|
 "Hidden Figures," the true story of three black female
mathematicians during the 1960s space race, ousted awards
front-runners "Manchester By the Sea" and "Moonlight" to claim
the night's top prize.
"This story is about what happens when we put our differences
aside and we come together," star Taraji P. Henson said.
"Thank you for appreciating these women, they are hidden figures
no more," she added.
"Fences," based on August Wilson's award-winning stage play
about blue-collar African-Americans, claimed two major acting
awards.
With awards darling "La La Land" out of the running for the top
SAG prize for best ensemble, the win put "Hidden Figures" firmly
into the race for the best picture Oscar, the top accolade in
the film industry.
Voted for by about 120,000 U.S. actors, the two-hour televised
SAG awards show often anoints top Academy Award winners since
actors comprise the largest body within Oscar voters.
A surprised Denzel Washington won best actor for "Fences,"
beating out front-runners Casey Affleck for "Manchester By the
Sea" and Ryan Gosling for "La La Land."
Washington's co-star Viola Davis, who won best supporting
actress, thanked the late playwright Wilson for honoring "the
average man, who happened to be a man of color."
The SAG awards honored many actors of color in a year when
diversity in Hollywood has been in the spotlight. The Academy of
Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced seven Oscar nominees
of color among its acting categories this month after two years
when only white actors were nominated, prompting the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite.
Politics took center stage at the SAG awards as many stars
delivered fiery speeches to directly or indirectly criticize
Trump's ban on Muslim travelers.
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Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who won best comedy TV actress for playing
flawed fictional U.S. President Selina Meyer on HBO's political
satire "Veep," called Trump's ban a "blemish."
"Because I love this country, I am horrified by its blemishes, and
this immigrant ban is a blemish," she said. "It is un-American."
Mahershala Ali, who won best supporting actor for his role in
independent drama "Moonlight," noted that he is the Muslim son of a
mother who is a Christian minister.
"She didn't do backflips when I called her to tell her I converted
17 years ago, but I tell you now, we put things to the side," he
said.
Emma Stone, winning best actress for musical romance "La La Land,"
praised her fellow actors for "reflecting society."
"We're in a tricky time in the world and in our country, and things
are very inexcusable and scary and need action," she said. "And I'm
so grateful to be part of a group of people that care and want to
reflect things back to society."
Netflix Inc <NFLX.O> dominated the top television wins as women's'
prison show "Orange is the New Black" won best comedy ensemble,
British royal family show "The Crown" took the best actor and
actress awards for a drama, and new 1980s sci-fi mystery series
"Stranger Things" won best drama ensemble.
(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Lisa Von
Ahn)
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