‘Spotlight,’ Idris Elba, Diversity Dominate SAG Awards

Journalism drama “Spotlight” won the SAG film ensemble cast award in a night that was dominated by diverse winners.

“Spotlight,” the story of the Boston Globe’s investigation into pedophile priests, won the cast award over “Beasts of No Nation,” “The Big Short,” “Straight Outta Compton” and “Trumbo.” Demi Moore presented the trophy at the conclusion of ceremonies at the Shrine Auditorium.

Solidifying his frontrunner status, Leonardo DiCaprio won the SAG Award for best actor for “The Revenant” for his role as a fur trapper bent on revenge. He thanked the actors who came before him, adding, “We stand on the shoulders of giants.”

SAG voters have backed the last 11 winners of the best actor Oscar, including Eddie Redmayne last year for “The Theory of Everything.”

Brie Larson won the best actress for her role as a tormented mother in “Room” caring for a small boy, played by Jacob Tremblay. She said the part taught her about loving a child.

“When you share your vulnerabilities, it’s a way of connecting with the world,” she added.

In a rebuke to the all-white Oscar nominations in the acting categories, Idris Elba won the supporting actor SAG Award for “Beasts of No Nation,” along with a second award for his role in “Luther” in the TV movie/miniseries category.

“Welcome to diverse TV,” he said in his acceptance speech.

The awards were based on voting by the 116,741 dues-current SAG-AFTRA members. Balloting was open during the #OscarsSoWhite backlash and closed Friday.

Diversity continued to rule with Netflix’s multi-racial “Orange is the New Black” taking two awards and transgender-themed titles “Transparent” and “The Danish Girl” winning trophies. Viola Davis won the female drama series award for “How to Get Away with Murder” for the second year in a row.

The win for “Spotlight” gives the Open Road release significant momentum as the awards season heads into its final weeks. “The Big Short” won the Producers Guild of America’s Darryl F. Zanuck Award for top movie a week ago.

The winner of the SAG ensemble trophy has matched the Oscar best picture winner just ten times in 20 years. “Birdman” won the SAG and best picture awards last year while “American Hustle” won the SAG cast award and was shut out at the Oscars two years ago. “Argo” won both awards three years ago.

Actors are by far the largest branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences with nearly 20% of the 6,856 members.

Elba said of “Beasts of No Nation” in his acceptance speech, “We made a film about real people and real lives. Thank you for giving this film some love.”

Elba did not receive an Oscar nomination for the “Beasts” role — one of the most widely cited reasons why there was a strong negative reaction to the 20 acting Oscar nominations going only to white actors on Jan. 14.

Elba, who portrayed a commandant in a brutal African conflict, won over Christian Bale for “The Big Short,” Mark Rylance for “Bridge of Spies,” Michael Shannon for “99 Homes” and Jacob Tremblay for “Room.”

On receiving the second award as an obsessive — and self-destructive — detective chief inspector for BBC America’s “Luther,” Elba said, “Two awards — I don’t know what to say” after thanking the producing team behind the crime drama.

Alicia Vikander won the SAG Award for her supporting actress role in “The Danish Girl.” In what’s regarded as one of the closest categories, Vikander topped Rooney Mara for “Carol,” Rachel McAdams for “Spotlight,” Helen Mirren for “Trumbo” and Kate Winslet for “Steve Jobs.”

The SAG Awards has been a strong indicator of the individual Oscar acting categories. The four awards have matched in the past three years but that won’t be case in the supporting category this year with Elba’s win of a SAG Award.

“Orange is the New Black” dominated the comedy series trophies at the SAG Awards, winning the ensemble cast and the female actor award for Uzo Aduba.

Netflix’s wins for “Orange is the New Black” and Aduba mark the second year in a row that the show has taken those categories. The streaming service also boasted winner Kevin Spacey, who won best actor in a drama series for “House of Cards” for the second year in a row.

“Downtown Abbey” won the drama series cast award for the second year in a row.

