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WINNER Toronto Film Festival • People’s Choice Award
WINNER
WINNER
WINNER
WINNER
WINNER
WINNER
Dallas Film Festival Audience Award
San Diego Film Festival Audience Award
Middleburg Film Festival Audience Award
Heartland Film Society Truly Moving Picture Award
Mill Valley Film Festival Overall Audience Favorite
Montclair Film Festival Audience Award
“THE BEST PICTURE OF THE YEAR.”
A
KENNETH BRANAGH
FILM
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© 2021 FOCUS FEATURES LLC.
“THE BEST PICTURE OF THE YEAR.” “Gloriously human. Caitríona Balfe and Jamie Dornan are pitch-perfect.”
WINNER
WINNER
Napa Valley Film Festival Spotlight Award
Napa Valley Film Festival Spotlight Award
Caitríona Balfe
Jamie Dornan
A
KENNETH BRANAGH
FILM
F O R Y O U R S A G AWA R D S ® C O N S I D E R AT I O N I N A L L C AT E G O R I E S I N C L U D I N G O U T S TA N D I N G P E R F O R M A N C E B Y A
CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE
CAITRÍONA BALFE
JUDI DENCH
JAMIE DORNAN
CIARÁN HINDS
COLIN MORGAN
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JUDE HILL
© 2021 FOCUS FEATURES LLC.
12.06.21
BACKSTAGE.COM
The 28th Annual
SAG Awards Outstanding performances by female actors in film
F O R
Y O U R
S A G
A W A R D S®
C O N S I D E R A T I O N
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE Tessa Thompson, Ruth Negga, André Holland, Bill Camp, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Antoinette Crowe-Legacy, Alexander Skarsgård OUTSTANDING FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE Tessa Thompson OUTSTANDING FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE Ruth Negga
“A
SHOWCASE FOR BRILLIANT ACTING,
from the layered work by Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga through the invaluable supporting performances by André Holland, Bill Camp and Alexander Skarsgård.” CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
A FILM BY REBECCA HALL FILM.NETFLIXAWARDS.COM
vol. 62, no. 33 | 12.06.21
HALLE BERRY IN “BRUISED”
Contents Awards Contenders
6 Outstanding Performance by a
Female Actor in a Leading Role
22 Outstanding Performance by a
Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Features 16 WHAT MAKES AN ACTOR: “BRUISED”: JOHN BAER/NETFLIX; “LICORICE PIZZA”: MELINDA SUE GORDON; “IN THE HEIGHTS”: COURTESY WARNER BROS. PICTURES
FILM EDITION Your favorite performers’ “I am an actor” speeches
18 SAG-AFTRA OVER THE YEARS
Milestone moments for the union and its membership
32 FILM PERFORMANCES BY WOMEN ALANA HAIM IN “LICORICE PIZZA”
EVERY ACTOR SHOULD SEE Hollywood’s best reveal their acting inspirations
34 CASTING THE GREATS
Six all-star casting directors on proper prep for union film auditions, self-tapes, and networking
37 ABOUT THE ACTOR® AWARD
The SAG statuette, by the numbers
38 ABSOLUTELY STUNTING
Black Widow and James Bond are just some of the badass heroes facing off in the race for stunt work in a motion picture
40 THE RECORD HOLDERS
OLGA MEREDIZ IN “IN THE HEIGHTS”
Over 27 ceremonies, these 12 performers have been recognized with the most individual female actor wins
Cover designed by Ian Robinson.
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Letter From the Editor
CAITLIN WATKINS
Dear film lovers, In this age of theater vs. at-home movie watching, one thing is for sure: Nothing can dull the performances delivered by this year’s incredible crop of female actors. The size of your screen has no effect on Taylour Paige’s ability to take you on an emotional journey in “Zola,” or Lady Gaga’s already-famous accent as Patrizia Reggiani in “House of Gucci.” Nicole Kidman as Lucille Ball in “Being the Ricardos” will floor you from the theater’s front row or your couch. Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga as two Black women living very different lives in 1920s New York City will break you in “Passing.” Perhaps, for some, the big-screen experience is unmatched, but we would argue these performances are transcendent whether you watch them on your smartphone or the big screen. The Backstage team is honored to spotlight the abundance of female film talent this year, just in time for the SAG Awards. Readers will get a special peek behind the awards curtain
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MATERIALS DUE: MONDAY, 11/23 ISSUE DATE: MONDAY, 12/6
with our rundown of eligible performers primed for the spotlight on Pages 6 and 22. Ever wonder why so many winning actors exclaim, “Wow, this thing is heavy!” upon accepting their award? That’s because it is! Page 37 will tell you everything you need to know about the Actor® statuette. We’ve also spoken to some actors to find out which performances have inspired them. We’re all still facing a fractured moviegoing experience, but whether on the big or small screen, these are the performances you’ll want to remember. No matter where you are, happy watching!
Briana Rodriguez Editor-in-Chief
BSM1022
FINAL
● Female
Leading Role
FYC: Female Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture
Halle Berry
“Bruised” Given her three decades in Hollywood, it’s amazing how many surprises Berry still has up her sleeve. In her directorial debut, she BACKSTAGE 12.06.21
middle-aged Black woman, getting another chance is something worth fighting for.
Emily Blunt
“A Quiet Place Part II” Reprising her SAG Award– winning turn as Evelyn, the matriarch of a family on the run from vicious extraterrestrial sound-seekers, Blunt proves she’s as adept at minimalist horror as she is at pretty much every other genre. She lends vivid specificity
stars as a disgraced MMA fighter seeking redemption both in the ring and in motherhood. The Oscar winner brings compelling nuance to a character who’s equally tragic and fierce, making clear that, for a
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to a woman doing what she must to protect her family while barely speaking a word. Sometimes all a star of this caliber needs is a silent closeup.
Jessica Chastain
“The Eyes of Tammy Faye” Chastain puts in as much effort as we’ve ever seen to play famed televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker. Her portrayal, however, is in no way a caricature—a risk a lesser performer could have backstage.com
JONNY COURNOYER
A
S HOLLYWOOD PREPARES FOR AN AWARDS season honoring a flood of films that have been delayed due to COVID-19, Screen Actors Guild Award film nominators have their work cut out for them. It’s a particularly competitive year for leading ladies. So without further ado, here are the lead film actress contenders of 2021!
“PARALLEL MOTHERS (MADRES PARALELAS)”: IGLESIAS MÁS/COURTESY SONY PICTURES CLASSICS; “ANNETTE”: KRIS DEWITTE/AMAZON STUDIOS
MILLICENT SIMMONDS AND EMILY BLUNT IN “A QUIET PLACE PART II”
MILENA SMIT AND PENÉLOPE CRUZ IN “PARALLEL MOTHERS (MADRES PARALELAS)”
run. Instead, it’s wrenching and altogether humanizing. Between this and her other fall project, HBO’s “Scenes From a Marriage,” Chastain proves she’s one of today’s deftest working actors.
Olivia Colman
JONNY COURNOYER
“PARALLEL MOTHERS (MADRES PARALELAS)”: IGLESIAS MÁS/COURTESY SONY PICTURES CLASSICS; “ANNETTE”: KRIS DEWITTE/AMAZON STUDIOS
“The Lost Daughter” Colman is following up her Oscar win for “The Favourite” (and her nomination last year for “The Father”) by delivering her best film performance to date. She stars in writer-director Maggie Gyllenhaal’s feature debut, an adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s novel. As Leda, a middle-aged mother and divorcée who becomes enamored with a younger mother (Dakota Johnson) while on vacation, she walks a psychological tightrope and leaves us enraptured.
