You can’t have an awards show without a few surprises. Even though there weren’t many the Screen Actors Guild Awards threw a few of those surprises in there tonight. The Screen Actors Guild Awards or the SAGs as they’re often referred to as are pretty unique in their own right. Of all the award shows it’s the only one to be exclusively voted on by actors for the actors.
Taking one more for the win, the cast of American Hustle took home Best Ensemble, which was the big award of the night in the film world. It continues its winning streak for the David O. Russell film, as it already has won a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Comedy, and Critics Choice Awards for Best Acting Ensemble. The one surprise is that America’s new sweetheart Jennifer Lawrence, didn’t pick up an award for her role as Best Supporting Actress. Even though she won at the Golden Globes, and Critics Choice Awards, it was newcomer Lupita Nyong’o who took home the award for her debut feature film performance in 12 Years a Slave .
Another highlight of the night went to Matthew McConaughey for his speech while picking up the Best Actor in a Motion Picture award for Dallas Buyers Club . Although the night was built around the symbolism behind the gracious opportunity to make a living as a professional actor, it was McConaughey’s speech that came off the most genuine, if not confusing, when he said:
“There’s magic place that we as actors release drive to get to and we don’t always get there, but boy when we touch it. It’s magic. When you’re seeing the character from the inside-out, when you’re walking out every day and everything you see, smell and touch and observe is coming through that character and into you and it’s making sense and you’re the subject. You’re the eye. You’re first-person seeing it through that character’s eyes. That doesn’t always happen.”
McConaughey continued:
“But boy when it does, and it feels like they could put a blindfold on you and put you on a spaceship and take you to Neptune and you could hop off on the planet and they better have the sprock control and you get off that spaceship because you are going to behave as your man. That is a glorious feeling!”
McConaughey’s win signified a turn in the race for Best Actor as he picked up a Golden Globe last week as well as a Critics Choice Award on Friday night. While Chiwetel Ejiofor seemed like a front-runner, it looks like McConaughey is going to take it home on Oscar night. The same can be said for his co-star Jared Leto who won Best Supporting, which makes it a sweep win for him.
On the female side of things in the film categories, Cate Blanchett surprised no one by taking home an award for Best Actress for her efforts in Woody Allen’s film Blue Jasmine .
Blanchett decided to throw a little shade at McConaughey’s long-winded speech when she accepted her award, having said:
“I’ve been away from the film industry for a long time making theater…29 seconds?! Matthew McConaughey spoke about Neptune and I think I can have five seconds!”
Even though her time was cut short, Blanchett made the best of it and found humor and grace as she said:
“For those who voted for me, I thank you. And for those who didn’t, better luck next year. Sally, I’m very lonely up here without you. This is half yours. The penis part”
Click here to see the full list of winners.