The Actors' Reunion

The beginning of 2022 saw the return of the pageantry and glamour that’s associated with awards season — and no ceremony showcased that celebratory spirit better than the 28th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®.

After a special one-hour virtual show in 2021, the 28th SAG Awards returned on Feb. 27 to a two-hour live, in-person ceremony at the historic Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California. And in the spirit of the show’s theme of “Together Again,” show presenters included Scandal stars Kerry Washington and Tony Goldwyn, Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion’s Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino, and Hamilton cast members Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr. and Daveed Diggs.

Ariana DeBose became the first queer Afro-Latina to receive the award in the Female Actor in a Supporting Role category. South Korean performers and Squid Game stars Lee Jung-Jae and Jung Ho-Yeon were recognized in the respective male and female actors in a television drama series categories. CODA proved to be the favorite of the night, as Troy Kotsur became the first deaf performer to be given the Actor® for Male Actor in a Supporting Role, and the cast later received the Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture award to uproarious applause.

“We need to thank SAG-AFTRA — you voted for us,” signed member Marlee Matlin. “We deaf actors have come a long way ... and this [award] validates the fact that we, deaf actors, can work just like anybody else. We look forward to more opportunities for deaf actors and Deaf culture.”

Jean Smart, Jessica Chastain, Kate Winslet, Jason Sudeikis, Michael Keaton, Will Smith and the ensemble casts of Succession and Ted Lasso were among the night’s other Actor recipients. No Time to Die and Squid Game were also recipients in the stunt ensemble categories for film and television.

“The actors’ party in the actors’ house” was made extra special by the return of the SAG Life Achievement Award presentation, with the 57th honoree Dame Helen Mirren.
 
SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher’s speech at the SAG Awards served as a reminder to attendees, the union and viewers across the nation of the importance of SAG-AFTRA’s necessary work of bringing change to the industry. Along with a congratulatory word to nominees and recipients, Drescher brought focus to the work of the union’s Green Council, National Sexual Harassment Prevention Committee and many other initiatives, as well as the importance of inclusivity outside of the awards.

“We performers are the center of the show business wheel, and we have a responsibility to the world. Let unity and inclusion be our credo and always celebrate the many diverse threads that make up the fabric of the human experience,” said Drescher. “This industry is the greatest influencer on the planet and we must always leverage that for the greater good.”

The 28th Annual SAG Awards provides funds for the SAG-AFTRA Foundation to support the Foundation’s numerous programs and services for union members and their families. 

This item was originally featured in the SAG-AFTRA magazine spring 2022 issue.