Screen Actors Guild Awards: 'Spotlight' Cast Takes Top Prize

NBC News
January 30, 2016

http://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/awards/spotlight-cast-takes-top-prize-screen-actors-guild-awards-n507871

Journalism drama "Spotlight" won the SAG ensemble cast award in a night that was dominated by a diverse roster of winners.

"Spotlight" won the cast award over "Beasts of No Nation," "The Big Short," "Straight Outta Compton" and "Trumbo."

Solidifying his front-runner status, Leonardo DiCaprio has won the SAG Award for Best Actor for "The Revenant" for his role as a fur trapper bent on revenge. Brie Larson won Best Actress for her role as a tormented mother in "Room."

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.

Diversity ruled with the multi-racial "Orange Is the New Black" taking two awards and transgender-themed titles "Transparent" and "The Danish Girl" winning trophies. Black actress Viola Davis won the female drama series award for "How to Get Away with Murder" for the second year in a row.

"We made a film about real people and real lives," Elba said in his acceptance speech at the Shrine Auditorium. "Thank you for giving this film some love."

Elba did not receive an Oscar nomination for the 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 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."

"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.

It was the second win in a row for Netflix"s "Orange Is the New Black" and for Aduba.

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

Davis won the female drama series award for the second year in a row for "How to Get Away with Murder." She also won a SAG award in 2011 for "The Help."

Jeffrey Tambor won the trophy for male actor in a comedy series for "Transparent" for his role as the transgened Maura Pfefferman -- who, he noted, is wealthy. "I would like to dedicate this award to the non-Maura Pfeffermans of the world," he said.

Queen Latifah took the actress in a TV miniseries/movie award for HBO's "Bessie" in which she portrayed pioneering blue singer Bessie Smith. A delighted Latifah began her acceptance by doing several curls with the trophy and declaring "Omigod, I am in shock right how."