The 17th Screen Actors' Guild Awards ceremony took place tonight in Los Angeles. The last major awards event before the Oscars, it's the one which many performers cherish the most, as it's voted for by their peers and a win means they have won respect from those best placed to understand their work.
The big winners this year are The King's Speech, winning Best Cast and Best Actor, and The Fighter, which took both Best Supporting Actor awards. Christian Bale was accompanied on stage by the real Dick Eklund, the boxer who inspired his performance, whilst Melissa Leo summed up The Fighter's success with the simple observation "It's a fucking good movie."
Leo used her speech to stress the importance of the guild itself and the role unions play in the lives of so many Americans, bringing a political edge to an awards season which has so far been more about fashion and the films themselves. This was echoed by Colin Firth, who claimed the guild has helped him impress girls, and by Natalie Portman, who thanked it for taking care of her since she began working at the tender age of 11. Glowing with happiness and trying hard not to laugh as she received her Best Actress award, Portman was clearly overwhelmed. She's the odds-on favourite for an Oscar win now.
Those film awards in full:
Outstanding Performance by the Cast of a Motion Picture - The King's Speech
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role - Colin Firth, The King's Speech
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role - Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role - Christian Bale, The Fighter
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role - Melissa Leo, The Fighter.
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie - Al Pacino, You Don't Know Jack
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries winner - Claire Danes, Temple Grandin
Outstanding Performance by a Film Stunt Ensemble - Inception
Lifetime Achievement - Ernest Borgnine
