The acting branch of the academy decide the rosters in the four performance categories. Not surprisingly, the Screen Actors’ Guild (SAG) Awards have a stellar record at foreshadowing these nominations. This year’s Best Supporting Actress race at both the Oscars and SAG has a rock solid top 4 right now: Ariana DeBose (“West Side Story”), Kirsten Dunst (“The Power of The Dog”), Aunjanue Ellis (“King Richard”) and Caitriona Balfe (“Belfast”). That last slot is still very much wide open. Here are the six actresses in top contention for that spot at this year’s SAG Awards.
Marlee Matlin (“CODA”)
SAG voters are bound to be won over by “CODA.” It is the definitive crowdpleaser of this year’s field. “CODA” warms the heart, inspires the outcast within us and almost certainly requires a box of tissues close-by. It may well follow in the footsteps of another Sundance hit and 2006 SAG favourite in “Little Miss Sunshine”, with Troy Kotsur in supporting actor (3rd in our odds), the cast in ensemble (5th) and Marlee Matlin in supporting actress (5th). Matlin plays hearing teenager Ruby’s (Emilia Jones) deaf mother, Jackie, in the film. While Marlee’s performance was overlooked by the Critics Choice, she is an Oscar champ (“Children of a Lesser God,” 1987). As the only deaf actor to ever win an Oscar, she is an icon in the deaf community.
Ann Dowd (“Mass”)
Bleecker Street has an impressive SAG track record including “Captain Fantastic” (nominated for Best Actor and Best Ensemble), “Trumbo” (nominated for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Ensemble) and “Beasts of No Nation” (won for Best Supporting Actor and nominated for Best Ensemble). The deeply affecting, emotionally harrowing chamber piece “Mass” is its next awards hopeful. While the film features four equally bravura performances, Dowd (6th in our odds) has emerged as the clear favourite for awards recognition among pundits. She just reaped a Critics Choice bid for her devastating portrayal of Linda, a grieving mother of a school shooter.
Rita Moreno (“West Side Story”)
Moreno (7th in our odds) is a red-hot contender for her work as Valentina in Tony Kushner’s new adaptation of the classic musical. Rita’s rendition of “Somewhere” is the definition of an “Oscar moment.” Moreno, who won the Oscar back in 1962 for the role of Anita, was fittingly nominated alongside Spielberg’s Anita, DeBose (3rd), at the Critics Choice Awards. Why should SAG prove any different?
Ruth Negga (“Passing”)
Negga (8th in our odds) is no stranger to defying expectations. Five years ago, the Ethiopian-Irish actress surprised pundits by landing her first Oscar nomination in Best Actress for “Loving.” She managed this feat despite snubs at both SAG and BAFTA. Even if she is overlooked by the guild this year for her role as Clare Kendry in “Passing,” a Black woman who passes as white, that by no means takes her out of the hunt for the Oscar nod. Her entrancing turn in “Passing” is the kind of scene-stealing performance that actors adore.
Judi Dench (“Belfast”)
A towering name that could benefit from SAG “name checking” is Dame Judi (9th in our odds). She has racked up 14 SAG nominations and 2 wins over the years. While her role as Granny in Kenneth Branagh’s “Belfast” doesn’t give her an abundance of dramatic material, her industry reputation, along with her being part of a Best Picture (and Best Ensemble) frontrunner gives her a major advantage. She also has a classic “Oscar moment” at the end of Branagh’s semi-autobiographical drama, in which she gives a poignant final monologue that closes the film.
Meryl Streep (“Don’t Look Up”)
Adam McKay’s scathing socio-political satire has been generating immense Oscar buzz since its release onto Netflix over Christmas. It boasts one of the most star-studded casts of the year, and while McKay’s approach viciously divided critics, the film has shown to possess genuine audience-appeal. “Don’t Look Up” has already been viewed for 263 million hours worldwide according to Netflix (3rd highest of all-time) and has a 77% fresh audience score on Rotten Tomatoes (4/5 average rating). Streep (10th in our odds) plays fictional US president Janie Orlean, one of the films many soullessly self-centred villains. She already has a record 16 SAG nominations for film with a likely bid for “Don’t Look Up” in ensemble (5th in our odds).
PREDICT the 2022 SAG Awards nominees until Jan. 12
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