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
SPOTLIGHT (Open Road Films) (WINNER)

BILLY CRUDUP / Eric MacLeish
BRIAN D’ARCY JAMES / Matty Carroll
MICHAEL KEATON / Walter “Robby” Robinson
RACHEL McADAMS / Sacha Pfeiffer
MARK RUFFALO / Michael Rezendes
LIEV SCHREIBER / Marty Baron
JOHN SLATTERY / Ben Bradlee, Jr.
STANLEY TUCCI / Mitchell Garabedian



BEASTS OF NO NATION (Netflix)
ABRAHAM ATTAH / Agu
KURT EGYIAWAN / 2nd I-C
IDRIS ELBA / Commandant

THE BIG SHORT (Paramount Pictures)
CHRISTIAN BALE / Michael Burry
STEVE CARELL / Mark Baum
RYAN GOSLING / Jared Vennett
MELISSA LEO / Georgia Hale
HAMISH LINKLATER / Porter Collins
JOHN MAGARO / Charlie Geller
BRAD PITT / Ben Rickert
RAFE SPALL / Danny Moses
JEREMY STRONG / Vinny Peters
MARISA TOMEI / Cynthia Baum
FINN WITTROCK / Jamie Shipley

STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON (Universal Pictures)
NEIL BROWN JR. / DJ Yella
PAUL GIAMATTI / Jerry Heller
COREY HAWKINS / Dr. Dre
ALDIS HODGE / MC Ren
O’SHEA JACKSON JR. / Ice Cube
JASON MITCHELL / Eazy-E

TRUMBO (Bleecker Street)
ADEWALE AKINNUOYE-AGBAJE / Virgil Brooks
LOUIS C.K. / Arlen Hird
BRYAN CRANSTON / Dalton Trumbo
DAVID JAMES ELLIOTT / John Wayne
ELLE FANNING / Niki Trumbo
JOHN GOODMAN / Frank King
DIANE LANE / Cleo Trumbo
HELEN MIRREN / Hedda Hopper
MICHAEL STUHLBARG / Edward G. Robinson
ALAN TUDYK / Ian McLellan Hunter

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
DOWNTON ABBEY (Masterpiece/PBS) (WINNER)
HUGH BONNEVILLE / Robert, Earl of Grantham
LAURA CARMICHAEL / Lady Edith Crawley
JIM CARTER / Mr. Carson
RAQUEL CASSIDY / Baxter
BRENDAN COYLE / Mr. Bates
TOM CULLEN / Anthony Gillingham
MICHELLE DOCKERY / Lady Mary Crawley
KEVIN DOYLE / Mr. Molesley
JOANNE FROGGATT / Anna Bates
LILY JAMES / Lady Rose
ROBERT JAMES-COLLIER / Thomas Barrow
ALLEN LEECH / Tom Branson
PHYLLIS LOGAN / Mrs. Hughes
ELIZABETH McGOVERN / Cora, Countess of Grantham
SOPHIE McSHERA / Daisy
LESLEY NICOL / Mrs. Patmore
JULIAN OVENDEN / Charles Blake
DAVID ROBB / Dr. Clarkson
MAGGIE SMITH / Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham
PENELOPE WILTON / Isobel Crawley

GAME OF THRONES (HBO)
ALFIE ALLEN / Theon Greyjoy
IAN BEATTIE / Ser Meryn Trant
JOHN BRADLEY / Samwell Tarly
GWENDOLINE CHRISTIE / Brienne of Tarth
EMILIA CLARKE / Daenerys Targaryen
MICHAEL CONDRON / Bowen Marsh
NIKOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU / Jaime Lannister
BEN CROMPTON / Dolorous Edd
LIAM CUNNINGHAM / Ser Davos Seaworth
STEPHEN DILLANE / Stannis Baratheon
PETER DINKLAGE / Tyrion Lannister
NATHALIE EMMANUEL / Missandei
TARA FITZGERALD / Selyse Baratheon
JEROME FLYNN / Bronn
BRIAN FORTUNE / Othell Yarwyck
JOEL FRY / Hizdahr Zo Loraq
AIDAN GILLEN / Littlefinger Petyr Baelish
IAIN GLEN / Ser Jorah Mormont
KIT HARINGTON / Jon Snow
LENA HEADEY / Cersei Lannister
MICHIEL HUISMAN / Daario Naharis
HANNAH MURRAY / Gilly
BRENOCK O’CONNOR / Olly
DANIEL PORTMAN / Podrick Payne
IWAN RHEON / Ramsay Snow
OWEN TEALE / Ser Alliser Thorne
SOPHIE TURNER / Sansa Stark
CARICE VAN HOUTEN / Melisandre
MAISIE WILLIAMS / Arya Stark
TOM WLASCHIHA / Jaqen H’ghar