Jodie Comer
“The Last Duel” Comer continues to impress with a standout performance among an all-star cast—which
has become something of a trademark for her. She portrays a woman caught in the middle of the last sanctioned duel in
France’s history after she accuses her husband’s friend of sexual assault. Giving a voice to silenced women, this performance will
MARION COTILLARD IN “ANNETTE”
keep you glued to every subtle gesture in Comer’s timely turn.
Marion Cotillard
“Annette” With all its strangeness and surrealism, “Annette” could only succeed with central performances that remain grounded and believable. Fortunately, we’re in capable hands with Cotillard; despite the film’s fantastical circumstances, she plays worldfamous soprano Ann Defrasnoux for the intimacy of the camera. Her performance recalls the blend of natural musicality and full-bodied zeal that won her an Oscar for “La Vie en Rose” 13 years ago.
Penélope Cruz
“Parallel Mothers (Madres Paralelas)” Each installment of Cruz and Pedro Almodóvar’s collaboration (eight feature films so far!) leaves critics asking if it’s their best yet. In “Parallel Mothers,” which muses on historical trauma and motherhood, Cruz grounds us as the dynamic yet believable Janis. This year’s Venice Film Festival Volpi Cup winner plumbs depths in every exchange, both spoken and unspoken; the actor’s closeups can be studied endlessly. backstage.com
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12.06.21 BACKSTAGE
● Female
Leading Role
MAREN EGGERT IN “I’M YOUR MAN (ICH BIN DEIN MENSCH)”
Alma earned this year’s Berlin International Film Festival prize, embodies the symbolic battle between head and heart. Does intellectualism or romantic abandon win in the end? The actor brilliantly keeps the question open.
Beanie Feldstein
“The Humans” It’s easy to imagine Feldstein’s Brigid in “The Humans” as an older version of her “Lady Bird” breakout Julie. She’s warm and bubbly—with dashes of neuroticism and self-loathing— as an artist on the cusp of adulthood who settles in New York alongside her boyfriend (Steven Yeun). Hosting Thanksgiving in her shoddy apartment while frenetically doing her best not to disappoint her overbearing family, Feldstein is the heart of the film.
Isabelle Fuhrman
“The Novice” Watching this tale of a competitive college freshman falling obsessively in love with,
of all things, rowing, you’ll feel Fuhrman’s leading performance in your gut. Even during Alex’s substantial stretches of silence, the actor’s intensity is electric; her real accomplishment is starting at a 10 and somehow ramping up from there. Talk about sweat, blood, and tears!
Yllka Gashi
“Hive (Zgjoi)” The stakes of this story of resilience, based on real-life tales of women persevering in a wartorn Kosovo village, rests squarely on Gashi’s weary shoulders. As her Fahrije unites neighbors to start a business (making beautiful red ajvar, a Balkan red pepper sauce), she never lets us forget that she’s waiting to hear the fate of her missing husband. Gashi is understated but magnetic, and you’ll find yourself bristling at everything and everyone standing in her way.
Alana Haim
“Licorice Pizza” Some people simply get all the
YLLKA GASHI IN “HIVE (ZGJOI)” “I’M YOUR MAN (ICH BIN DEIN MENSCH)”: COURTESY BLEECKER STREET; “HIVE (ZGJOI)”: ASTRIT IBRAHIMI
How I Got My SAG Card: Anna Kendrick “I think it was when I was 19. Jeff Blitz put me in ‘Rocket Science,’ and thank God, they took care of everything. I was like, ‘I just need to book something where they do it for me,’ because all that shit scared the crap out of me.”
Jamie Lee Curtis
“Halloween Kills” No past, present, or future scream queen will ever be as beloved and legendary as Curtis. Sorry, we don’t make the rules! Revisiting genre icon Laurie Strode with director David Gordon Green for a decades-in-the-making follow-up, Curtis is all feminist grit and survival instinct as she faces off BACKSTAGE 12.06.21
against the murderous, seemingly impenetrable Michael Myers.
Maren Eggert
“I’m Your Man (Ich Bin Dein Mensch)” This not-quite-romantic comedy asks: What if a robot designed to be the perfect lover were paired with the ultimate skeptic? Eggert, whose portrayal of scientist
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“A KNOCKOUT, PRAISE-ALL-HER-GLORY PERFORMANCE.” Brian Truitt,
FOR YOUR SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS® CONSIDERATION
Outstanding Performance By
A Female Actor In A Leading Role JESSICA CHASTAIN
JESSICA CHASTAIN ANDREW GARFIELD
SearchlightPictures.com/FYC
● Female
Leading Role
JENNIFER HUDSON AND MARY J. BLIGE IN “RESPECT”
complexity while dramatizing a performer at a personal and professional crossroads.
Jennifer Lawrence
talent, don’t they? Already a prodigious rocker in HAIM, the band she started with her sisters, the performer makes her feature film debut directed by none other than Paul Thomas Anderson; and what a debut it is. Tapping into the contradictions, longing, and heartache of young, unconventional love, she plays her character Alana Kane with painstaking sincerity. We’ll certainly be seeing her onscreen again.
Patti Harrison
“Together Together” No, Harrison’s Anna and Ed Helms’ Matt are not “together together,” but thanks to the profound chemistry between these co-stars, you’ll be rooting for them as if it’s one of cinema’s best rom-coms. Harrison stuns as a 20-something barista who becomes Matt’s surrogate. As she navigates their tricky relationship, she brilliantly balances laugh-outloud moments with soul-bearing vulnerability that, delivered by a less intuitive actor, would come across as saccharine.
Jennifer Hudson
“Respect” Everyone knows that Hudson BACKSTAGE 12.06.21
is to witness one of the most impressive biopic illusions since Renée Zellweger’s equally iconic Judy Garland. And as with that Oscar-winning performance, Kidman imbues Ball with
can sing, and she does so to the rafters and beyond as the late Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. But what’s most surprising about this Oscar winner’s return to the ballot is her speaking voice and posture. So calculated and precise is her character work that it will undoubtedly go down as one of the best biopic performances of the last decade.
“Don’t Look Up” Not only is Lawrence making what feels like a grand return to the big screen, she’s doing so with a filmmaker who seems like a perfect fit. Adam McKay’s star-studded satire, about two astronomers (Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio) who must warn the world about a disastrous comet collision, finds the actor’s comedic sweet spot. Rocking blunt,
MELISSA MCCARTHY IN “THE STARLING”
Emilia Jones
“CODA” This story about a Child of Deaf Adults, or CODA, hinges on its lead performance, and Jones does not disappoint. In this comingof-age tale, her character Ruby finds herself torn between loyalty to her family’s fishing business and her burgeoning dream of going to college for singing. Jones more than meets the challenge of endearing us to her predicament; her performance of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now” must be heard—and of course, seen—to be believed.
Nicole Kidman
“Being the Ricardos” To see Kidman recreating classic sitcom bits while done up in Lucille Ball’s era-defining “I Love Lucy” makeup and costumes
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“RESPECT”: QUANTRELL D. COLBERT; “THE STARLING”: COURTESY NETFLIX
“House of Gucci” “Father, son, and House of Gucci.” Gaga is following up her Oscarwinning “A Star Is Born” success by going in a diametrically opposite direction, giving the notorious Patrizia Reggiani (aka Lady Gucci, aka the Black Widow) the much-needed Hollywood biopic treatment. She embodies ’80s extravagance as only a true diva can, making every line and gesture look effortless.
