THE 21st SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS – PREDICTIONS

To actors, by actors and for acting—tonight’s the night that begins with actors sharing anecdotes from their journeys in the profession, as the community of actors come together to recognize the best of their peers’ work over the last one year. Let’s take a look at the nominations and take a swing at what might go down tonight…

The cast of Birdman stand a good chance at winning the award for best ensemble in a motion picture

Among the film categories, it’s safe to say that Birdman is winning ensemble cast. The film’s actors have collectively been nominated for more awards than the actors of any other film this year. And it’s gems like The Help that can win at this ‘best picture equivalent’, even though they might not be a frontrunner for the big prize at the Oscars or Globes.

Patricia Arquette, Eddie Redmayne and JK Simmons

Other winners of the evening will be Eddie Redmayne for The Theory Of Everything, Julianne Moore for Still Alice and Patricia Arquette for Boyhood—all of whom have emerged as award season favorites this year. Male actor in a supporting role could go to JK Simmons (Whiplash), who won the Globe. But I don’t think that that’s as much of a given as the above three. I hope the SAG-AFTRA can surprise us though with the results, by say, giving awards to Jennifer Aniston (Cake), Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher) and Keira Knightley (The Imitation Game) maybe.

And here are the predictions for television:

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A DRAMA SERIES

BOARDWALK EMPIRE

DOWNTON ABBEY

GAME OF THRONES

HOMELAND

HOUSE OF CARDS

The SAG-AFTRA love BOARDWALK EMPIRE, having given its cast Actors for best ensemble twice before. So even though the show hasn’t won for the last two years, this is the last year it’s getting nominated, so I think they will walk away with it this year; like BREAKING BAD did last year. A pleasant surprise would be to see DOWNTON ABBEY, 2013’s winners, winning this year again.   

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY SERIES

THE BIG BANG THEORY

BROOKLYN NINE-NINE

MODERN FAMILY

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK

VEEP

This one’s a no-brainer. The cast of MODERN FAMILY have won at this category for four years, and I don’t see that changing. The SAG-AFTRA definitely recognize consistently good performances more than the HFPA even. An upset could be ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK, but I doubt they’ll win.

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Steve Buscemi, BOARDWALK EMPIRE

Peter Dinklage, GAME OF THRONES

Woody Harrelson, TRUE DETECTIVE

Matthew McConaughey, TRUE DETECTIVE

Kevin Spacey, HOUSE OF CARDS

Matthew McConaughey’s been a frontrunner for every award show since the first season of TRUE DETECTIVE. However, he lost out at the Emmys and the Golden Globes, so for the SAGs, I wouldn’t assume that he’ll win. He does stand a strong chance, but I’m going to go with Steve Buscemi on this one.

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Claire Danes, HOMELAND

Viola Davis, HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER

Julianna Margulies, THE GOOD WIFE

Tatiana Maslany, ORPHAN BLACK

Maggie Smith, DOWNTON ABBEY

Robin Wright, HOUSE OF CARDS

Margulies has won twice already, Danes has won once, so has Maggie Smith. It could be any of these three this year, but I suspect it’s going to be Maggie Smith. Julianna Margulies would be more deserving, but I doubt the SAG-AFTRA will go back to her. Robin Wright could be a surprise winner.  

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Ty Burrell, MODERN FAMILY

Louis C.K., LOUIE

William H. Macy, SHAMELESS

Jim Parsons, THE BIG BANG THEORY

Eric Stonestreet, MODERN FAMILY

Ty Burrell could be a repeat recipient, after winning last year (Alec Baldwin won for four consecutive years before that, for 30 ROCK). So I think I’m going to go with Burrell. The pleasant surprise here would be Jim Parsons.

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Uzo Aduba, ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK

Julie Bowen, MODERN FAMILY

Edie Falco, NURSE JACKIE

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, VEEP

Amy Poehler, PARKS AND RECREATION

Amy Poehler should get her due, but I think the SAG-AFTRA will latch on further to last year’s winner, the awards-favorite Julia Louis-Dreyfus, by giving the Actor to her again this time.

