The 2021 SAG Awards' most memorable moments

While most of the 27th Screen Actors Guild Awards were a low-fi affair, it opened with an in-character skit with the Ted Lasso cast celebrating the SAGs.

The Screen Actors Guild always starts their show with some annecdotes from very famous actors talking about when they were less-famous actors. Despite being pre-recorded, this ceremony started just the same. But since they didn’t want to just send a camera crew to these actors’ homes for just a 10 second clip, these actors got to return throughout the show to share other stories. A particularly fun one was about Helen Mirren lying on her resume about being able to ride a horse.

Completing his trifecta of an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and a SAG, Mark Ruffalo accepted his win for Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series. Unfortunately wasn’t on camera for this one. “You know, this award is really… it’s just in so many ways kind of the crown achievement, I think,” said Ruffalo. “Just because as fellow actors, no one knows [the] work better and could be more critical than each other. You know, acting, it doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It happens between people. And a magical place created by a director, like Derek Cianfrance, and a writer, like Wally Lamb. Mental illness is a real thing. And I just think it’s really important that we’re honest and open about it and have no fear and have no shame. So thank you so much. I’m so honored to be here with my fellow nominees and blessings to all.”

Though the telecast was all pre-recorded, the wins were recorded live-to-tape and the acceptance speeches (in this case, one from The Queen’s Gambit star Anya Taylor Joy) included reacation shots from fellow fellow nominees (in this case, Mrs. America’s Cate Blanchette; Little Fires Everywhere’s Kerry Washington; and May I Destroy You’s Michaela Coel, ) as well as nominees from other categories (in this case, Mark Ruffalo, Ethan Hawke, Hugh Grant, and Bill Camp in his car).“Thank you so much. But first of all, just thank you for your performances,” said Taylor Joy. “I’m so unbelievably honored to be even in this room, even though it’s not a room, it’s all mental. But you know what I mean. It was such a privilege every single day to get to work with the playmates that I got to work with. They were so peaceful and supportive and kind. And so I just want to thank Bill [Camp], and Mari [Marielle Heller], and Harry [Melling], oh gosh, and Thomas [Brodie-Sangster] and Moses [Ingram]. And I was just… they were just so wonderful. And a show isn’t made by one person. It’s made by everybody. And I’m just so, so grateful that I get to do this. So thank you so much.”

While Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso has its fans, from the actor’s Golden Globes win last month. This time, Sudeikis still dressed down—though not cheaply. He accepted his Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series win in a .“Oh man, oh man, are you kidding me? I want you to thank my fellow actors. I want to thank my mom, for bringing me to plays and musicals in Kansas City, every touring company that came through, whether it be Phantom of the Opera or La Cage aux Folles,” said Sudeikis. “I want to thank my dad for taking me to go see movies. He took me to go see Beverly Hills Cop when I was nine years old. And I knew at that point I wanted to be Black cop from Detroit. I’m getting there. And, again, I thank my fellow cast mates, because they make me better because I have to keep up. Thank you again for this, it’s very amazing. Appreciate it.”

Rita Moreno announced Schitt’s Creek star Catherine O’Hara as the winner for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series. Luckily, O’Hara’s husband wasn’t around to participate in . “Thank you, SAG-AFTRA members for watching our show and for placing me in the company of these uniquely and consistently funny women,” said O’Hara. “I share this with Annie Murphy. I’m flattered anyone might believe I could be her mother. Annie is a beautiful soul. And of course, for Eugene and Daniel Levy and their amazing writers. Their hilariously empathic storytelling gave me and everyone in the town from which I am currently estranged, every possible chance to love, be loved, make happy fools of ourselves, and blossom into the best we could be. And as if that wasn’t enough, know this. Thank you.”

Following Mark Ruffalo in completing a trifecta, Schitt’s Creek won Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. “Oh, my goodness. Oh, man,” said Dan Levy. “OK, well, first of all, to get to share this award with my brilliant sister and my incredible dad is absolutely extraordinary. First of all, thank you so much to SAG-AFTRA for this insane honor. I want to take a moment to acknowledge the rest of this incredible ensemble of actors who made comedy look absolutely effortless with their skill and their dedication. The incomparable Catherine O’Hara, Annie Murphy, Emily Hamshire, Karen Robinson, Noah Reid, Jennifer Robertson, and the great Chris Elliott. And it’s worth mentioning the amazing contributions over the years from Rizwan Manji, Dustin Milligan and John Hemphill. Thank you to all who voted for us. What a way to say goodbye. Thank you so much.”

For some reason, real-life married couple Mary Steenburgen and Ted Danson starred in the only other pre-taped skit that aired during the hour-long telecast. The skit took us into the couple’s home (or, really, what appears to be the set of Steenburgen’s NBC series Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist) where Steenburgen has been learning the accordian during quarantine.

Following up his Golden Globes win, Judas And The Black Messiah’s Daniel Kaluuya accepted his Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role win—without any this time. “Thank you so much. Thank you, SAG, man, for this, honor,” said Kaluuya. “I share this light with all the nominees. Like everyone who was part of making Judas And The Black Messiah, you can’t make a film without an incredible group of people that come together and want to say a truth. You know what I’m saying, so I want to share this with LaKeith Stanfield, Dominique Fishback, to Jermaine Fowler and all the incredible day players that show up. And Chairman Fred Hampton for guiding us and showing us his power, even though 52 years later. This one’s for Chadwick Boseman and this one is for Chairman Fred Hampton. Thank you so much.”

In the most adorable speech of the evening, Minari’s Yuh-Jung Youn accepted her win for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role.

