‘Sinners’ Upsets ‘One Battle After Another’ at Actor Awards, Shaking Up Oscar Race

After a near awards-season sweep by One Battle After Another, Sinners won best ensemble at the Screen Actors Guild’s 32nd Actor Awards on Sunday, setting up a potential nail-biter finale in two weeks at the Academy Awards.

The guild’s awards, formerly known as the SAG Awards, are one of the most closely watched Oscar precursors. Actors create up the largest slice of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and their choices at the Actor Awards often align.

The victory for Ryan Coogler’s Sinners shows that it has a strong chance to win at the Oscars, too, despite a long run of awards for Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, including top prizes from the Golden Globes, the Producers Guild Awards, and the BAFTAs.

But the win Sunday, in a Netflix-streamed ceremony at the Shine Auditorium in Los Angeles, shook up the Oscar race. Delroy Lindo spoke on behalf of the film’s cast. “From the bottom of our hearts, to the bottom of your hearts, thank you so much for everything,” said Lindo.

Moments earlier, Michael B. Jordan too won best male actor, upsetting the category favourite, Timothée Chalamet, and handing the 39-year-old Jordan the most significant prize of his acclaimed career. Even Jordan looked shocked as the audience rose to its feet. “I wasn’t expecting this at all,” said Jordan, who reflected on starting out as an actor. “Yeah, man, this is pretty cool.”

Jessie Buckley won best female actor for her performance in Hamnet. Sean Penn won best supporting male actor for One Battle After Another and Amy Madigan won best supporting female actor for Weapons.

The 75-year-old Madigan, who had never before been nominated by the guild, was visibly surprised. Partway through her winding and charming acceptance speech, she looked down at the statuette. “It’s like when you were little and you had the Barbie and then you got Ken and whipped down his drawers and went, ‘Hey, that’s nothing,”‘ joked Madigan before apologizing for getting distracted.

Catherine O’Hara posthumously won best female actor in a comedy series for her performance as a movie executive in the showbiz satire The Studio. O’Hara died on January 30 at the age of 71. At the Shine Auditorium in Los Angeles, the crowd stood in a standing ovation for O’Hara after she was announced as the winner.

Seth Rogen, co-creator of The Studio, accepted the award on her behalf. He recalled a passionate collaborator who would invariably send a polite email with suggested rewrites the night before a scene. Rogen said O’Hara “showed that you could be a genius and you could be kind.”

The ceremony, presented by SAG-AFTRA, was streamed live on Netflix. Kristen Bell hosted the present on a light note despite current events, including the war in Iran and entertainment industry upheaval.

The Actor Awards were the biggest Hollywood bash since Paramount reached an agreement to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery for $111 billion. The merger, which awaits regulatory approval, sent shock waves through Hollywood. Netflix chief executive Ted Sarandos walked the red carpet in jeans.

Before the ceremony began, the award for best stunt ensemble went to Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning. Among the TV awards, The Studio won for comedy series and The Pitt won for drama series. Individual winners included Keri Russell (The Diplomat), Rogen (The Studio), Michelle Williams (Dying for Sex), Owen Cooper (Adolescence) and Noah Wyle (The Pitt).

Life Achievement Award

Harrison Ford was honoured with the SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award, presented with warm sarcasm by Woody Harrelson. The 83-year-old actor said he was humbled. “I’m in a room with actors, many of whom are here because they’ve been nominated to receive a prize for their amazing work, while I’m here to receive a prize for being alive,” said Ford, who called it “the half point” of his career.

Ford teared up for much of his speech, reflecting on a career that he noted was “not an overnight success.” He called the award “very encouraging.” “I’m indeed a lucky guy,” said Ford. “Lucky to have found my people. Lucky to have work that challenges me. Lucky to still be doing it.”