HOMELAND (Showtime)
F. MURRAY ABRAHAM / Dar Adal
ATHEER ADEL / Numan
CLAIRE DANES / Carrie Mathison
ALEXANDER FEHLING / Jonas Hollander
RUPERT FRIEND / Peter Quinn
NINA HOSS / Astrid
RENÉ IFRAH / Bibi
MARK IVANIR / Ivan Krupin
SEBASTIAN KOCH / Otto Dűring
MIRANDA OTTO / Allison Carr
MANDY PATINKIN / Saul Berenson
SARAH SOKOLOVIC / Laura Sutton

HOUSE OF CARDS (Netflix)
MAHERSHALA ALI / Remy Danton
DEREK CECIL / Seth Grayson
NATHAN DARROW / Edward Meechum
MICHAEL KELLY / Doug Stamper
ELIZABETH MARVEL / Heather Dunbar
MOLLY PARKER / Jackie Sharp
JIMMI SIMPSON / Gavin Orsay
KEVIN SPACEY / Francis Underwood
PAUL SPARKS / Thomas Yates
ROBIN WRIGHT / Claire Underwood

MAD MEN (AMC)
SOLA BAMIS / Shirley
STEPHANIE DRAKE / Meredith
JAY R. FERGUSON / Stan Rizzo
BRUCE GREENWOOD / Richard Burghoff
JON HAMM / Don Draper
CHRISTINA HENDRICKS / Joan Harris
JANUARY JONES / Betty Francis
VINCENT KARTHEISER / Pete Campbell
ELISABETH MOSS / Peggy Olson
KEVIN RAHM / Ted Chaough
KIERNAN SHIPKA / Sally Draper
JOHN SLATTERY / Roger Sterling
RICH SOMMER / Harry Crane
AARON STATON / Ken Cosgrove
MASON VALE COTTON / Bobby Draper

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK (Netflix) (WINNER)
UZO ADUBA / Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren
MIKE BIRBIGLIA / Danny Pearson
MARSHA STEPHANIE BLAKE / Berdie Rogers
DANIELLE BROOKS / Tasha “Taystee” Jefferson
LAVERNE COX / Sophia Burset
JACKIE CRUZ / Marisol “Flaca” Gonzales
CATHERINE CURTIN / Wanda Bell
LEA DELARIA / Carrie “Big Boo” Black
BETH FOWLER / Sister Jane Ingalls
JOEL MARSH GARLAND / Scott O’Neill
KIMIKO GLENN / Brook Soso
ANNIE GOLDEN / Norma Romano
DIANE GUERRERO / Maritza Ramos
MICHAEL J. HARNEY / Sam Healy
VICKY JEUDY / Janae Watson
SELENIS LEYVA / Gloria Mendoza
TARYN MANNING / Tiffany “Pennsatucky” Doggett
ADRIENNE C. MOORE / Black Cindy
KATE MULGREW / Galina “Red” Reznikov
EMMA MYLES / Leanne Taylor
MATT PETERS / Joel Luschek
LORI PETTY / Lolly Whitehill
JESSICA PIMENTEL / Maria Ruiz
DASCHA POLANCO / Dayanara Diaz
LAURA PREPON / Alex Vause
ELIZABETH RODRIGUEZ / Aleida Diaz
RUBY ROSE / Stella Carlin
NICK SANDOW / Joe Caputo
ABIGAIL SAVAGE / Gina
TAYLOR SCHILLING / Piper Chapman
CONSTANCE SHULMAN / Yoga Jones
DALE SOULES / Frieda
YAEL STONE / Lorna Morello
SAMIRA WILEY / Poussey Washington

