brendan Fraser won Outstanding Male Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture for his role in The Whale. Fraser recalled how proud he was when he first got his SAG card in 1991. “If you told that guy back then that I’d be standing right here, I would not have believed you,” he said. “I never would have believed that I would have been offered the role of my life in this character, Charlie.”
The White Lotus won the most awards for television, taking home Best Ensemble in a Drama Series, while Jennifer Coolidge won Outstanding Female Actor in a Drama Series. Sam Elliott took home the award for Outstanding Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series for his role in 1883, calling the win “the most meaningful acknowledgement of his 55-year career.”
The evening’s presenters included Zendaya, Paul Mescal, Aubrey Plaza, Jenna Ortega, Eugene Levy, Emily Blunt, Jason Bateman, Orlando Bloom, Ariana DeBose, and Diego Luna. One highlight included a Parks and Recreation reunion between Amy Poehler and Adam Scott. “You know what?” Poehler said to Scott. “What?” he asked. “Your mother’s butt!” she replied.
Andrew Garfield presented his The Amazing Spider-Man costar Sally Field with the SAG Life Achievement Award, telling her she “evokes awe in every actor’s heart.” He then introduced a montage from her extensive career including her roles in Gidget, The Flying Nun, Steel Magnolias, and Norma Rae.
“I first found a stage when I was 12 years old, in the seventh grade,” Field said during her acceptance speech, recalling her school’s drama department. “Offstage I felt shy and careful and hidden. But onstage I never knew what I would say or do. I would surprise myself. I wasn’t looking for the applause, or attention, even though that’s nice.”
She added, “Acting, to me, has always been about finding those few, precious moments when I feel totally, utterly, sometimes dangerously alive. The task has always been to find a way to get to that.”
See the full list of winners below:
Cast in a Motion Picture
Everything Everywhere All at Once
Male Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture
Brendan Fraser, The Whale
Female Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture
Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Jamie-Lee Curtis, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Ensemble in a Drama Series
The White Lotus
Male Actor in a Drama Series
Jason Bateman, Ozark
Female Actor in a Drama Series
Jennifer Coolidge, The White Lotus
Ensemble in a Comedy Series
Abbott Elementary
Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Jeremy Allen White, The Bear
Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Jean Smart, Hacks
Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
Sam Elliott, 1883
Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
Jessica Chastain, George & Tammy
Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
Top Gun: Maverick
Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
Stranger Things