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINISERIES

Adrien Brody, HOUDINI

Mark Ruffalo, THE NORMAL HEART

Benedict Cumberbatch, SHERLOCK

Richard Jenkins, OLIVE KITTERIDGE

Billy Bob Thornton, FARGO

This is quite an unpredictable category. I think it’ll be between Benedict Cumberbatch and Billy Bob Thornton. I’m putting my money on Cumberbatch.

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINISERIES

Ellen Burstyn, FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC

Maggie Gyllenhaal, THE HONORABLE WOMAN

Frances McDormand, OLIVE KITTERIDGE

Julia Roberts, THE NORMAL HEART

Cicely Tyson, THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL

I want Julia Roberts to win this one, but I think it’ll be Golden Globe winner Maggie Gyllenhaal.

OUTSTANDING ACTION PERFORMANCE BY A STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES

24: LIVE ANOTHER DAY

BOARDWALK EMPIRE

GAME OF THRONES

HOMELAND

SONS OF ANARCHY

THE WALKING DEAD

GAME OF THRONES will win its fourth Actor for its stunt ensemble.

Who are your favorite actors for Actors at the SAGs this year?

‘THE AFFAIR’, ‘TRANSPARENT’ EMERGE AS TOP WINNERS AT THE 2015 GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS

The 2015 Golden Globe Awards threw out some surprises, quite a few snubs, and a handful of satisfying results. Here’s how the awards show turned out…

Hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler

Meryl Streep ended the evening, when presenting the Globe for Best Picture – Drama, as she mentioned about how much we would miss Amy Poehler and Tina Fey, who were hosting the Golden Globe Awards for the third and final time. It is true, of course, that we will miss them; however, I do feel that this year’s show already gave us quite a bit to miss from the previous two years. Not to say that they didn’t have outstanding moments. The most memorable bit for me was when they were choosing between men, and when they landed on Alejandro González Iñárritu and Richard Linklater. Poehler said that she would pick Linklater, because that would mean going at it for five minutes, every year, for the next 12 years, while with Iñárritu it would simply be one long, two-hour take. The jokes about Bill Cosby and the whole Sony Hack affair and The Interview were also quite hilarious as well, and were necessary, so I’m glad they were there. And taking that forward, and rightfully so, were several presenters and winners talking about the importance of freedom of speech, referencing the recent attacks in Paris that were aimed at curbing that very freedom.

George Clooney accepting his Cecil B DeMille Award

Even Cecil B DeMille recipient George Clooney made a mention of freedom of speech in his acceptance speech, which was probably the best of the evening. With witty moments and even a heartfelt word for his new wife, Amal, Clooney made the speech more relevant than other honorary award recipients usually do, keeping things moving along well. Preceding that was one of the best presentations of the evening too, with Clooney’s former co-stars from ER and Ocean’s Eleven—Julianna Margulies and Don Cheadle—arguing over which of them was better friends with Clooney. Among other presenters, I think Ricky Gervais was the best. He made a dig at the criticism he had received when he had hosted the Globes, while managing to make digs at the audience as well. Most of the presenters, however, didn’t have enough good material to go with. Some of them had me wishing that they would simply just announce the winner and walk away. The other good acceptance speeches were made by Maggie Gyllenhaal

A NIGHT OF FIRSTS

It was a night of firsts in several ways. Amazon made history with its wins for TRANSPARENT as Best Series – Comedy, becoming the first online portal to win an award for Best Series. Jeffrey Tambor won his first Golden Globe as Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for TRANSPARENT. Kevin Spacey won his first Globe after eight nominations, as Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series for HOUSE OF CARDS. He even dropped the ‘F bomb’, exclaiming, “I can’t fuck believe I won!” which left people gasping. Ruth Wilson won her first Golden Globe (Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series for THE AFFAIR). She went on to reminisce about the previous time when she was nominated in the mini-series/TV movie category in 2008—the year of the writers’ strike when the ceremony was canceled, and the results were simply announced.  Even Michael Keaton, Patricia Arquette, and Eddie Redmayne won their first Golden Globes for Birdman, Boyhood and The Theory Of Everything, respectively. Director Richard Linklater also won his first Globe for Boyhood. Joanne Froggatt’s (well deserved) win for DOWNTON ABBEY was also a first. Billy Bob Thornton (FARGO) and Gina Rodriguez (JANE THE VIRGIN) also won their first Golden Globes.

