Until three years ago, no one had ever won the lead actress Screen Actors Guild Award more than once, and now three people have done so. Viola Davis took home the award on Sunday for "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," joining Frances McDormand and Renee Zellweger in this tiny club.
Davis was in second in our odds behind Carey Mulligan ("Promising Young Woman"), but the now six-time champ can never be counted out at the SAG Awards. This is her fifth individual victory following her wins in lead for "The Help" (2011), supporting for "Fences" (2016) and TV drama actress for "How to Get Away with Murder" (2015-16). She also has an ensemble trophy for "The Help" and hasn't lost an individual category since her supporting bid for "Doubt" (2008). You just can't buy this type of respect from your peers.
The actress, whose late co-star Chadwick Boseman nabbed the lead actor honor, also beat McDormand ("Nomadland"), who would've been the first person to win the category three times, Vanessa Kirby ("Pieces of a Woman") and Amy Adams ("Hillbilly Elegy").
SEE Full list of SAG Awards winners
McDormand broke this SAG Awards curse in 2018 when she prevailed for "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" (2017) after having previously won for "Fargo" (1996). Last year, Zellweger added a bookend actress statuette for "Judy" to go along with her one for "Chicago" (2002). Zellweger also has a supporting prize for "Cold Mountain" (2003). Is it just a coincidence that this had never happened until 2018 and now it's happened three times in four years?
Now the next question is if Davis can translate his newfound momentum into an Oscar win. She was the frontrunner in late fall, but she's since been eclipsed by Mulligan, who won the Critics Choice Award. Golden Globe champ Andra Day ("The United States vs. Billie Holiday") was snubbed by SAG (and BAFTA, just like Davis and Mulligan), so Davis won't face off against her again until the Oscars.
McDormand was able to win Oscars for both of her lead SAG-winning performances. Zellweger lost for "Chicago," but she cruised to a win for "Judy," just like she did for "Cold Mountain." Davis lost the Oscar for "The Help" to Meryl Streep ("The Iron Lady"), but she prevailed for "Fences." She'd be the first Black actress to win multiple Oscars and the second Black Best Actress champ after Halle Berry ("Monster's Ball").
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Well deserved Viola! Congratulations 🍾
Not well deserved at all, it was a supporting performance and a mid tier work from Viola, not up to the level of Carey, Vanessa or the not nominated Andra.
If they wanted to make history, there was Andra that did a good job indeed, not solid work whose more challenging aspect was using paddles
Well, Viola Davis won so deal with it 🤣
Congrats to her on the shocker but I still don’t think she will win the Oscar.
The winners for all the precursor awards for Best Lead Actress at the Oscars are going to go to new people for the first time in I think ever.
Day got the Globe, Mulligan got the Critic’s Choice, Davis got the SAG, and either McDormand or Kirby are likeliest to win at BAFTA (if they both lose to a non-Oscar nominated actress that will really hurt them imo).
So let’s just say McDormand wins at BAFTA since her film seems the most likeliest to win a lot of major awards there, then what?
All of the women, minus Kirby, will have won one major precursor award so we’ll see who’s award actually means the most soon enough.
It is really quite interesting and seemingly now makes this the category to not know who will win (since I think Youn is winning Supporting Actress for sure now) come Oscar night.
I’m really hoping Mulligan still pulls it out but hell watch Kirby win it lol.
Ma Rainey’s “heart of gold” performance complement Chadwick Bosemsn’ heartfelt performance. Without Viola’s effort, Chadwick’s performance would shade into a prima donna character but Viola’s plea for equitable brnefits for all those deserving in the workplace, actually highlight Chadwick’s character down trodden status.
I did mention this in one of my very early comments.
Plus it is actually not nice and not fair to give a deceased Chadwick the lead actor award and pass over Viola’s fiery and unique performance which actally also complement Chadwick” role as explained above.
As for Carey Mulligan, I have already said this kind of role is very diificult to win the hearts of Academy voters. Just look at Daniel Kulaaya in Get Out! That year is not only that he did not win, he was not amongst the frontrunners. Or even George C Scott in The Hospital in 1971. Jack Nicholson’s role was different in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. He was the leading man cast to wear a heroic halo right at the beginning of the film.
I don’t think Viola is winning the Oscar.
I think it is between Frances and Andra at the Oscars.
BAFTA could go to Bakray, Frances, Vanessa, or even Mosaku. Bakray got a double nomination. Rocks received many nominations as well as His House
I am rooting for her since the begnning and I predicted her at SAG and I hope she is winning the oscar. It would be deserved, she ist great in the movie and overall.