Will Smith, Jessica Chastain and "Coda" honored

The Hollywood Actors Association awards ceremony could be a signpost for the Oscars. There is a novelty in the Best Supporting Actor category.

Los Angeles – The Hollywood Actors Association (SAG) awarded its trophies on Sunday evening (local time) in Santa Monica, California. Will Smith (53) won the first SAG trophy of his career with the leading role in “King Richard”.

In the sports drama he embodies the ambitious father of tennis icons Serena and Venus Williams. Jessica Chastain (44, “The Eyes of Tammy Faye”) prevailed with her role as the eccentric TV evangelist Tammy Faye against colleagues like Lady Gaga (“House of Gucci”) and Nicole Kidman (“Being the Ricardos”).

In the top category for the Ensemble Prize, the deaf drama “Coda” beat out competitors such as “Belfast”, “House of Gucci” and “King Richard”. “Coda” actor Troy Kotsur (53) also won the trophy for best supporting actor. Never before has a deaf actor won the SAG award. The film by US director Sian Heder is about the daughter (Emilia Jones) of deaf parents who wants to be a singer. Deaf actress Marlee Matlin plays her mother. The Best Supporting Actress award went to Ariana DeBose (31) for the film musical “West Side Story”.

Stars such as Lady Gaga, Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Benedict Cumberbatch and Michael Keaton attended the festive gala. Numerous guests expressed their support for Ukraine and condemned the Russian invasion. Keaton pointed out that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was a former actor who should now be recognized for his struggle. Some in attendance, including Michael Douglas and Tyler Perry, wore pins in Ukraine’s national colors of yellow and blue.

The SAG (Screen Actors Guild) Awards were presented for the 28th time. They are considered a harbinger of the upcoming Oscars at the end of March. The SAG winners are also often awarded prizes at the Oscars. dpa