“ZOLA”: COURTESY A24; “LAST NIGHT IN SOHO”: PARISA TAGHIZADEH
Lady Gaga
TAYLOUR PAIGE IN “ZOLA”
punk-lite bangs and a distinct deadpan delivery, Lawrence reminds us that she’s inimitable.
“RESPECT”: QUANTRELL D. COLBERT; “THE STARLING”: COURTESY NETFLIX
“ZOLA”: COURTESY A24; “LAST NIGHT IN SOHO”: PARISA TAGHIZADEH
Melissa McCarthy
“The Starling” McCarthy has become one of the best actors around when it comes to making audiences both laugh and cry. In this tale of a mother turning grief into solace with the help of a pesky bird, she’s not forcing any such emotions; there’s an everyday grace to the way she moves through the story, as if McCarthy were inviting us along on a stroll through her character arc.
Frances McDormand
“The Tragedy of Macbeth” At this point, McDormand’s on-camera skills could be considered supernatural; she should be studied by scientists— and actors, of course. Her Lady Macbeth in Joel Coen’s eyepopping adaptation is a lesson in restrained menace, and another noteworthy installment in the Oscar winner’s filmography. Shakespeare’s “Out, damned
spot!” monologue, uttered by so many legends of stage and screen, somehow feels fresh when McDormand whispers it.
THOMASIN MCKENZIE IN “LAST NIGHT IN SOHO”
Thomasin McKenzie
“Last Night in Soho” Rarely do we come across a natural talent like McKenzie. Her ability to play just about every feeling in any genre or circumstance has caught the notice of today’s most prominent filmmakers. Her latest feat is with Edgar Wright; she impressively steers “Last Night in Soho” from a black sheep coming-of-ager to a terrifying ghost story of sexual assault, trauma, and revenge.
Taylour Paige
“Zola” Paige is the gravitational pull that keeps Janicza Bravo and Jeremy O. Harris’ roller-coaster ride from going off the rails. The actor lends an unflappable narrative voice to this adaptation of a viral Twitter thread about two strippers’ trip to Miami. As the stakes fly sky-high, we watch the fearless Paige play all of backstage.com
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Zola’s dawning realizations—and the self-preserving bravado that follows—with crystal clarity.
Dylan Penn
“Flag Day” Freedom is very much on filmmaker-star Sean Penn’s mind in this story of a conman father and his wandering daughter (presumably portraying a relationship that’s quite different from the two stars’ real-life familial bond). Dylan Penn captures that theme in her riveting closeups as Jennifer; in America, we equate freedom with joy, but certain things, like family, keep us bound. She is an actor who understands how to harness tension and release.
Noomi Rapace
“Lamb” Is “Lamb” a Brothers Grimm– esque fairy tale about conservation and animal 12.06.21 BACKSTAGE
● Female
Leading Role RACHEL SENNOTT IN “SHIVA BABY”
cruelty? Is it about the charms of motherhood and the ties that bind? Or is it about grief and unimaginable loss? Thanks to Rapace’s performance as Maria, a farmer who adopts a halfhuman, half-lamb child, the film is all of this and more. “Lamb” is one of A24’s more beguiling genre projects, and it marks one of Rapace’s most morally and emotionally complex screen performances to date.
Rachel Sennott
“Shiva Baby” You likely haven’t heard Sennott’s name before this year, but that’s about to change thanks to her breakout performance in indie comedy “Shiva Baby,” in which she plays a bisexual woman caught between her ex-girlfriend and her current sugar daddy at a shiva. Sennott expertly balances bone-dry humor with deep pathos, making us feel for a character who could easily come off as despicable. EMMA STONE IN “CRUELLA”
Kristen Stewart
Emma Stone
“Cruella” Cruella de Vil is such a notoriously outrageous and over-the-top villain that to play her is to play with fire. Even the most skilled actors risk losing the emotional truth that lies behind her runaway-train actions. Stone, however, is a conductor like no other, playing up the camp of a menacing fashionista with a hatred of spotted puppies while also giving her guiding notes of loss. As in the best origin stories, we feel like we’re meeting an icon anew. BACKSTAGE 12.06.21
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“SHIVA BABY”: MARIA RUSCHE/SHIVA BABY; “CRUELLA”: LAURIE SPARHAM
“Spencer” Stewart should start making room on her mantle for accolades recognizing her emotionally fraught embodiment of the late Princess Diana. As he did for First Lady Jackie Kennedy in 2016’s “Jackie,” Pablo Larraín peels back the public and private layers of a figure we thought we knew, painting a portrait that’s made all the more devastating by Spencer’s untimely death. Stewart is transcendent.
FOR YOUR SAG AWARDS® CONSIDERATION
OU BYTSTANDING P ERF O RMANC E A MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
O UTSTANDI NG PER F O R M A N C E BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
OUBYTSTANDING P ERF O RMANC E A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
OBYUTSTANDI NG PER F O R M A N C E A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
BRADLEY COOPER
WILLEM DAFOE RICHARD JENKINS RON PERLMAN DAVID STRATHAIRN
ROONEY MARA
CATE BLANCHETT TONI COLLETTE MARY STEENBURGEN
OU TSTANDING PERFO RMANC E BY A C AST I N A MO TI O N PI C T U R E
BRADLEY COOPER CATE BLANCHETT TONI COLLETTE WILLEM DAFOE RICHARD JENKINS ROONEY MARA RON PERLMAN MARY STEENBURGEN DAVID STRATHAIRN
www.searchlightpictures.com/fyc
© 2021 20TH CENTURY STUDIOS
● Female
Leading Role
RUTH NEGGA AND TESSA THOMPSON IN “PASSING”
ODESSA YOUNG IN “MOTHERING SUNDAY”
How I Got My SAG Card: Judy Greer
Tessa Thompson
“Passing” At this point, it’s a fact: Thompson can generate chemistry with any co-star. Under Rebecca Hall’s direction, she inhabits 1920s Harlem housewife Irene so deeply that we can chart the character’s existential unraveling based on the actor’s subtlest clues. Opposite Ruth Negga as an old friend who storms back into her life, Thompson is in complete command, playing the complex subtext surrounding race, homoeroticism, and the expectations facing women. BACKSTAGE 12.06.21
“PASSING”: NETFLIX; “MOTHERING SUNDAY”: ROBERT VIGLASKY/COURTESY SONY PICTURES CLASSICS
“It was called ‘Kissing a Fool,’ and it was my first acting job. I was graduating from the theater school at DePaul University in Chicago. They were shooting there that summer, and I got a role in the movie.”
Odessa Young
“Mothering Sunday” Young makes an evocative impression in this Eva Husson and Alice Birch adaptation of Graham Swift’s novel about a Mothering Sunday in post–World War I England. She embodies maid-turned-writer Jane Fairchild at many different ages— first as a carefree, curious young adult, and later as a hardened, cynical woman. Without the clarity of her performance, we might get lost in the film’s dreamy, gorgeous glimpses of the past and future.
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“Stewart’s performance is bracing, moving, and altogether stunning” D E A D L I N E
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What Makes an Actor: Film Edition
These veteran performers are among the more than 100 actors who have introduced the SAG Awards. Giving a quick, to-camera anecdote about their early career, they traditionally close their quips with the signature line: “I am an actor.”
I performed my first scene ever when I was 12 years old in the seventh grade at Birmingham High School. I was very shy and I had no idea what I was doing, so I just flung myself off the cliff and felt like I was falling. I’ve been falling ever since.
