The historical epic “Oppenheimer” clinched additional accolades on Saturday at Hollywood’s Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, further enhancing its prospects for securing the coveted Best Picture trophy at the upcoming Oscars in the following month.
The film, depicting the race to develop the first atomic bomb, claimed the top honor of Best Movie Cast, bestowed by members of the SAG-AFTRA actors union during a red-carpet ceremony in Los Angeles. Cillian Murphy, portraying scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer, secured the Best Movie Actor award, while co-star Robert Downey Jr. earned the accolade for Best Supporting Actor.
Murphy, an Irish actor, expressed his gratitude, stating, “This is extremely special to me because it comes from you guys,” as he accepted his award. The choices of SAG-AFTRA hold significant weight as actors constitute the largest voting bloc for the Academy Awards, the pinnacle of the film industry’s recognition.
“Oppenheimer” has been on an impressive winning streak, securing honors at the Golden Globes, the British Academy Film Awards, and other prestigious ceremonies. Its fate at the Oscars is eagerly anticipated, with the Producers Guild of America’s awards, another influential predictor of Oscars success, set to be announced on Sunday.
In other SAG Awards highlights, Lily Gladstone received the Best Actress trophy for her role in “Killers of the Flower Moon,” portraying a member of the Osage Native American community in 1920s Oklahoma. Da’Vine Joy Randolph won the Best Supporting Actress category for her performance in “The Holdovers.”
The awards ceremony, streamed live on Netflix for the first time, marked a milestone in the company’s initiative to expand its live programming. In television categories, FX’s restaurant dramedy “The Bear” secured the Best Cast in a TV Comedy award, and HBO’s “Succession” earned the Best TV Drama Cast accolade for its final season.
The ceremony also honored Barbra Streisand with a lifetime achievement award for her contributions as an actor, producer, director, singer, and writer. Source – Reuters
