On a historic night for Asian actors, all the applause and recognition from the Hollywood acting guild went to ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’, a film that dominated the 2023 SAG Awards.
The film rose as the winner of the award by taking four statuettes, including Best Cast of a Movie, Actress (Michelle Yeoh), Supporting Actor (Ke Huy Quan) and Supporting Actress (Jamie Lee Curtis, a category where she was also fellow nominee Stephanie Hsu).
Yeoh and Quan became the first Asians to win a film acting award at the SAGs; both dedicated their interventions to inspire their compatriots to follow a path before the cameras.
“Everyone knows the ride, the roller coaster, the ups and downs. But the most important thing is that we never give up. I thank you. This isn’t just for me, it’s for every little girl that looks like me. Thank you for giving me a seat at the table, tonight you have shown us that it is possible,” she said.
“This moment no longer belongs only to me, it also belongs to all those who have asked for a change. When I walked away from acting it was because there were very few opportunities, and the stage looks very different now,” his partner had celebrated before.
At the end of the gala, held at Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles, the cast let me thank actor James Hong, 94, whose first film was 70 years ago with Clark Gable, on behalf of everyone.
“In those days, (Asians) were played by (white) men blindfolded because the producers said that Asians weren’t good enough and weren’t ‘grossers.’ But look at us now!” Hong yelled.
Curtis starred in one of the most commented moments of the ceremony, because after receiving his statuette and disassociating himself from the term “nepo baby” because his parents (Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh) were actors, he kissed Yeoh on the lips.
Brendan Fraser won the Best Actor award for his starring role in ‘The Whale’.
Reflecting on the regrets that crush his character, he said that he has been there, and called on those who are there not to give up.
‘The White Lotus’ dominated the television categories, taking home the awards for Cast in a Drama Series and Actress (Jennifer Coolidge).
F. Murray Abraham gave the speech on behalf of the cast of the HBO series and took the opportunity to wish peace in Ukraine, which is facing an invasion by Russia, and to express his support for the victims of the earthquake in Syria and Turkey.
“Union forever!” he shouted.
One of the longest segments was to honor the career of two-time Oscar winner Sally Field, who noted that acting allowed her to find moments where she felt dangerously alive.
Due to breaks during delivery, when the broadcast restarted (this time on a YouTube channel), the presenters occasionally had to ask everyone to sit down.
The Mexicans Diego Luna and Diego Calva, who announced categories, spoke in Spanish.