I’m Sally Field, and I’m an actor.
For work, I get to play. I get to travel the world and meet interesting people, and I get to see the world through my characters’ eyes.
I am Melissa Leo, and I am an actor.
When I was 11 years old, my teachers told me I wasn’t mature enough and that I would never be successful as an actor. But here I am at the SAG Awards!
My name is Evan Rachel Wood, and I’m still an actor.
I had my first foray in the local Nativity play. I was the coveted shepherd. Everyone lauded my performance. I was hooked. I was 5 years old.
My first memory of wanting to be an actor came when I saw my mother play the title role in “Evita.” I watched her die onstage—and come back to life in time for the applause. I thought, Hi-diddle-dee-dee!
My name is Cynthia Erivo, and I’m an actor.
My name is Anne Hathaway, and I’m an actor.
LEO: DFREE/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; WOOD: FEATUREFLASH PHOTO AGENCY/ SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; ERIVO: OVIDIU HRUBARU/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; HATHAWAY: KATHY HUTCHINS/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; FIELD: DFREE/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
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F O R Y O U R C O N S I D E R AT I O N I N A L L C AT E G O R I E S
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Outstanding Performance by a
Outstanding Performance by a
Nicole Kidman
Nina Arianda
Outstanding Performance by a
Outstanding Performance by a
Javier Bardem
Tony Hale
Female Actor in a Leading Role Male Actor in a Leading Role
amazonstudiosguilds.com
Female Actor in a Supporting Role •
Alia Shawkat
Male Actor in a Supporting Role •
J.K. Simmons
In Select Theaters DECEMBER 10
SAG-AFTRA Over the Years Milestone moments for the union and its membership SAG membership surges to over 5,000 individuals, compared with 54 in 1933
1935
Joyce Gordon is elected in New York, making her the first female president of a SAG branch
March 10, 1947
1937
Warner Bros. movie star and future U.S. president Ronald Reagan becomes SAG president after a nomination from Gene Kelly
The American Federation of Radio Artists (AFRA) is founded, with Eddie Cantor as its first national president
1970 SAG and IATSE announce a lowerbudget “Comeback Contract” to alleviate the 42% unemployment rate, a “near depression” in Hollywood
July 12, 1933 The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) is formed, with Ralph Morgan as its first president
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THE ACTOR®: COURTESY THE SCREEN ACTORS GUILD; CANTOR: COURTESY THE SCREEN ACTORS GUILD; GORDON: COURTESY THE SCREEN ACTORS GUILD; UNIVERSAL STUDIOS: ELLIOTT COWAND JR./SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; DRESCHER: LEV RADIN/ SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
1966
THE ACTOR®: COURTESY THE SCREEN ACTORS GUILD; CANTOR: COURTESY THE SCREEN ACTORS GUILD; GORDON: COURTESY THE SCREEN ACTORS GUILD; UNIVERSAL STUDIOS: ELLIOTT COWAND JR./SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; DRESCHER: LEV RADIN/ SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
s
An agreement is reached that ends the strike, but disappointing results inspire renewed conversations about a merger between SAG and AFTRA
A first-ever SAG/AFTRA merger referendum is mailed to the unions’ respective memberships, and affiliates begin promoting the pro-merger slogan “Times have changed; so must we”
Oct. 23, 1980
1998
In light of Time’s Up and the growing #MeToo movement, the National Board enacts a Code of Conduct on Sexual Harassment to Advance Equity as part of its Four Pillars of Change
Feb. 23, 2018
Sept. 2, 2021 Fran Drescher is elected president of SAG-AFTRA
June 21–22, 1980
Feb. 25, 1995
The SAG/AFTRA TV-Theatrical Strike begins in response to profit disagreements for performers in pay TV, video discs, and video cassettes. “An Evening of Stars” with Lily Tomlin, Robin Williams, and many others later raises and distributes $500,000 for impacted SAG members
The first Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards are televised from Stage 12 at Universal Studios
March 30, 2012
1985
SAG and AFTRA finally merge after 13 years of negotiations
SAG establishes the Screen Actors Guild Foundation (later the SAG-AFTRA Foundation), a nonprofit organization providing assistance and resources to union members
backstage.com
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WRITTEN FOR THE SCREEN AND DIR E C TE D BY
SIÂN HEDER
STRONG SEXUAL CONTENT AND LANGUAGE, AND DRUG USE.
● Female
Supporting Role
HALEY BENNETT IN “CYRANO”
A
GREAT SUPPORTING ACTOR CAN STEAL THE show—or provide just the right amount of drama. We’ve rounded up some of these big-screen performances, from headstrong mothers and grandmothers to superheroes to, even, a president. For your consideration in advance of January’s SAG Award nominations announcement: the supporting female film stars of the year!
Caitríona Balfe
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Haley Bennett
“Cyrano” Bennett is perfect in the role of Roxanne, the maid of misplaced love in Edmond Rostand’s classic play—and now, in this innovative
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Cate Blanchett
“Nightmare Alley” Ever since 2015’s “Carol,” we’ve been itching to see Blanchett take on another midcentury femme fatale. We’ve gotten our wish with Guillermo del Toro’s 1940s circus thriller “Nightmare Alley” (which reunites Blanchett with Rooney Mara). As Dr. Lillith Ritter, a psychiatrist who seduces
Bradley Cooper’s carnival barker, Blanchette oozes her trademark magnetism; she’s the top power player in a noir-tinged world full of them.
Jessie Buckley
“The Lost Daughter” Motherhood is hard. And in the case of Olivia Colman’s Leda in “The Lost Daughter,” it’s traumatic, too. Buckley plays the younger version of the character in Maggie Gyllenhaal’s feature film directorial debut; in flashbacks, she takes questionable actions that will have dire consequences, affecting Leda’s life for years to come. The torn despair Buckley conveys backstage.com
PETER MOUNTAIN
“Belfast” Balfe’s screen-siren looks and capacity for heavy emotions have never been put to better use than in Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical tale of the Troubles in 1969 Belfast. As the matriarch of little Buddy’s (Jude Hill) tight-knit family, she avoids the “worrying mother” cliches, instead painting a
three-dimensional picture. Her precise delivery of her character’s reckoning with the choice facing her family—to stay or flee?—is what gives this story its power.
musical film from Joe Wright and Erica Schmidt. Over-thetop in her swooning love but grounded in modernity, she endears herself to us in seconds, not minutes. And she bolsters her ravishing performance with a lovely singing voice.
“MASS”: BLEECKER STREET; “WEST SIDE STORY”: NIKO TAVERNISE
FYC: Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
ANN DOWD IN “MASS”
with the slightest glance is one of many reasons she’s one of the most interesting up-and-comers working today.
Ariana DeBose
“West Side Story” We’ve certainly seen glimmers of Debose’s talent in her Tonynominated turn as Donna Summer on Broadway and in Netflix’s splashy adaptation of “The Prom”; but DeBose’s star has finally risen with her performance in Steven Spielberg’s reimagined “West Side Story.” In the role of Anita—which notched original film star Rita Moreno an Oscar—DeBose is the obvious recipient of this season’s award for Most Likely to Become a Household Name.
Judi Dench
“Belfast” Filmed in gorgeous black-andwhite, glimpsed through the window frames of her Irish Protestant family’s street, Dench proves again that she’s
the quintessential supporting performer. She delivers the film’s most poignant moment: “You can’t get to Shangri-La from Belfast,” she mutters, partly to herself, partly to her grandson, and partly to the enraptured audience—and we’re putty in her hands.