“I don’t know how to describe my feelings, I’m being recognized by Westerners. Oh, it is very, very honored. Especially by my actor fellow, choose me as a supporting actress. I don’t know. Am I saying right? My English is not good?” Minari’s Yuh-Jung Youn said in her acceptance speech, prompting encouragement from those sharing her Zoom screen. “ I’m very pleased and happy. And thanks to SAG-AFTRA. I’m sorry, everything is not familiar. Thank you so much. Thank you, Olivia, and Glenn Close, Maria, and everybody. Thank you.”

In another Golden Globes repeat, The Crown’s Gillian Anderson accepted her win for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series. “Thank you so much to SAG-AFTRA and to all of my fellow nominees, Laura [Linney] and Julia [Garner], and Queenie Olivia [Colman], who has won every award under the sun. And to Emma [Corrin], you deserve this along with me for such a mature and accomplished performance,” said Anderson. “And to the entire Crown ensemble, who in my eyes has not got enough attention for all of the depth that you bring to every episode. And that’s Helena Bonham Carter, and Tobias Menzies, and Josh O’Connor, and Erin Doherty, and Marion Bailey, and Charlie Edwards, and, of course, Stephen Boxer, my very own DT. And thanks to all of you for making this experience special. And last but never least, Peter Morgan, for creating so many multidimensional roles for all of us actors to sink your teeth into and win awards for. And thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”

Josh Gad, Rita Moreno, Daveed Diggs, Jimmy Fallon, Helen Mirren, and Sterling K. Brown shared their early headshots. Brown admitted he was holding 30-lb. dumbbells just out of frame to get his biceps looking like that.

Lily Collins presented Ozark’s Jason Bateman with his win for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series.“Thank you. Thank you to SAG-AFTRA, and Netflix, and MRC, and my team, my family, the writers of Ozark, the cast, the crew, who I’m going to be able to thank in person tomorrow. Thank God,” said Bateman. “But I am sure that they would all agree that the biggest thank yous go to the health care workers attended to us all during this last year and the miracle work from the scientists that have given us the vaccines that are not only going to let us continue making fake life, but most importantly, the real life that we’re all yearning to get back to. So this is dedicated to them. And everybody go get your shot and let’s all get back to normal. Thank you.”

When The Crown cast won Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, Olivia Coleman had a very long list of names to read. “I’m going to attempt to say everybody’s names. So on behalf of Tobias [Menzies], Helena [Bonham Carter], Marion [Bailey], Emma [Corrin], Josh [O’Connor], Gillian [Anderson], Erin [Doherty], Emerald [Fennell], Stephen [Boxer], Freddie [Fox], Rebecca, Georgie, Angus, Isabel, Jeffrey, Nicholas, three Toms, two Charlies, Andrew, Jessica, Richard, Harry, Nancy, Daniel, Tony, Jay, Eve, Annette, Paul, Dom, Alana, Mark, and Richard. And there are many more,” she said. “We’d like to say thank you very much SAG-AFTRA. And to Peter Morgan for writing so many lovely parts. We all loved it. Let’s do it again. And I think I speak for all of us. We’d all like to say thank you to our wonderful National Health Service during this very peculiar year. We’re very lucky, in the U.K., to have you. Thank you all very much. Thanks Actors.”

In a segment about how working from home is just as frustrating for actors as it us for us normal people, Rita Moreno showcased how people freeze mid-meeting on her Zooms, just like on ours. (In all serious, Lily Collins’ story about missing every bit of direction she was meant to receive from David Fincher during her Mank audition had us breaking out in sympathy hives.)

Perhaps no one was more surprised by Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom star Viola Davis’ win for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role than the actress herself.“Oh, my God. Thank you to the Screen Actors Guild. To actors. Thank you to George C. Wolfe and Denzel Washington, Todd Black, Jeremy Shamos, John Coyne, Dusan Brown, Taylour Paige, Glynn Turman, and Michael Potts, Colman Domingo, the beautiful Chadwick Boseman,” said Davis. “Thank you, August [Wilson], for leaving a legacy to actors of color that we can relish for the rest of our lives. Thank you so much and thank you to Carey [Mulligan], Vanessa [Kirby], Amy [Adams], Frances [McDormand], I couldn’t have been in better company. Thank you so much. Thank you.”

Following up , the late actor’s wife, Simone Ledward Boseman, spoke after the Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom star’s win for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role.“Thank you, God. Thank you, Leroy and Carolyn Boseman. Thank you, August Wilson. Thank you, George C. Wolfe, Denzel [Washington], Todd Black, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, and Branford Marsalis,” she said. “Thank you, Viola [Davis] and Glynn [Turman], and Michael [Potts], and Coleman [Domingo], and Taylour [Paige] and Dusan [Brown], and Jeremy Shamos, and Jonathan Coyne. ‘If you see the world unbalanced, be a crusader that pushes heavily on the seesaw of the mind.’ That’s a quote by Chadwick Boseman. Thank you, Screen Actors [Guild]. Thank you, Chad. Thank you.”

During a segment about what the celebs are most looking forward when we enter the After Times, Common revealed he can’t wait to get back on set so he can “smell” everyone…

In a bit of a surprise win (particularly given Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’s big wins earlier in the night) Frank Langella accepted the Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture win on behalf of the cast of The Trial Of The Chicago 7.“‘God give us leaders,’ said the Reverend Martin Luther King before he was shot down in cold blood on this very date in 1968. A profound injustice. The trial of the Chicago 7 began 18 months later, ruled by a corrupt judge—me,” said Langella, who stars in the film as Judge Julian Hoffman. “Aaron Sorkin was determined to tell their story, and his loving and respectful direction transformed a group of disparate actors into an ensemble. Reverend King was right, we need leaders to guide us toward hating each other less. We owe a debt of thanks to the voices of the Chicago Seven, and most especially, Aaron Sorkin, our leader whose voice is the soul of this movie. Thank you SAG-AFTRA.”