The Screen Actors Guild Awards are Hollywood’s only accolades for and awarded by performers, celebrating the profession and craft of acting. In addition to the typical individual film and TV performance prizes handed out each awards season, the guild reserves their highest honor for ensemble casts.
The SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture has been awarded ever since 1996, the 2nd annual ceremony honoring the best of 1995. The prestigious prize honors a group of leading and supporting actors credited by film producers, all of whom are also eligible for SAG’s individual film acting prizes. Ensembles who have collectively taken home the title range in size; 2001’s “Gosford Park” has the largest winning cast with 20, while 2004’s “Sideways” won with just four actors.
This category has a specifically linked relationship to each season’s subsequent Oscar for Best Picture; the guild shares a large block of voters with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, meaning a long line of shared nominees. Since the SAG Awards’ inception in 1995, only two movies have won the Best Picture Oscar without having been nominated for the SAG Best Ensemble Cast award (that year’s “Braveheart” and last year’s “The Shape of Water”); one other title won the top SAG Award without a subsequent Oscar nod (1996’s “The Birdcage”). In the 23-year history of the category, 11 of the winning films have gone on to take the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Check out an overview of the recent history of the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture below. Nominated this year are “A Star Is Born,” “Crazy Rich Asians,” “Black Panther,” “BlacKkKlansman,” and “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Which film could join the ranks of the winners below?
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Year in consideration: 2017
Cast: Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, Abbie Cornish, John Hawkes, Peter Dinklage
Director: Martin McDonagh
Distributor: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Premiere history: wide release Nov. 10, 2017
Other awards won: British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) Best Film, Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Sam Rockwell), Best Actress in a Leading Role (Frances McDormand), Best British Film, Best Original Screenplay; Critics’ Choice Awards Best Acting Ensemble, Best Supporting Actor (Sam Rockwell), Best Actress (Frances McDormand); Golden Globe Awards Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama (Frances McDormand), Best Supporting Actor (Sam Rockwell), Best Screenplay; Film Independent Spirit Awards Best Female Lead (Frances McDormand), Best Supporting Male (Sam Rockwell); SAG Awards Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role (Frances McDormand), Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role (Sam Rockwell)
Academy Award nominations: Best Picture, Best Actress (Frances McDormand, won), Best Supporting Actor (Woody Harrelson), Best Supporting Actor (Sam Rockwell, won), Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Film Editing
“Hidden Figures”
Year in consideration: 2016
Cast: Mahershala Ali, Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Taraji P. Henson, Aldis Hodge, Janelle Monáe, Jim Parsons, Glen Powell, Octavia Spencer
Director: Theodore Melfi
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Premiere history: limited release Dec. 10, 2016; wide release Dec. 25, 2016
Other awards won: African-American Film Critics Association Best Ensemble; NAACP Image Award, Outstanding Motion Picture; National Board of Review, Best Cast, Top 10 Films; Palm Springs International Film Festival, Ensemble Performance Award; Satellite Awards, Best Cast; Saturn Awards Best Action or Adventure Film.
Academy Award nominations: Best Supporting Actress (Octavia Spencer), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Picture
“Spotlight”
Year: 2015
Cast: Billy Crudup, Brian d’Arcy James, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery, Stanley Tucci
Director: Tom McCarthy
Distributor: Open Road Films
Premiere history: Venice Film Festival Sept. 3, 2015; wide release Nov. 6, 2015
Other awards won: British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) Best Original Screenplay; Critics’ Choice Awards Best Picture, Best Acting Ensemble, Best Original Screenplay; Independent Spirit Awards Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Editing, Robert Altman Award.
