Surprise SAG awards upset Oscar odds
LOS ANGELES: Marvel superhero blockbuster Black Panther
has achieved a historic victory at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles during a ceremony delivering shocks to multiple Oscar races.
Black Panther won SAG’s ensemble prize — the equivalent to best picture at the Oscars — ahead of A Star Is Born, BlacKkKlansman and Bohemian Rhapsody.
The SAG Awards are voted on by more than 100,000 actors and are considered a bellwether for the Oscars.
With yesterday’s SAG win and huge global support after earning more than $US1 billion ($NZ1.45 billion) at the box office, Black Panther becomes a legitimate contender for best picture at the February 24 Academy Awards.
‘‘We knew we had something special that we wanted to give the world,’’ Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman told the audience inside the Shrine Auditorium.
The best actor Oscar race also suffered a jolt.
Rami Malek, who plays Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody, took the SAG best actor prize.
Malek’s win, on top of his Golden Globe trophy, creates a tantalising Oscar contest between Christian Bale, who stacked on 20kg to play former US vicepresident Dick Cheney in Vice, Bradley Cooper (A Star Is Born), and Viggo Mortensen (Green Book).
Glenn Close firmed as lead actress Oscar favourite with her SAG win for The Wife.
Close’s SAG and Golden Globe wins came at the expense of onetime best actress Oscar favourite Lady Gaga for A Star Is Born.
Emily Blunt won SAG supporting actress for A Quiet Place.
Mahershala Ali was confirmed as runaway favourite for Oscar supporting actor with his SAG win for Green Book.
Best ensemble in a TV drama series went to This Is Us.
Other SAG winners were: Rachel Brosnahan (lead actress, TV comedy series — The Marvelous Mrs Maisel); The Marvelous Mrs Maisel (TV comedy series ensemble); Jason Bateman (lead actor, TV drama series — Ozark);
Sandra Oh (lead actress, TV drama — Killing Eve). — AAP