Ann Dowd
“Mass” Dowd plays the mother of a school shooting perpetrator in Fran Kranz’s living room play–style drama, delivering the emotional precision we expect from this longtime performer. You get the sense that her Linda is the only one of the quartet who understands that there will always be questions, and maybe never answers, in the wake of such an inconceivable tragedy. Dowd’s final speech is the definition of a tour de force.
Kirsten Dunst
“The Power of the Dog” Though she’s been an adaptive actor for over 30 years, it’s long
felt like Dunst hasn’t yet gotten her due. Her only SAG Award recognition, for instance, was as part of a “Hidden Figures”
ensemble win. We’re betting that will change with the debut of Jane Campion’s Western “The Power of the Dog.” Dunst plays Rose, a
PETER MOUNTAIN
“MASS”: BLEECKER STREET; “WEST SIDE STORY”: NIKO TAVERNISE
ARIANA DEBOSE AND DAVID ALVAREZ IN “WEST SIDE STORY”
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● Female
Supporting Role
WOODY NORMAN AND GABY HOFFMANN IN “C’MON C’MON”
single mother who’s swept into a marriage with kind rancher George (Jesse Plemons) only to be tormented by his menacing brother (Benedict Cumberbatch).
Aunjanue Ellis
“King Richard” No king would be complete without
his queen, and as the powerhouse Brandi Williams to Will Smith’s Richard (who are parents and tennis coaches, of course, to the legendary Venus and Serena), Ellis is a staggering screen presence. As a woman who never sought the spotlight like her husband did, Ellis’ Brandi is her family’s rock—and
How I Got My SAG Card: Elizabeth Olsen
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Vera Farmiga
“The Many Saints of Newark” We get tantalizing glimpses of Livia Soprano’s backstory in this “Sopranos” prequel, and watching Farmiga turn those hints into a three-dimensional woman is a treat. In only a handful of scenes, she delivers anxiety and hilarious outrage on the surface, with gravitas and feminist weariness beneath. You won’t forget the image of her staring, shocked, after a bullet has just grazed her coiffed hair.
Sally Hawkins
“Spencer” Because she treats her like a real person, Maggie is the only aide that Princess Diana wants around. Who better to tap for the openfaced empathy the role requires than Hawkins? She’s the perfect audience surrogate, too; the gift of
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hindsight makes her performance all the more moving, as we watch Maggie bear witness to a tragedy in real time.
Gaby Hoffmann
“C’mon C’mon” There’s a subtle yet profound moment in Mike Mills’ tender drama, when Hoffmann’s Viv is told, “Don’t worry.” On the phone with her brother (Joaquin Phoenix), fretting over her son (Woody Norman) who’s in his care, she responds by letting out a sort of sigh-laugh. With that one exasperated sound, Hoffmann paints not just a threedimensional portrait of a frazzled, loving mother, but of motherhood writ large.
Jayne Houdyshell
“The Humans” This theater-to-film adaptation gives Houdyshell the moment to shine that fans of her stage work have been waiting for. She backstage.com
TOBIN YELLAND
“It was [a commercial] for parental controls on the internet. It was a very creepy commercial where I was in downtown L.A. There were all these people dressed like homeless people and drug dealers and prostitutes—none of this would be kosher today—and they’re all grabbing at me. I was dressed like a daisy.”
you can’t help but lean in and listen when she speaks.
“Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe are all once again terrific in their roles.” A S S O C I A T E D
P R E S S
“Millicent Simmonds shines.” S C R E E N
D A I L Y
“Millicent Simmonds is terrific.” D E A D L I N E
F O R
Y O U R
S A G
A W A R D S ®
C O N S I D E R A T I O N
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE EMILY BLUNT | MILLICENT SIMMONDS OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE CILLIAN MURPHY | NOAH JUPE | DJIMON HOUNSOU | JOHN KRASINSKI OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE
Supporting Role
ZAZIE BEETZ AND REGINA KING IN “THE HARDER THEY FALL”
join her on a Miami road trip in the first place: Keough renders the character practically irresistible. No matter whom she’s playing opposite, she has a presence everyone is willing to stick around for—and sometimes pay for.
feel-good film’s sentimental moments out of the park. Together with “CODA” filmmaker Sian Heder, Matlin proves that deaf stories featuring authentically deaf actors are universal.
Regina King
“Respect” More film roles for one of our greatest living actors, please! The Tony Award record holder and Broadway legend may not have the largest role in this Jennifer Hudson–led Aretha Franklin biopic, but it is one of the most pivotal. As Barbara Siggers Franklin, mother to the Queen of Soul, she’s the first person to identify and tend to her daughter’s incredible talent. After her death, her ghost echoes through the film and guides a grown-up, addiction-struggling Franklin away from her demons and back into the light.
“The Harder They Fall” King in cowboy mode is something we never knew we needed. Why did it take Hollywood so long to put her on horseback in a wide-brimmed hat, cocking a revolver and looking impossibly badass? Her Trudy Smith is the savviest member of Jeymes Samuel’s gang of outlaws who reunite for a just cause. Her performance leans into the actionhero skills King perfected on “Watchmen”—and of course, she steals the show.
Marlee Matlin puts other women in terrible positions against their will. And yet we can see why fellow stripper Zola (Taylour Paige) decided to
Frances McDormand
“The French Dispatch” In Wes Anderson’s latest, McDormand plays Lucinda, a dedicated reporter who defies her code of ethics while covering a
“THE HARDER THEY FALL”: DAVID LEE/NETFLIX; “RESPECT”: QUANTRELL D. COLBERT
reprises her Tony-winning Deirdre in Stephen Karam’s living room play–turned–A24 noir. As we watch the Blake family gather for Thanksgiving, with all the attendant tensions, squabbles, and affections such a reunion entails, something disquieting and existential bubbles just below the surface. Houdyshell and her expressive face capture this mood with unforgettable precision.
“CODA” Jackie Rossi is blue-collar, a little raunchy, and a bit of a mess—in other words, she’s a helluva role, and Matlin rises to the occasion. She excels in the comedic space just as much as she knocks this
Audra McDonald
Kathryn Hunter
“The Tragedy of Macbeth” How to qualify Hunter’s portrayal of Shakespeare’s Weird Sisters opposite Denzel Washington’s Macbeth? It’s the kind of performance that can’t be put into words, as though she has beamed in from some otherworldly realm. Between her croaking voice and her jutting limbs, her witches are so physically extreme that you may feel like you’re experiencing the performance in your own body.
Riley Keough
“Zola” Stefani is easy to dislike on paper. She’s greedy, manipulative, and BACKSTAGE 12.06.21
SKYE DAKOTA TURNER AND AUDRA MCDONALD IN “RESPECT”
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NIKO TAVERNISE
● Female
series of student protests. (Let’s just say that sparks fly between her and Timothée Chalamet’s student leader, Zeffirelli.) She’s cold, crass, calculating, and whipsmart in the role. In other words, she’s the McDormand we know and love.
RITA MORENO IN “WEST SIDE STORY”
Olga Merediz
“In the Heights” Merediz was the only Broadway cast member to reprise her role in this musical’s screen adaptation. Watching the actor’s devoted portrayal of Abuela Claudia, a woman who’s the heart of her Washington Heights community, we know why the producers brought her back. Her rendition of “Paciencia y Fe,” which shows off her dynamic vocal range and soul-stirring connection to the material, is a stand-alone argument for awards recognition.
