LOS ANGELES: Iran hostage drama Argo won its second big award in two days on Sunday, boosting its chances of winning a best picture Oscar next month in a race that had been considered wide open.
Argo won best cast ensemble, the top prize, at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, while Daniel Day-Lewis and Jennifer Lawrence took lead acting honours.
On Saturday, Argo won the Producers Guild Award (PGA) — a key measure of Hollywood sentiment — beating Lincoln, Les Miserables, and Silver Linings Playbook, which are all Academy Award best picture contenders.
“There was absolutely no way I thought we would win this award,” the film’s director and star, Ben Affleck, told reporters backstage after the SAG win. Argo is the true story of the rescue of US diplomats stranded in Tehran after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen, nothing may happen, but it’s a wonderful opportunity to be on the ride,” Affleck added.
The SAG ceremony is among the most-watched during Hollywood’s awards season because actors make up the largest voting group (100,000 actors) in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which chooses the Oscar winners.
British-born Day-Lewis, who has picked up a slew of awards for his intense portrayal of US President Abraham Lincoln’s efforts to abolish slavery in Lincoln, confirmed his status as front-runner for what would be his record third Oscar on February 24.
In one of the most closely contested categories, Lawrence, 22, was chosen best lead actress for playing an outspoken young widow in Silver Linings Playbook over Jessica Chastain’s feisty CIA agent in Osama bin Laden thriller Zero Dark Thirty.
SAG also handed out awards for performances in TV dramas, comedies and mini-series, and gave a lifetime achievement award to actor Dick Van Dyke.
In TV drama, Downton Abbey won best ensemble cast. Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston was named best actor and Homeland’s Claire Danes best actress.
Modern Family won the best comedy cast ensemble award for a third consecutive time. Alec Baldwin won best TV comedy actor for the 8th time for his role as an egotistical executive in 30 Rock and his co-star Tina Fey took the honours for comedy actress.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 30th, 2013.
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