By Damilola Olaoye
- Octavia Spencer
Tears of joy trickled down the face of winners at the 18th annual Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards which was held at the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles on Sunday, January 29, 2012.
It was a night that celebrated African American Hollywood female celebrities; as three of the major awards – ‘Leading Actress’, ‘Best Supporting Actress’ and ‘Ensemble Cast’ were carted away by Davis Viola, Octavia Spencer with their outstanding performance in the 2011 film adaptation ‘The Help’, the movie based on a novel about African-American maids who took a stand during the Civil Rights era.
Davis who went away with the award of ‘The Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role’ wept as she accepted her award and paid tribute to veteran actress, Cecilia Tyson.
‘I was eight-years-old when I decided to be an actor and I am just so privileged to be gazing on the beautiful face of the woman who inspired me that beautiful day and that’s Cecilia Tyson’, a teary-eyed Davis told the guests.
Octavia beat Iron Lady, Meryl Streep to win the award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in Supporting Role.
It was also a big blow of surprise that Hollywood biggest hunks, Brad Pitt and George Clooney lost the award of ‘Outstanding Performance of a Male Actor in a Leading Role’ to French man, Jean Dujardin.
Some of the award presenters were George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Brad Pitt, Glenn Close, Viola Davis, Natalie Portman amongst others.
Outstanding Performance By A Male Actor In A Supporting Role
Nick Nolte, Warrior
Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Armie Hammer, J. Edgar
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
*WINNER Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Outstanding Performance By A Female Actor In A Supporting Role
*WINNER Octavia Spencer, The Help
Berenice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Outstanding Performance By A Male Actor In A Comedy Series
*WINNER Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Steve Carell, The Office
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family
Outstanding Performance By A Female Actor In A Comedy Series
Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
*WINNER Betty White, Hot In Cleveland
Outstanding Performance By An Ensemble In A Comedy Series
30 Rock
The Big Bang Theory
Glee
*WINNER Modern Family
The Office
Outstanding Performance By A Female Actor In A Television Movie Or Miniseries
Diane Lane, Cinema Verite
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Emily Watson, Appropriate Adult
Betty White, The Lost Valentine
*WINNER Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce
Outstanding Performance By A Male Actor In A Television Movie Or Miniseries
Laurence Fishburne, Thurgood
*WINNER Paul Giamatti, Too Big to Fail
Greg Kinnear, The Kennedys
Guy Pearce, Mildred Pierce
James Woods, Too Big to Fail
Outstanding Performance By A Female Actor In A Drama Series
Kathy Bates, Harry’s Law
Glenn Close, Damages
*WINNER Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
Julianna Margules, The Good Wife
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer
Outstanding Performance By A Male Actor In A Drama Series
Patrick J. Adams, Suits
*WINNER Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Outstanding Performance By An Ensemble In A Drama Series
*WINNER Boardwalk Empire
Breaking Bad
Dexter
Game of Thrones
The Good Wife
Outstanding Performance By A Male Actor In A Leading Role
George Clooney, The Descendants
Demian Bichir, A Better Life
Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar
*WINNER Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Brad Pitt, Moneyball
Outstanding Performance By A Female Actor In A Leading Role
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
*WINNER Viola Davis, The Help
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin
Outstanding Performance By A Cast In A Motion Picture
Bridesmaids
The Artist
The Descendants
*WINNER The Help
Midnight in Paris
Outstanding Performance By A Stunt Ensemble In A Motion Picture
The Adjustment Bureau
Cowboys & Aliens
*WINNER Harry Potter and the Deahtly Hallows: Part II
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
X-Men: First Class
Outstanding Performance By A Stunt Ensemble In A Television Series
Dexter
*WINNER Game of Thrones
Southland
Spartacus: Gods of the Arena
True Blood
