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Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
HALEY BENNETT IN “CYRANO”
FYC: Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
AGREAT 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
“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.
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 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.
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
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.
ARIANA DEBOSE AND DAVID ALVAREZ IN “WEST SIDE STORY”
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
ANN DOWD IN “MASS”
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
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 you can’t help but lean in and listen when she speaks.
How I Got My SAG Card:
Elizabeth Olsen
“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.”
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 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
ZAZIE BEETZ AND REGINA KING IN “THE HARDER THEY FALL”
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.
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 puts other women in terrible positions against their will. And yet we can see why fellow stripper Zola (Taylour Paige) decided to 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.
Regina King
“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
“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 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.
SKYE DAKOTA TURNER AND AUDRA MCDONALD IN “RESPECT”
Audra McDonald
“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.
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
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.
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
“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.
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.
Ruth Negga
“Passing”
Negga and her character, Clare Kendry, are perfectly matched.
RITA MORENO IN “WEST SIDE STORY”
RUTH NEGGA IN “PASSING” MERYL STREEP IN “DON’T LOOK UP”
How I Got My SAG Card:
Kate Winslet
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.
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 dialogue’s focus is elsewhere, we sense the undercurrent of her emotions. And when she boils over, she suddenly— unforgettably—transforms.
Florence Pugh
“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.
Margot Robbie
“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.
Saniyya Sidney
“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
IN ALL CATEGORIES Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Tye Sheridan
Ben Affleck Christopher Lloyd • Daniel Ranieri
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
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
MIA WASIKOWSKA IN “BERGMAN ISLAND”
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?
ANYA TAYLOR-JOY IN “LAST NIGHT IN SOHO”
WINNER PENÉLOPE CRUZ BEST ACTRESS VENICE FILM FESTIVAL
“ONE OF THE BEST ROLES OF PENÉLOPE CRUZ’S CAREER—HER MOST OUTSTANDING WORK SINCE ‘VOLVER’. CRUZ HOLDS NOTHING BACK. A RAVISHINGLY CRAFTED WORK.” -DAVID ROONEY, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER “PEDRO ALMODÓVAR’S BEST SINCE ‘ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER’. THE PICTURE DRAWS YOU IN AND HOLDS YOU. IT’S ALMODÓVAR’S DISARMINGLY MOVING TRIBUTE TO THE SHIFTING, EVER-BENDING BONDS OF MOTHERHOOD. PENÉLOPE CRUZ ACTS THIS PART WITH A MOOD-SHIFTING IMMEDIACY THAT LEAVES YOU BREATHLESS.” -OWEN GLEIBERMAN, VARIETY “IT’S ABSOLUTE TREAT IS TO SEE PENÉLOPE CRUZ FRONT AND CENTER IN AN ALMODÓVAR FILM AGAIN. WHILE ALWAYS ENCHANTING IN HER INTENSITY AND APPEAL, CRUZ IS NEVER AS MAGNIFICENTLY UNINHIBITED AS WHEN SHE’S WORKING WITH HER MENTOR.” -ZHUO-NING SU, AWARDSDAILY “PENÉLOPE CRUZ IS ASTONISHING, IN WHAT MAY BE THE BEST PERFORMANCE OF HER CAREER SO FAR.” -STEPHANIE ZACHAREK, TIME