Julianne Moore
Rita Moreno
“West Side Story” To get people back to the movies amid lingering pandemic uncertainty, it’s going to take an event. Though “West Side Story” was announced before COVID-19, Spielberg did exactly that when he cast original star and Oscar winner Moreno in his retelling of the Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim musical. As Valentina, a new addition to the story, Moreno reminds us why she won that trophy in the first place. NIKO TAVERNISE
“THE HARDER THEY FALL”: DAVID LEE/NETFLIX; “RESPECT”: QUANTRELL D. COLBERT
“Dear Evan Hansen” Trust an actor of Moore’s caliber with the weight of a story’s emphatically heavy payoff; as the mother of Ben Platt’s titular teen, she sings “So Big/So Small,” the number that this musical’s stakes depend upon. The fact that she pulls it off in closeup with the simplest, most intimate delivery— her beautiful voice rendering the moment almost conversational—is a testament to Moore’s ability to make a little go a long way.
Ruth Negga
“Passing” Negga and her character, Clare Kendry, are perfectly matched. backstage.com
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● Female
Supporting Role
MERYL STREEP IN “DON’T LOOK UP”
RUTH NEGGA IN “PASSING”
dialogue’s focus is elsewhere, we sense the undercurrent of her emotions. And when she boils over, she suddenly— unforgettably—transforms.
Florence Pugh
How I Got My SAG Card: Kate Winslet “Doing ‘Sense and Sensibility.’ And then, of course, this bonus came with it: I was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for that performance!”
She’s a mixed-race woman who passes as white—even to her bigoted husband. Bubbly on the surface but betraying buried caution and self-awareness, she can convey entire monologues with those eyes. Plus, she looks right at home in 1920s garb; there are multiple shots of Negga that simply take your breath away. BACKSTAGE 12.06.21
Margot Robbie
Martha Plimpton
“Mass” Especially considering the performances she’s best known for, Plimpton wows as the mother of a school shooting victim. She’s a human pressure cooker of rage and grief, and her line deliveries are almost as piercing as her silences. Even when the
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“The Suicide Squad” There’s no one who could play Harley Quinn quite like Robbie, who in 2020’s “Birds of Prey” wore the lovably chaotic antihero like a second skin. In James Gunn’s “The Suicide Squad,” she’s just one loose cannon in a team of ex-cons; but even playing against a shark man, a gun-toting vigilante, and Idris freakin’ Elba, Robbie stands out. Her extravagant one-woman fight against an onslaught of armed guards is the film’s handsdown highlight.
“King Richard” Talk about a breakout. Sidney (featured earlier this year in our annual Emerging Talent Portfolio) steals the show as a young Venus Williams and announces herself as a major new talent. Her scenes opposite Will Smith as her father are particularly impactful; she digs her heels in when it comes to her professional aspirations, all while balancing the adoration and respect she has for her helicopter dad.
Meryl Streep
“Don’t Look Up” When Streep sinks her teeth into a role, the audience can practically see the bite marks. The acting legend personifies this film’s probing satire as President Janie Orlean, who spins the denial of an upcoming catastrophe into an opportunity to rile up voters and consolidate political power. (Only in America!) Flippant, blasé, and infuriatingly cocky, Streep is brilliant at channeling the most cynical parts of humanity.
Anya Taylor-Joy
“Last Night in Soho” What other actor of her generation is as addictively watchable as Taylor-Joy, from “The Witch” to “The Queen’s backstage.com
“PASSING”: COURTESY NETFLIX; “DON’T LOOK UP”: NIKO TAVERNISE/NETFLIX
“Black Widow” Has there ever been a greater gift to the Marvel Cinematic Universe than this “Black Widow” casting? Pugh is the perfect foil to Scarlett Johansson’s stone-faced superhero as her anarchic assassin sister Yelena, a trauma survivor finally coming into her own. The rising star imbues Yelena with a childlike glee and world-weary sense of humor, while never shying away from showing us the damage beneath the surface.
Saniyya Sidney
FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION IN ALL CATEGORIES
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role Tye Sheridan
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role Ben Affleck Christopher Lloyd • Daniel Ranieri
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role Lily Rabe
“THE TENDER BAR HITS YOU RIGHT IN THE HEART.
Ben Affleck is unforgettable in his best performance. Tye Sheridan is terrific and Lily Rabe is luminous. Daniel Ranieri is an irresistible newcomer, while Christopher Lloyd takes a rich turn”
AMAZON ORIGINAL MOVIE Based on the best-selling memoir
Directed by
George Clooney Screenplay by
William Monahan amazonstudiosguilds.com
IN SELECT THEATERS
DECEMBER 17
● Female
Supporting Role
ANYA TAYLOR-JOY IN “LAST NIGHT IN SOHO”
Gambit”? Edgar Wright’s “Last Night in Soho” cements her as a bona fide film star, glamorously frocking her in the styles of old Hollywood. Just as Thomasin McKenzie’s Eloise does in the film, you might become obsessed with her—and we wouldn’t blame you.
Alicia Vikander
“Blue Bayou” We can’t speak highly enough of Vikander’s performance in Justin Chon’s deportation tragedy—not just in the fury and despair of her Kathy as she fights a steep uphill battle to keep her family afloat, but in her quieter moments, too. There’s a fierceness to her intimate exchanges with Chon’s Antonio, and we become convinced that she’ll never let him go. Vikander also gets bonus points for showing off a lovely singing voice!
Mia Wasikowska
“Bergman Island” There are certain actors whom
you love to watch because of their commitment to precision. Then there are actors like Wasikowska whom you love to watch because of their innate freedom in front of the lens. Mia Hansen-Løve’s “Bergman Island” exploits that ability to glorious, devastating effect. By its end, you may even wish she’d put up some guardrails, if only for her own self-preservation.
Rachel Zegler
“West Side Story” Having gone from a high school production of “Shrek” to, weeks later, recreating one of musical theater’s most iconic characters on the big screen, Zegler is a rising star with unlimited potential. Steven Spielberg was right to entrust Maria to someone so in touch with her phenomenal instrument yet so lacking in affectation. How does she ground soaring arias and Natalie Wood– level emotions in the innocent wonder this role requires?
MIA WASIKOWSKA IN “BERGMAN ISLAND”
“LAST NIGHT IN SOHO”: PARISA TAGHIZADEH; “BERGMAN ISLAND”: COURTESY IFC FILMS
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OF ST O L E S —H E R M O . R T S R E R’ E T H E B Z ’ S C A R E E ‘ V O LV E F O C U E “ON LOPE CR ORK SIN K. P E N É A N D I N G W H I N G B A C R K .” O T T OUTS HOLDS NO RAFTED W C R Z E T Y U R GL EPO CR I S H I N L LY W O O D R CE A R AR OVO N E Y, T H E H O T SIN CTURE S E B ID V A PI -D R’ S D Ó V A H E R ’. T H E U . O M L MOT RO A S YO “ P E D B O U T M Y N D H O L D I N G LY A A R L IN NG, SA M ‘A L S Y O U Ó VA R ’ S D I H E S H I F T I R H O O D . W A R D T OTHE LMOD E TO I T ’ S A G T R I B U T O N D S O F M PA R T N M OV I B E N D I N G B AC T S T H I S E D I AC Y R IMM UZ E V E P E C R - S H I F T I N G H L E S S .” O L É AT PEN A MOOD U BRE W I T H L E A V E S YT YO IE T H AGTL E IB E R M A N , VA R O SEE N E T IS TD CENTER W A -O E R T NT AN LUTE A B S O C RU Z F R O M AG A I N. E R S ’ T I H “ R FIL G IN ER LOPE P E N É A L M O D Ó VA N C H A N T I N U Z I S N E V H E N E R W N C S S A , Y A A IN AL BITED E A LW APPE W H I L S I T Y A N D L Y U N I N H I M E N T O R .” I N T E NG N I F I C E N T I T H H E R W A S M A W O R K I NILGY G, A D S S ’ NCE SHIN S H E-N IN G S U, AWA R D TONI ERFORMA S A -Z H U O S P RUZ I BEST O P E C B E T H E .” L É N R “ P E H AT M AY S O FA I N W R C A R E EER T IM O F H E Z AC H A R E K ,
SONY-PMMI-35_FullPg_Backstage_SAG-Actress_120621 (Due 112421)
PE
R E N W I N RU Z
Some of Hollywood’s best reveal their acting inspirations
AUDRA MCDONALD
“Judy Garland in the film ‘A Star Is Born,’ singing ‘Lose That Long Face,’ and she’s still got to get back on set and finish that song. The way that’s shot and her performance in that—it’s everything.”
