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Last night, hundreds of glamorous performers filed into the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles for the 24th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, and it was an evening to remember. Kristen Bell acted as the ceremony’s first-ever host, and all of the awards presenters were female, marking a historic moment timed with the #TimesUp and #MeToo movements. The categories were stacked, and while some felt like pretty obvious wins – we’re looking at you, Veep – the night was not without a few snubs, surprises, and tweet-worthy moments.
From a shocking Elisabeth Moss upset (possibly Scientology-related?) to a strange James Franco appearance, the SAG Awards remained interesting from start to finish. We now have an inkling of just how the Oscars might go down, how actors are really feeling about some of the performers accused of misconduct in the #TimesUp movement, and whether or not Scientology may actually be on the way out. Here’s what we learned from last night’s SAG Awards.
'Veep' Star Julia Louis-Dreyfus Made History... Again
She may have been watching the proceedings from home in her pajamas due to her cancer treatment, but Veep star Julia Louis-Dreyfus still made history. Thanks to her win for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series and Veep‘s victory for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, Louis-Dreyfus’ total number of awards jumped to 9 – the most earned by any actor ever.
'Three Billboards' May Very Well Win Some Oscars
While responses to Martin McDonagh’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri have been decidedly mixed, none of the backlash affected the film’s chances at the awards last night. Frances McDormand took home the prize for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role, Sam Rockwell won the award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role, and the cast concluded the show with the honor for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.
This sweep likely means that Three Billboards will certainly earn a handful of nods when the Oscar nominations are announced tomorrow, and at this point, it wouldn’t be all that surprising if McDormand takes home the Academy Award for Best Actress this year. (McDormand, for her part, seems to want to pass the torch down to younger actors – perhaps Lady Bird‘s Saoirse Ronan or I, Tonya‘s Margot Robbie?)
Claire Foy Disrupted Elisabeth Moss' 'Handmaid's Tale' Streak
For the second year in a row, Claire Foy took home the award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama for her astounding work on Netflix original The Crown, though this time around, she was absent – and her victory came as something of a surprise. While Foy’s second season performance was just as stellar as her first time around, a win for The Handmaid’s Tale‘s Elisabeth Moss seemed almost inevitable. After taking home the Emmy, Golden Globe, and Critics’ Choice awards for her performance, the SAG Awards were set to be just another notch in her belt, but it evidently did not go that way. So what happened?
Before the Emmys, we theorized that Moss could potentially take a hit during awards season due to the success of Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath and Hollywood’s gradual rejection of the scandal-ridden Church. Moss, who was raised in Scientology, is generally mum on the issue, but her loss last night could potentially be linked to the attitude of her peers towards her religious beliefs. So did Elisabeth Moss lose the SAG Award because she’s a Scientologist? Maybe. But there’s no way to know for sure.
Aziz Ansari Skipped The Show - And Didn't Seem To Get Any Applause
Aziz Ansari was noticeably (but unsurprisingly) absent from the SAG Awards last night, and he didn’t seem to be all that missed, either. In the wake of a recent article that accused the Master of None star and creator of sexual misconduct, Ansari was nowhere to be seen, despite being nominated for Outstanding Male Actor in a Comedy Series.
When Ansari’s name was called out during the nominations, there was an obvious lack of applause (and seemingly no pause for applause allotted). Whether or not this was purely due to his absence or the recent allegations made against him is difficult to confirm, but it certainly wasn’t comfortable to watch. William H. Macy wound up taking home the award for Shameless, avoiding what surely would have been an awkward victory for the absent Ansari.
James Franco Showed Up - And Was Defended By His Sister-In-Law
James Franco may have taken home the Golden Globe for his performance in The Disaster Artist, but his presence didn’t seem to be all that welcome at the SAG Awards due to the recent allegations of sexual misconduct made against the actor. Franco skipped the red carpet and instead slipped in for the ceremony, keeping a pretty subdued, serious demeanor whenever he was captured on camera. While he may not have made a red carpet appearance, that didn’t stop his sister-in-law, GLOW star Alison Brie, from speaking on his behalf: “I obviously support my family and not everything that’s been reported is fully accurate, so I think we’re waiting to get all the information. But, of course, now is a time for listening and that’s what we’re all trying to do.”
Franco was nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role and lost out to Gary Oldman for Darkest Hour, which was a whole other potentially problematic victory in itself.