THE BIG BANG THEORY (CBS)
MAYIM BIALIK / Amy Farrah Fowler
KALEY CUOCO / Penny
JOHNNY GALECKI / Leonard Hofstadter
SIMON HELBERG / Howard Wolowitz
KUNAL NAYYAR / Rajesh Koothrappali
JIM PARSONS / Sheldon Cooper
MELISSA RAUCH / Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz

KEY & PEELE (Comedy Central)
KEEGAN-MICHAEL KEY / Various Characters
JORDAN PEELE / Various Characters

MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
JULIE BOWEN / Claire Dunphy
TY BURRELL / Phil Dunphy
AUBREY ANDERSON EMMONS / Lily Tucker-Pritchett
JESSE TYLER FERGUSON / Mitchell Pritchett
NOLAN GOULD / Luke Dunphy
SARAH HYLAND / Haley Dunphy
ED O’NEILL / Jay Pritchett
RICO RODRIGUEZ / Manny Delgado
ERIC STONESTREET / Cameron Tucker
SOFIA VERGARA / Gloria Delgado-Pritchett
ARIEL WINTER / Alex Dunphy

TRANSPARENT (Amazon)
ALEXANDRA BILLINGS / Davina Rejennae
CARRIE BROWNSTEIN / Syd Feldman
JAY DUPLASS / Josh Pfefferman
KATHRYN HAHN / Raquel Fein
GABY HOFFMANN / Ali Pfefferman
CHERRY JONES / Leslie Mackinaw
AMY LANDECKER / Sarah Pfefferman
JUDITH LIGHT / Shelly Pfefferman
HARI NEF / Gittel/Gerson
EMILY ROBINSON / Rose Boymelgreen
JEFFREY TAMBOR / Maura Pfefferman

VEEP (HBO)
DIEDRICH BADER / Bill Ericsson
SUFE BRADSHAW / Sue Wilson
ANNA CHLUMSKY / Amy Brookheimer
GARY COLE / Kent Davidson
KEVIN DUNN / Ben Cafferty
TONY HALE / Gary Walsh
HUGH LAURIE / Tom James
JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS / President Selina Meyer
PHIL REEVES / Doyle
SAM RICHARDSON / Richard
REID SCOTT / Dan Egan
TIMOTHY SIMONS / Jonah Ryan
SARAH SUTHERLAND / Catherine
MATT WALSH / Mike McLintock

