SAG Awards 2015: British talent shines as Eddie Redmayne scoops best actor and Downton Abbey is honoured

 
Honoured: Joanne Froggatt and Eddie Redmayne with their awards (Picture: Getty)
Miranda Bryant26 January 2015
The Weekender

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Eddie Redmayne pulled ahead of his rivals in the race for the best actor Oscar after winning a Screen Actors Guild award for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking in The Theory Of Everything.

Redmayne, 32, who has already won a Golden Globe for his performance in the film, beat Jake Gyllenhaal and fellow Oscar nominees Michael Keaton, Benedict Cumberbatch and Steve Carell to be honoured for outstanding leading actor at the Guild awards in Los Angeles last night.

The British star dedicated his award to those living with Motor Neurone Disease, also known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), the disease scientist Hawking has suffered for most of his life.

SAG Awards 2015

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Visibly shocked and emotional during his speech, Redmayne said: “I would like to dedicate this award to those people around the world living with ALS, to those who have lost their lives to this brutal disease.

“In preparing to play Stephen, I met many people fighting ALS, and I met their families fighting alongside them. And the courage and the bravery and the spirit, this triumph of spirit that I witnessed, blew my mind.”

The award is often seen as a precursor to the Oscars, to be held on February 22, because the last 10 stars to be named outstanding actor have gone on to also be honoured at the Oscars. Redmayne even received congratulations from shadow culture minister Chris Bryant — days after he used the actor as an example of how the arts are becoming dominated by a public school elite.

The actor, who was not accompanied by new wife Hannah because she had to go back to work following their honeymoon, was not the only British winner.

ITV show Downton Abbey won outstanding drama performance by an ensemble.

Birdman, featuring English actress Andrea Riseborough, won outstanding performance by a film cast — and Naomi Watts tripped on the dress of co-star Emma Stone as the cast collected the award.

Multiple award winner Julianne Moore secured the award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role for her role in Still Alice.

Academy Award nominee Patricia Arquette broke down in tears as she was honoured with Best Supporting Actress for her role in coming of age film, Boyhood, while J. K. Simmons received Best Supporting Actor for Whiplash.

Singin' in the Rain actress Debbie Reynolds, 82, was presented with the Life Achievement Award by her daughter Carrie Fisher.

FULL LIST OF WINNERS:

THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Eddie Redmayne – The Theory of Everything

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Julianne Moore – Still Alice

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Patricia Arquette - Boyhood

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
J.K. Simmons – Whiplash

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Birdman

TELEVISION CATEGORIES

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Mark Ruffalo - The Normal Heart

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Frances McDormand - Olive Kitteridge

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Kevin Spacey – House of Cards

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series (6 nominees)
Viola Davis – How to Get Away With Murder

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
William H. Macy - Shameless

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Uzo Aduba – Orange is the New Black

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
Downton Abbey

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

Orange is the New Black

LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Screen Actors Guild 51st Annual Life Achievement Award
Debbie Reynolds

SAG AWARDS HONORS FOR STUNT ENSEMBLES

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
Unbroken

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series

Game of Thrones

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