JULIA GARNER
“In terms of acting, ‘Kramer vs. Kramer.’ ‘The Deer Hunter’ has great acting. ‘Rosemary’s Baby.’ All of those movies from the 1970s—they’re inspiring! Watching those movies makes me want to act.”
PATRICIA ARQUETTE
“Two of the performances that were very pivotal to me as a young actress were Jessica Lange in ‘Frances’ and Gena Rowlands in ‘A Woman Under the Influence.’ ”
NATASHA LYONNE
“For me, it might be Giulietta Masina [in] ‘Nights of Cabiria.’ It’s honestly just impossible [to name one performance,] because there are so many styles, and it’s important to know them.”
LENA WAITHE
“I’m gonna pick an Angela Bassett performance, because I think she’s still very underrated…. I would say ‘What’s Love Got to Do With It.’ It’s such a harrowing performance [as Tina Turner], and she’s so transformative. You feel everything. You’re just with her the whole time. And it knocks you out every time you watch it because she just lays it all out.”
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LYONNE: LEV RADIN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; “NIGHTS OF CABIRIA”: AA FILM ARCHIVE/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO; WAITHE: DFREE/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; “WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT”: AF ARCHIVE/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO; ARQUETTE: KATHY HUTCHINS/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; “A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE”: PHOTO 12/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO; GARNER: JAGUAR PS/ SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; “KRAMER VS. KRAMER”: PICTORIAL PRESS LTD./ALAMY STOCK PHOTO; MCDONALD: DFREE/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; “A STAR IS BORN”: MOVIESTORE COLLECTION LTD./ ALAMY STOCK PHOTO; CENTRAL IMAGE: KITZZEH/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
8 Film Performances by Women Every Actor Should See
FOR YOUR SAG AWARDS ® CONSIDERATION IN ALL CATEGORIES INCLUDING
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
ACADEMY AWARD ® WINNER
HALLE BE RRY “A TRANSFORMATIVE, FIERY PERFORMANCE.
HALLE BERRY IS ONE OF THE BEST ACTRESSES IN THE WORLD.” THE NATIONAL
A FILM BY HALLE BERRY
DIRECTED BY HALLE BERRY WRITTEN BY MICHELLE ROSENFARB
FILM.NETFLIXAWARDS.COM
RILEY KEOUGH AND TAYLOUR PAIGE IN “ZOLA”
Casting the Greats
Six all-star casting directors on proper prep for union film auditions, self-tapes, and networking
ANTHONY RAMOS IN “IN THE HEIGHTS”
I
By Matthew Nerber
f you’re a union actor looking to get cast in some of today’s biggest film projects, these tips from casting directors are a good place to start. CDs for SAG Award–eligible film projects— including Nina Gold, Susan Shopmaker, and more—reveal what they want actors to know about the other side of the table and how to bring your best to every audition.
Tiffany Little Canfield
Kim Coleman
“Needle in a Timestack,” “Zola” Coleman cast two of the summer’s breakout stars, Taylour Paige and Riley Keough, in BACKSTAGE 12.06.21
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Allison Estrin
“Mass,” “Small Engine Repair” Estrin, who cast the four-person chamber drama “Mass” with Martha Plimpton, Ann Dowd, Jason Isaacs, and Reed Birney, advises actors to consider each role as they come— no matter the size. You never know how one gig will lead to the next. “Don’t pass on things because you’re waiting for something bigger,” she says. “Come in and do it. A job is a job, and that always leads to more jobs.”
Nina Gold
“Last Night in Soho,” “The Power of the Dog” “Building up work and competence and experience is kind of what it’s all about,” says Gold, whose work can be seen this year in the impressive ensembles of Netflix’s “The Power of the Dog” and Focus Features’ “Last Night in Soho.” As far as self-tapes go, she tells actors to keep it simple and avoid
backstage.com
“ZOLA”: ANNA KOORIS/A24; “IN THE HEIGHTS”: MACALL POLAY
“Dear Evan Hansen,” “In the Heights,” “Respect” Even if you don’t get the job, a good audition is a good audition. The CD behind Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jon M. Chu’s “In the Heights” screen adaptation asserts that if you do your best work, you’ll be remembered for future projects. “So many of our projects feed other projects,” Canfield says. She remembers how she helped usher one young actor from performing in a play to leading a television series. “I don’t know if that would have happened if I hadn’t seen her for so many different kinds of projects and seen how much range she actually has,” she recalls.
A24’s “Zola.” She says she can often tell when an actor comes in prepared—or unprepared. Putting in the extra work will always be your best bet before meeting with her. “You have to come in off-book,” she says. “If you know your lines like the back of your hand, you give yourself a better chance of transforming into that character.”
for your SAG awards® consideration in all categories including OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE
“OLIVIA COLMAN’S MOST COMPLEX AND HEARTBREAKING PERFORMANCE IN A DECADE.”
OUTSTANDING FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE Olivia Colman
“A masterwork in perception and all that society places upon mothers and motherhood. Olivia Colman is absolutely fantastic. Her body language, posture and facial expressions deliver worlds of emotions.”
A FILM BY
winner
VENICE FILM FESTIVAL
MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL
best screenplay
winner
MILL VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL
M AGG IE GY LL E N H A A L 2021
best ensemble
FILM.NETFLIXAWARDS.COM
REBECCA HARROD, JESSIE MEI LI, SYNNØVE KARLSEN, AND KASSIUS NELSON IN “LAST NIGHT IN SOHO”
the bells and whistles. “Some people really go to town! And it’s impressive, but it’s not necessarily revealing everything you need to know about the performance. [Keeping it] fairly simple, just dealing with the text and the performance, is good.”
OSCAR ISAAC IN “THE CARD COUNTER”
Susan Shopmaker
“LAST NIGHT IN SOHO”: PARISA TAGHIZADEH; “THE CARD COUNTER”: COURTESY FOCUS FEATURES
“The Card Counter” The CD behind Paul Schrader’s “The Card Counter,” starring Oscar Isaac, Willem Dafoe, and Tiffany Haddish, says it’s most important that actors remember they aren’t alone in this business. Gaining life experience and building relationships is essential. “If it doesn’t happen overnight, they have to build confidence with the community that they’re in,” she says. “I think they have to read and look at art. I think they have to appreciate dance. They have to appreciate nature. Staying open to the world makes you a great actor.”