Counter-clockwise: First-time Golden Globe winners Kevin Spacey, Ruth Wilson, Matt Bomer and Joanne Froggatt

Even Maggie Gyllenhaal won her first Globe (for AN HONOURABLE WOMAN) and Matt Bomer (for A NORMAL HEART). Bomer’s and Gyllenhaal’s were also among the most effective acceptance speeches of the evening. Gyllenhaal made a strong point about how there were more roles now for actual women than ever before. On the other hand, Amy Adams, who’s fast becoming an awards veteran, won Lead Actress – Comedy/Musical for the second consecutive time, for Big Eyes, after having won last year for American Hustle. Similarly, Julianne Moore, who’s already won two Golden Globes, won Best Actress – Drama for Still Alice.

THE AWARDS

It wasn’t surprising that freshman series TRANSPARENT won Best Series – Comedy. It’s the kind of show that would get awards recognition, and is bound to give even MODERN FAMILY a run for its money at the Emmys later this year. However, the other freshman, THE AFFAIR winning Best Series – Drama was quite a disappointment, knowing that it was up against the brilliant HOUSE OF CARDS and THE GOOD WIFE, which definitely deserved it more, even though THE AFFAIR is quite good. Likewise with Ruth Wilson’s win. Most other TV results were well deserved, especially supporting actor Matt Bomer and supporting actress Joanne Froggatt. 

Left to right: Eddie Redmayne, Amy Adams, Michael Keaton and Patricia Arquette

The movie results also seemed quite fair, except for Boyhood, which certainly didn’t deserve Best Picture – Drama over the likes of The Theory Of Everything and The Imitation Game. The movie isn’t that good, even though I do understand it winning director Richard Linklater an award for the 12-year-long project that it was.

The show as a whole was not as entertaining as a three-hour-long TV event should be, even for those who are more interested in the awards than the event. The opening by Amy Poehler and Tina Fey was too short for it to leave any major impact, and it left me hoping they had something up their sleeves for mid-show appearances, but they didn’t. It certainly can’t be counted among the better Golden Globe Awards of recent years, so I’m hoping the 21st Screen Actors Guild Awards make up for this on Sunday, February 25.

What did you think of the show? Did your favorite shows/movies win?

THE 2015 GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS PREDICTIONS – TV

If there’s one thing less predictable than the Golden Globe Awards nominations, it’s the results. Last year, BROOKLYN NINE-NINE being included in the comedy series nominations itself was surprising, and when it won, it was rather shocking. Not to say that it was undeserving. Yet, this year, it’s been left out of the race completely. With new entrants in TV, including THE AFFAIR, THE KNICK, TRANSPARENT, and this year’s surprising entry, JANE THE VIRGIN, anything can happen at the Globes Sunday night. Let’s take a look at each TV category and try predicting the outcome…

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA

THE AFFAIR – Showtime

DOWNTON ABBEY – PBS

GAME OF THRONES – HBO

THE GOOD WIFE – CBS

HOUSE OF CARDS – Netflix

I have a feeling that THE GOOD WIFE will win this time. If there’s any awards voting panel that will give it its due, it’s the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). The last two years’ winners—BREAKING BAD and HOMELAND—aren’t in the race, so anything can happen really.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA

Claire Danes, HOMELAND

Viola Davis, HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER

Julianna Margulies, THE GOOD WIFE

Ruth Wilson, THE AFFAIR

Robin Wright, HOUSE OF CARDS

Last year’s winner Robin Wright stands a good chance at winning again, given her powerful storyline in season two of the Netflix drama. However, 2013’s winner, Claire Danes had a strong year in HOMELAND season four, but then so did Julianna Margulies in what has been called THE GOOD WIFE’s best season. This is probably the most interesting category this year. It has to be one of the three women I’ve just mentioned. I’m putting my money on Margulies.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA

Clive Owen, THE KNICK

Liev Schreiber, RAY DONOVAN

Kevin Spacey, HOUSE OF CARDS

James Spader, THE BLACKLIST

Dominic West, THE AFFAIR

Kevin Spacey is winning this. Now I haven’t seen Clive Owen’s or Liev Schreiber’s performances, but I’d still bet on Spacey for his restrained but thoroughly effective portrayal of Frank Underwood in HOUSE OF CARDS season two. James Spader’s performance in THE BLACKLIST is pretentious at best, and Dominic West just about does justice to the role of Noah Solloway, so they don’t deserve it.

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

GIRLS – HBO

JANE THE VIRGIN – The CW

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK – Netflix

SILICON VALLEY – HBO

TRANSPARENT – Amazon

Again, anything can happen. I doubt this year’s surprise entrant will win though. JANE THE VIRGIN will most probably lose to TRANSPARENT. ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK is a strong contender too, but I think TRANSPARENT will take it away.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES –COMEDY OR MUSICAL

Lena Dunham, GIRLS

Edie Falco, NURSE JACKIE

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, VEEP

Gina Rodriguez, JANE THE VIRGIN

Taylor Schilling, ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK

Julia Louis-Dreyfus deserves it this year for sure. But I think the HFPA will go with Taylor Schilling.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

Louis C.K., LOUIE

Don Cheadle, HOUSE OF LIES

Ricky Gervais, DEREK

William H. Macy, SHAMELESS

Jeffrey Tambor, TRANSPARENT

Don Cheadle could repeat his win from two years ago. Last year’s winner Andy Samberg (BROOKLYN NINE-NINE) is off the list, so it could happen. However, I think it’ll be Jeffrey Tambour or William Macy.

BEST MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

FARGO – FX

THE MISSING – Starz

THE NORMAL HEART – HBO

OLIVE KITTERIDGE – HBO

TRUE DETECTIVE – HBO

FARGO and THE NORMAL HEART would have battled it out for this one, but since TRUE DETECTIVE is in the same category as them for the first time, this one is totally unpredictable. I really want it to be THE NORMAL HEART though.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Maggie Gyllenhaal, THE HONORABLE WOMAN

Jessica Lange, AMERICAN HORROR STORY: FREAK SHOW

Frances McDormand, OLIVE KITTERIDGE

Frances O’Connor, THE MISSING

Allison Tolman, FARGO

Jessica Lange will win this one. Everyone loves giving her awards for AMERICAN HORROR STORY, and she’s not returning for season five is what we know for now, so that’s another reason why they’d give it to her.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Martin Freeman, FARGO

Woody Harrelson, TRUE DETECTIVE

Matthew McConaughey, TRUE DETECTIVE

Mark Ruffalo, THE NORMAL HEART

Billy Bob Thornton, FARGO

Matthew McConaughey, hands down. Too bad the other deserving contenders will miss out.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Uzo Aduba, ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK

Kathy Bates, AMERICAN HORROR STORY: FREAK SHOW

Joanne Froggatt, DOWNTON ABBEY

Allison Janney, MOM

Michelle Monaghan, TRUE DETECTIVE

I want Joanne Froggatt to win, but it could be Allison Janney.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Matt Bomer, THE NORMAL HEART

Alan Cumming, THE GOOD WIFE

Colin Hanks, FARGO

Bill Murray, OLIVE KITTERIDGE

Jon Voight, RAY DONOVAN

I would be happy if Alan Cumming wins this one, which he might just for reasons I mentioned above in the first category. However, I think Matt Bomer deserves this more, and I think he will win it.

Oh, and I am so looking forward to seeing Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosting again. They've been amazing on that stage before and I'm sure they'll put on a great show this year as well. 

Who do you think will take home gold this Sunday? Share your views below…