Mirren, Whitaker lead the way
2007-01-29 08:33
Los Angeles - Helen Mirren of The Queen and Forest Whitaker of The Last King of Scotland won Screen Actors Guild Awards as best lead players, their latest prizes on the road to the Academy Awards.
The road-trip romp Little Miss Sunshine won the prize for best film ensemble, the guild's equivalent of a best-picture award, at the ceremony on Sunday night.
Solidifying their positions as Oscar favourites, Mirren won for playing British monarch Elizabeth II and Whitaker for starring as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.
Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson won supporting-acting honours as soulful singers in Dreamgirls, reinforcing their status as Oscar front-runners as well.
The best-picture Oscar race, though, remains wide open, with The Queen and Little Miss Sunshine up against three sprawling dramas, The Departed, Babel and Letters From Iwo Jima.
Mirren said she initially was dismayed at the prospect of donning Elizabeth II's conservative wardrobe, including sensible shoes and tweed skirts.
Awkward words of gratitude
"I thought, I can't play anyone who chooses to wear those clothes. I just can't do it," said Mirren, who also won the guild honour for best actress in a miniseries as the current monarch's namesake in Elizabeth I.
It seemed the soft-spoken Whitaker was struck speechless, rambling through some awkward words of gratitude.
"I want to thank you for allowing me to have a moment like this," Whitaker said.
Little Miss Sunshine co-star Greg Kinnear thanked the German automaker that designed the rickety minibus the film's horribly dysfunctional family drives to their little girl's beauty pageant.
"I'd like to thank the engineers at Volkswagen for making a beautiful vehicle back in 1969 that is so comfortable, so safe," Kinnear said.
Murphy, who built his career as a fast-talking comic player, began with a thank-you speech more appropriate for a serious thespian - but his sober demeanour proved a gag.
"What a tremendous honour to be recognised by one's peers. I've been acting for some 25 years now and this is a tremendous honour," said Murphy, talking in a British accent.
A powerhouse vocalist
"No, I'm sorry," said Murphy, cracking up in laughter. "I feel goofy up here, 'cause I don't be winning stuff."
As a powerhouse vocalist in Dreamgirls, Hudson continued her breakneck rise to movie stardom after becoming famous as an American Idol contender two years ago. Hudson thanked her co-stars, who included Murphy, Jamie Foxx and Beyonce Knowles.
"Because of you, I was able to work and learn from the best. Yes, you are the best," said Hudson, who added thanks to the actors guild. "Just thank you for noticing little old me and accepting me."
Dreamgirls, which had been considered a potential best-picture favourite at the Academy Awards, was among the guild nominees for best ensemble cast, yet was shut out of the nominations for the top Oscar.
Backstage, Murphy said he and his Dreamgirls castmates were as surprised as everyone else that the film received a leading eight Oscar nominations - but not one for best picture.
The ensemble win for Little Miss Sunshine could give the low-budget film a best-picture boost at the Oscars. But academy voters tend to favour heavy drama such as fellow nominees Babel and The Departed.
The guild category has never been a reliable forecast for how the top Oscar might play out. In the 11 years since the guild added the ensemble honour, only five winners have gone on to receive the best-picture Oscar, including 2005's Crash.
The guild's individual acting winners often line up with the Oscars, however. Three of the four guild winners for 2005 - Philip Seymour Hoffman of Capote, Reese Witherspoon of Walk the Line and Rachel Weisz of The Constant Gardener - all went on to receive Oscars, while all four guild acting winners for 2004 won at the Oscars.
Whitaker, Mirren, Murphy and Hudson have dominated Hollywood's acting honours this awards season, all four also taking home Golden Globes.
On the net:
www.sagawards.com
- AP