Claire Simon
“Candyman” An actor should never be so memorized that it makes them rigid. Simon, who cast the Jordan Peele–produced, Nia DaCosta–directed creeper “Candyman,” emphasizes that actors need to be free enough to make choices on the fly. “Being as truthful [to the role] as possible is in your favor,” she says. “Come in prepared but flexible enough to be able to change what you had in your head. Be as real as you can to make it your own, and don’t let anybody see the ‘acting’ part of it.” BACKSTAGE 12.06.21
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16"
About the ® Actor Award
Designed by Jim Heimann and Jim Barnett, the statuette was originally sculpted by Edward Saenz
12 The Actor weighs
pounds. Its base is 4" in diameter and 13" in circumference
16
The
10-FOOTTALL replica of the Actor statue at the ceremony weighs
Categories are recognized, but only 13 ARE TELEVISED during the two-hour show
Since 1995,
ACTOR STATUETTES FIRSTNAME/LASTNAME DILUCK/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; SCREEN ACTORS GUILD
HAVE BEEN HANDED OUT
Producers don’t know how many statuettes are needed until the winners are announced
10
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CRAFTSPEOPLE SPEND THREE TO FOUR MONTHS MAKING THE AWARDS EACH YEAR
04.02.20 12.06.21 BACKSTAGE
FLORENCE PUGH IN “BLACK WIDOW”
Absolutely Stunting Black Widow and James Bond are just some of the badass heroes facing off in the race for stunt work in a motion picture
F
“Black Widow” This summer, the world finally got to see Scarlett Johansson lead her own Marvel film. The movie is an action-packed Russian spy caper that reminded us why we fell in love with the character when she first appeared in “Iron Man 2.” It also introduced us to Florence Pugh’s Yelena, David Harbour’s Alexei, and Rachel Weisz’s Melina. From BACKSTAGE 12.06.21
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narrow escapes to harrowing brawls, the Marvel team was at the top of its game and left us begging for more.
“F9: The Fast Saga” Vin Diesel’s record-breaking series returned with more of what has made the “Fast & Furious” franchise a massive hit for almost two decades. That’s partially thanks to the film’s A-list action-star cast (including, for “F9,” Diesel, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and Jason Statham), but it’s largely the stunt coordinators and performers who make the actors look as cool as they do. “Free Guy” With “Free Guy,” star Ryan Reynolds leans on the same action-comedy formula that made “Deadpool” such a massive hit. Trapped in a video-game world, his titular hero is free to break the rules of reality in “Matrix”-like sequences and gravity-defying set pieces. The stunt team, therefore, had to be particularly inventive. “Halloween Kills” David Gordon Green’s sequel to 2018’s smashhit “Halloween” reboot is bigger, bloodier, and
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“BLACK WIDOW”: KEVIN BAKER; “FREE GUY”: ALAN MARKFIELD
rom driving a car over a crumbling bridge to jumping out of a burning building, Hollywood’s stuntmen and women are some of the hardest-working people in show business, and they should be regarded as such. The SAG Awards remain one of the only major ceremonies to recognize outstanding performance by a stunt ensemble in a motion picture, an award most recently won by “Wonder Woman 1984.” When considering which ensembles should be on the ballot this year, don’t forget about these seven standout stunt teams from Marvel, the latest “James Bond” film, “F9: The Fast Saga,” and beyond.
“SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS”: COURTESY MARVEL STUDIOS; “NO TIME TO DIE”: NICOLA DOVE
JODIE COMER AND RYAN REYNOLDS IN “FREE GUY”
By Matthew Nerber
MICHELLE YEOH AND SIMU LIU IN “SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS”
“BLACK WIDOW”: KEVIN BAKER; “FREE GUY”: ALAN MARKFIELD
“SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS”: COURTESY MARVEL STUDIOS; “NO TIME TO DIE”: NICOLA DOVE
more brutal, which means all the more work for the stunt team. From the opening firefighter massacre to Michael Myers’ nonstop rampage, making those kills look real while keeping the performers safe is the work of a truly gifted behind-the-scenes team.
DANIEL CRAIG AND JEFFREY WRIGHT IN “NO TIME TO DIE”
“No Time to Die” Bond is (finally) back, and Daniel Craig’s final outing as the suave secret agent leapt to the top of the box office charts this summer. The actor went out with a bang; high-octane car chases, expertly executed shootouts, and globe-trotting acrobatics are just some of what the stunt team helped bring to life. “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” Marvel films are always sure to have a lot of stunts. “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” introduced audiences to the franchise’s first Asian superhero lead, and it delivered on the kind of action fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have come to expect. From a close-quarter fistfight inside a city bus to elegant aerial battles reminiscent of classic martial arts films, the stunt team for “Shang-Chi” packs a punch at every twist and turn. “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” Tom Hardy’s comedic turn as Spider-Man nemesis Venom was a surprise box office hit. The sequel features more of the chaotic, skin-crawling action that fans love. A mix of motion-capture performance and live-action stunts gives “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” a visceral feel. Between the high-speed chases and the gory symbiote battles, the stunts deliver heart-pounding thrills throughout.
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The Record Holders Over 27 ceremonies, these 12 performers have been recognized with the most individual female actor wins
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Viola Davis x 5 Renée Zellweger x 3
Frances McDormand x 3
Julia Louis-Dreyfus x 5
Megan Mullally x 3
Julianna Margulies x 4
Kate Winslet x 3
Allison Janney x 3
Helen Mirren x 4
Tina Fey x 4
Edie Falco x 3
WINSLET: STEVE VAS/FEATUREFLASH/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; MCDORMAND: KATHY HUTCHINS/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; MIRREN: TANIAVOLOBUEVA/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; FALCO: LEV RADIN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; FEY: RON ADAR/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; MULLALLY: KATHY HUTCHINS/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; MARGULIES: SAM ARONOV/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; LOUIS-DREYFUS: DFREE/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; ZELLWEGER: TINSELTOWN/ SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; JANNEY: EUGENE POWERS/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; ANDERSON: CUBANKITE/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; DAVIS: GA FULLNER/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
Gillian Anderson x 3
“A DEEPLY AFFECTING STORY WITH FIVE SUPERB PERFORMANCES.” “Judi Dench and Ciarán Hinds act with a quiet virtuosity that summons up a lifetime of shared history in the smallest gesture or the simplest line.”
WINNER Twin Cities Film Festival Audience Award
A
KENNETH BRANAGH
WINNER Stockholm Film Festival Audience Award
FILM
F O R Y O U R S A G AWA R D S ® C O N S I D E R AT I O N I N A L L C AT E G O R I E S I N C L U D I N G O U T S TA N D I N G P E R F O R M A N C E B Y A
CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE CAITRÍONA BALFE JUDI DENCH JAMIE DORNAN CIARÁN HINDS COLIN MORGAN JUDE HILL
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© 2021 FOCUS FEATURES LLC.
“A beautiful and personal coming-of-age drama that speaks to the power of human connection. Jude Hill undeniably steals our hearts.” F O R Y O U R S A G AWA R D S ® C O N S I D E R AT I O N OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Jude Hill
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Caitríona Balfe
Judi Dench
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Jamie Dornan
Ciarán Hinds
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A
Cast in a Motion Picture
CAITRÍONA BALFE JUDI DENCH JAMIE DORNAN CIARÁN HINDS COLIN MORGAN JUDE HILL
Sign up at FocusInsider.com for exclusive access to early screenings, film premieres and more. For more on this film, go to FocusFeaturesGuilds2021.com.
© 2021 FOCUS FEATURES LLC.