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
BRIE LARSON / Ma – “ROOM” (A24) (WINNER)
CATE BLANCHETT / Carol Aird – “CAROL” (The Weinstein Company)
HELEN MIRREN / Maria Altmann – “WOMAN IN GOLD” (The Weinstein Company)
SAOIRSE RONAN / Eilis – “BROOKLYN” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
SARAH SILVERMAN / Laney Brooks – “I SMILE BACK” (Broad Green Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
LEONARDO DiCAPRIO / Hugh Glass – “THE REVENANT” (20th Century Fox) (WINNER)
BRYAN CRANSTON / Dalton Trumbo – “TRUMBO” (Bleecker Street)
JOHNNY DEPP / James “Whitey” Bulger – “BLACK MASS” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
MICHAEL FASSBENDER / Steve Jobs – “STEVE JOBS” (Universal Pictures)
EDDIE REDMAYNE / Einar Wegener/Lili Elbe – “THE DANISH GIRL” (Focus Features)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
VIOLA DAVIS / Annalise Keating – “HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER” (ABC) (WINNER)
CLAIRE DANES / Carrie Mathison – “HOMELAND” (Showtime)
JULIANNA MARGULIES / Alicia Florrick – “THE GOOD WIFE” (CBS)
MAGGIE SMITH / Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham – “DOWNTON ABBEY” (Masterpiece/PBS)
ROBIN WRIGHT / Claire Underwood – “HOUSE OF CARDS” (Netflix)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
KEVIN SPACEY / Francis Underwood – “HOUSE OF CARDS” (Netflix) (WINNER)
PETER DINKLAGE / Tyrion Lannister – “GAME OF THRONES” (HBO)
JON HAMM / Don Draper – “MAD MEN” (AMC)
RAMI MALEK / Elliot – “MR. ROBOT” (USA Network)
BOB ODENKIRK / Jimmy McGill – “BETTER CALL SAUL” (AMC)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
JEFFREY TAMBOR / Maura Pfefferman – “TRANSPARENT” (Amazon) (WINNER)
TY BURRELL / Phil Dunphy – “MODERN FAMILY” (ABC)
LOUIS C.K. / Louie – “LOUIE” (FX Networks)
WILLIAM H. MACY / Frank – “SHAMELESS” (Showtime)
JIM PARSONS / Sheldon Cooper – “THE BIG BANG THEORY” (CBS)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
UZO ADUBA / Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren – “ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK” (Netflix) (WINNER)
EDIE FALCO / Jackie Peyton – “NURSE JACKIE” (Showtime)
ELLIE KEMPER / Kimmy Schmidt – “UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT” (Netflix)
JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS / President Selina Meyer – “VEEP” (HBO)
AMY POEHLER / Leslie Knope – “PARKS AND RECREATION” (NBC)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
ALICIA VIKANDER / Gerda Wegener – “THE DANISH GIRL” (Focus Features) (WINNER)
ROONEY MARA / Therese Belivet – “CAROL” (The Weinstein Company)
RACHEL McADAMS / Sacha Pfeiffer – “SPOTLIGHT” (Open Road Films)
HELEN MIRREN / Hedda Hopper – “TRUMBO” (Bleecker Street)
KATE WINSLET / Joanna Hoffman – “STEVE JOBS” (Universal Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
IDRIS ELBA / Commandant – “BEASTS OF NO NATION” (Netflix) (WINNER)
CHRISTIAN BALE / Michael Burry – “THE BIG SHORT” (Paramount Pictures)
MARK RYLANCE / Abel Rudolph – “BRIDGE OF SPIES” (DreamWorks)
MICHAEL SHANNON / Rick Carver – “99 HOMES” (Broad Green Pictures)
JACOB TREMBLAY / Jack – “ROOM” (A24)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
QUEEN LATIFAH / Bessie Smith – “BESSIE” (HBO) (WINNER)
NICOLE KIDMAN / Grace – “GRACE OF MONACO” (Lifetime)
CHRISTINA RICCI / Lizzie Borden – “THE LIZZIE BORDEN CHRONICLES” (Lifetime)
SUSAN SARANDON / Gladys Mortenson – “THE SECRET LIFE OF MARILYN MONROE” (Lifetime)
KRISTEN WIIG / Delores DeWinter – “THE SPOILS BEFORE DYING” (IFC)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
IDRIS ELBA / DCI John Luther – “LUTHER” (BBC America) (WINNER)
BEN KINGSLEY / Grand Vizier Ay – “TUT” (Spike)
RAY LIOTTA / Lorca/Tom Mitchell – “TEXAS RISING” (History)
BILL MURRAY / Himself – “A VERY MURRAY CHRISTMAS” (Netflix)
MARK RYLANCE / Thomas Cromwell – “WOLF HALL” (Masterpiece/PBS)

SAG AWARDS® HONORS FOR STUNT ENSEMBLES

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
“MAD MAX: FURY ROAD” (Warner Bros. Pictures) (WINNER)
“EVEREST” (Universal Pictures)
“FURIOUS 7” (Universal Pictures)
“JURASSIC WORLD” (Universal Pictures)
“MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – ROGUE NATION” (Paramount Pictures)

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series
“GAME OF THRONES” (HBO) (WINNER)
“THE BLACKLIST” (NBC)
“HOMELAND” (Showtime)
“MARVEL’S DAREDEVIL” (Netflix)
“THE WALKING DEAD” (AMC)

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