Academy Award nominations: Best Picture (won), Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Mark Ruffalo), Best Supporting Actress (Rachel McAdams), Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing
“Birdman (or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
Year: 2014
Cast: Zach Galifianakis, Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Andrea Riseborough, Amy Ryan, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts
Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Distributor: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Premiere history: Venice Film Festival Aug. 27, 2014; limited release Oct. 17, 2014; wide release Nov. 14, 2014
Other awards won: British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) Best Cinematography; Critics’ Choice Awards Best Actor (Michael Keaton), Best Acting Ensemble, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Editing; Independent Spirit Awards Best Film, Best Male Lead (Michael Keaton), Best Cinematography
Academy Award nominations: Best Picture (won), Best Director (won), Best Original Screenplay (won), Best Actor (Michael Keaton), Best Supporting Actor (Edward Norton), Best Supporting Actress (Emma Stone), Best Cinematography, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing
“American Hustle”
Year: 2013
Cast: Amy Adams, Christian Bale, Louis C.K., Bradley Cooper, Jack Huston, Jennifer Lawrence, Alessandro Nivola, Michael Peña, Jeremy Renner, Elisabeth Röhm, Shea Whigham
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Premiere history: wide release Dec. 13, 2013
Other awards won: British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) Best Actress in Supporting Role (Jennifer Lawrence); Best Original Screenplay, Best Makeup and Hair; Golden Globe Awards Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy (Amy Adams), Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Jennifer Lawrence)
Academy Award nominations: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Christian Bale), Best Actress (Amy Adams), Best Supporting Actor (Bradley Cooper), Best Supporting Actress (Jennifer Lawrence), Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Costume Design, Best Production Design
“Argo”
Year: 2012
Cast: Ben Affleck, Alan Arkin, Kerry Bishé, Kyle Chandler, Rory Cochrane, Bryan Cranston, Christopher Denham, Tate Donovan, Clea DuVall, Victor Garber, John Goodman, Scoot McNairy, Chris Messina
Director: Ben Affleck
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Premiere history: Telluride Film Festival Aug. 31, 2012, Wide release Oct. 12, 2012
Other awards won: British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) Best Film, Best Director, Best Editing; Critics’ Choice Awards, Best Film, Best Director; Golden Globe Awards, Best Motion Picture Drama, Best Director, Motion Picture
Academy Award nominations: Best Picture (won), Best Supporting Actor (Alan Arkin), Best Adapted Screenplay (won), Best Film Editing (won), Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Original Score
READ: Forget EGOT—Here’s Everything You Need to Know About ESOT Winners
“The Help”
Year: 2011
Cast: Jessica Chastain, Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard, Allison Janney, Chris Lowell, Ahna O’Reilly, Sissy Spacek, Octavia Spencer, Mary Steenburgen, Emma Stone, Cicely Tyson, Mike Vogel
Director: Tate Taylor
Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Touchstone Pictures
Premiere history: wide release Aug. 10, 2011
Other awards won: British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) Best Supporting Actress (Octavia Spencer); Golden Globe Best Supporting Actress (Octavia Spencer); Screen Actor Guild Awards, Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role (Viola Davis); Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role (Octavia Spencer)
Academy Award nominations: Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress (Octavia Spencer, won)
“The King’s Speech”
Year: 2010
Cast: Anthony Andrews, Helena Bonham Carter, Jennifer Ehle, Colin Firth, Michael Gambon, Derek Jacobi, Guy Pearce, Geoffrey Rush, Timothy Spall
Director: Tom Hooper
Distributor: Momentum Pictures
Premiere history: Sept. 6, 2010 Telluride Film Festival; UK-wide release Jan. 7, 2011
Other awards won: British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) Best Film, Outstanding British Film, Best Actor in a Leading Role (Colin Firth), Best Original Screenplay; British Independent Film Awards, Best British Independent Film, Best Actor (Colin Firth), Best Screenplay; Critics’ Choice Awards Best Actor (Colin Firth), Best Original Screenplay; Golden Globe Award Best Actor Motion Picture Drama (Colin Firth)
Academy Award nominations: Best Picture, Best Actor Colin Firth (won), Best Director (won), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Geoffrey Rush), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Helena Bonham Carter), Original Screenplay (won), Best Original Score, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Art Direction, Best Set Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Sound Mixing
“Inglourious Basterds”
Year: 2009
Cast: Daniel Brühl, August Diehl, Julie Dreyfus, Michael Fassbender, Sylvester Groth, Jacky Ido, Diane Kruger, Mélanie Laurent, Denis Menochet, Mike Myers, Brad Pitt, Eli Roth, Til Schweiger, Rod Taylor, Christoph Waltz, Martin Wuttke
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Distributor: The Weinstein Company
Premiere history: Cannes Film Festival May 20, 2009, wide release Aug. 21, 2009
Other awards won: British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) Best Supporting Actor (Christoph Waltz); Golden Globe Award, Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Christoph Waltz)
Academy Award nominations: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Christoph Waltz, won), Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing
“Slumdog Millionaire”
Year: 2008
Cast: Rubina Ali, Tanay Hemant Chheda, Ashutosh Lobo Gajiwala, Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail, Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan, Ayush Mahesh Khedekar, Tanvi Ganesh Lonkar, Madhur Mittal, Dev Patel, Freida Pinto
Distributor: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Premiere history: Telluride Film Festival Aug. 30, 2008; UK-wide release, Jan. 9, 2009
Other awards won: British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) Best Film, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, British Film Independent Awards Best Director; Golden Globe, Best Director of a Motion Picture, Best Motion Picture Drama; Toronto International Film Festival People’s Choice Awards
Academy Award nominations: Best Picture (won), Best Director (won), Best Adapted Screenplay (won), Best Cinematography (won), Best Editing (won), Best Original Score (won), Best Original Song (won), Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing
“No Country for Old Men”
Year: 2007
Cast: Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Garret Dillahunt, Tess Harper, Woody Harrelson, Tommy Lee Jones, Kelly Macdonald
Director: Joel and Ethan Coen
Distributor: Miramax Films/Paramount Vantage
Premiere history: Cannes Film Festival May 19, 2007; wide release Nov. 9, 2007
Other awards won: British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) Best Direction, Best Supporting Actor (Javier Bardem); Critics’ Choice Awards Best Film, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Javier Bardem); Golden Globe Awards Best Screenplay
Academy Award nominations: Best Director (won), Best Picture (won), Best Supporting Actor (Javier Bardem, won), Best Adapted Screenplay (won), Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing
This article was originally published on Dec. 19, 2017. It has since been updated.
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