Nearly two decades have passed since the arrest of New Jersey nurse Charles Cullen made national headlines, and now the story of how the serial killer was brought to justice by his coworker, Amy Loughren, has been adapted for the screen under the title “The Good Nurse.” Eddie Redmayne’s performance as Cullen has earned him his sixth Screen Actors Guild Award nomination, which could lead to a history-making victory. Since he already won the lead actor category for 2014’s “The Theory of Everything” and the ensemble award for 2020’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” he only needs to clinch this supporting trophy in order to become the first male recipient of all possible SAG Awards for film acting.
For the first time in nine years, all five supporting actor nominees are new to the category. Paul Dano (“The Fabelmans”) is the only other past SAG Award winner in the bunch, having triumphed as a member of the cast of 2006’s “Little Miss Sunshine.” He is up for both the supporting and ensemble awards this year, as are Ke Huy Quan (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) and “The Banshees of Inisherin” duo Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan.
“The Good Nurse,” which is based on the 2013 true crime book of the same name by Charles Graeber, traces Cullen’s criminal history by focusing on his close working relationship with Loughren, who is played by reigning lead actress SAG Award champ Jessica Chastain (“The Eyes of Tammy Faye”). In the early 2000s, the two ICU nurses develop a trusting friendship over the course of several months until she learns of his dark deeds, which ultimately amount to 29 confirmed killings of innocent patients.
SEE Full list of SAG Awards nominations
Redmayne stands out as the only one of this year’s supporting actor contenders who is nominated for playing a real person. The last such instance in this category involved Steve Carell, who was recognized for his embodiment of Bobby Riggs in 2017’s “Battle of the Sexes” against a slate of fictional portrayals. The other members of this small group include winners Tommy Lee Jones as Thaddeus Stevens (2012’s “Lincoln”) and Paul Giamatti as Joe Gould (2005’s “Cinderella Man”).
Aside from an additional ensemble nomination for “The Theory of Everything,” Redmayne’s SAG Awards resume includes a lead notice for 2015’s “The Danish Girl” and a cast bid for 2012’s “Les Misérables.” Although he would be the first man to achieve the film win trifecta, four women have already beaten him to the punch. Renée Zellweger blazed the trail by winning lead and ensemble awards for “Chicago” (2002) and a supporting one for “Cold Mountain” (2003) and was then followed by Helen Mirren (supporting and ensemble: 2001’s “Gosford Park”; lead: 2006’s “The Queen”), Cate Blanchett (ensemble: 2003’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”; supporting: 2004’s “The Aviator”; lead: 2013’s “Blue Jasmine”) and Viola Davis (lead and ensemble: 2011’s “The Help”; supporting: 2016’s “Fences”).
This article is a part of Gold Derby’s “SAG Awards nominee profile” series spotlighting the 2023 contenders in film and TV.
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