SAG Awards key moments: Chastain, 'Everything Everywhere' - Los Angeles Times
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Key moments from the SAGs: ‘Everything Everywhere,’ Jessica Chastain, Ariana DeBose

A split image of a woman posing in a pink suit, a woman making a triangle on her forehead and a woman cupping hands to chest
Ariana DeBose, left, Michelle Yeoh and Jessica Chastain at the 29th Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles.
(Chris Pizzello / Invision / Associated Press)
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Because you can’t be everything, everywhere, all at once, we took the liberty of rounding up all the key moments you might have missed at the 2023 Screen Actors Guild Awards.

On Sunday, stars of the big and small screens gathered at Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles to celebrate one another’s work and inspire the next generation of performers to pursue their dreams. “Everything Everywhere All at Once” won the night, which was full of fabulous fashion, nostalgic reunions and powerful speeches.

Here’s a sampling of what went down at the 29th Screen Actors Guild Awards, which Netflix streamed on its YouTube channel Sunday night.

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‘Everything Everywhere’ wins big

A group of people in formalwear rejoicing onstage.
The ensemble of “Everything Everywhere All at Once” accepts the award for cast in a motion picture.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

“Everything Everywhere All at Once” cleaned up at the SAG Awards, sweeping every category it was nominated for and emerging as this year’s Oscars front-runner.

In addition to the ensemble of the A24 epic winning the top film award of the night (cast in a motion picture), Ke Huy Quan scored the prize for supporting actor, Jamie Lee Curtis took home the trophy for supporting actress and Michelle Yeoh won the award for lead actress.

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Onscreen spouses Quan and Yeoh made history as the first Asian man to win an individual film award and the first Asian woman to win the lead actress award at the SAGs, respectively.

The Screen Actors Guild gave its top awards to “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” “Abbott Elementary” and “The White Lotus.”

Feb. 26, 2023

“This is a really emotional moment for me,” a tearful Quan said during his acceptance speech. “I was told that if I were to win tonight, I would become the very first Asian actor to win in this category. When I heard this, I quickly realized that this moment no longer belongs to just me. It also belongs to everyone who has asked for change.

“When I stepped away from acting, it was because there was so few opportunities. ... The landscape looks so different now than before. Thank you so much to all of you in this room and everyone who contributed to these changes.”

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Yeoh also acknowledged the historic significance of her victory and delighted the crowd by throwing some euphoric expletives into her rousing speech.

“This is not just for me,” Yeoh said.

“This is for every little girl that looks like me. ... Thank you for giving me a seat at the table, because so many of us need this. We want to be seen. We want to be heard. And tonight, you have shown us that it is possible, and I am grateful, and my mom will be eternally grateful to you.”

“Everything Everywhere All at Once” becomes the 10th movie to sweep the directors, producers and Screen Actors guilds. History says the Oscar is next.

Feb. 26, 2023

When Yeoh, Quan, Curtis, Stephanie Hsu and the entire cast of “Everything Everywhere” accepted the final award of the evening, they honored Hollywood icon James Hong, who stole the show with a poignant and humorous speech.

“I got my first SAG card ... 70 years ago,” said Hong, who turned 94 earlier this month and got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame last year.

“My first movie was with Clark Gable. But back in those days ... the leading role was played by these guys with eyes taped up like this, and they talk like this, because the producers said the Asians were not good enough and they are not box office [draws]. But look at us now.”

Ariana DeBose did the thing

A woman posing in a pink suit and a man smiling in a black suit in front of a podium on a stage.
Ariana DeBose and Diego Luna present the award for actress in a drama series at Sunday’s SAG Awards.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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While presenting the award for actress in a drama series alongside Diego Luna of “Andor,” Ariana DeBose subtly poked fun at her viral BAFTAs rap.

Before announcing the nominees, the “West Side Story” star turned to Luna and said, “Diego, do the thing” — a reference to the most famous and imitated line from her BAFTAs performance: “Angela Bassett did the thing.” The camera crew didn’t miss a beat, quickly cutting to Bassett — who laughed and blew a kiss from the audience while DeBose did a little shimmy onstage.

Eventually, DeBose broke character and couldn’t help but burst into laughter as the crowd went wild.

‘I just wanted to make sure she was OK,’ Angela Bassett said at the NAACP Image Awards after messaging Ariana DeBose about her endlessly memed BAFTAs rap.

Feb. 26, 2023

Jessica Chastain takes a tumble

A woman with long red hair in a pink gown pursing her lips and walking through a crowd of people.
Jessica Chastain rises to accept the award for actress in a limited series.
(Chris Pizzello / Invision / Associated Press)

On her way up to accept the award for actress in a limited series, “George and Tammy” star Jessica Chastain tripped on the steps and might have face-planted on the stage — if not for the steadying hand of fellow actor Courtney B. Vance, who helped her regain her balance.

In an interview with “Access Hollywood” after the show, Chastain said she realized she was “in trouble” soon after her name was read.

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“My whole body is shaking, and I’m like, ‘OK, I’m gonna need help up the stairs,’” Chastain recalled.

“And then I started to trip. But once I got to the podium, I saw the quick countdown of how much time I had, and I was like, ‘I gotta talk fast.’ And I have a feeling I might have forgotten some people, but I need to, like, look back and see what I said, because I’m a little bit in a blur about it.”

Red-carpet reunions abound

A blond woman in a suit and a red-haired woman in a gown linking arms and laughing on a red carpet.
Elaine Hendrix, left, and Lisa Ann Walter attend Sunday’s SAG Awards.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Before she was Ms. Schemmenti in “Abbott Elementary,” Lisa Ann Walter was known and loved for her work as Chessy in the 1998 remake of “The Parent Trap.” And she paid homage to the fan-favorite character by attending the SAG Awards with her longtime friend and “Parent Trap” co-star Elaine Hendrix (a.k.a. Meredith Blake).

“If [‘Parent Trap’ writer-director] Nancy Meyers writes it, it’s going to be genius,” Walter told “Extra” of a possible “Parent Trap” reboot with Hendrix.

“I don’t know that that is something that could happen, but certainly with Lindsay [Lohan] ... doing work again and being as beautiful and fabulous and talented as she is, certainly anything is possible. But I think in this version, we’d have to make Meredith a good guy. We’d have redemption for Meredith Blake.”

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“Wait a minute — she wasn’t a good guy in the first place?” Hendrix joked.

For creator-star Quinta Brunson, Janelle James, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Lisa Ann Walter, the series lets teachers be human. And as a result, “teachers are feeling seen, which is one of the best things about the show.”

May 31, 2022

Another red-carpet reunion that had fans buzzing involved Amy Poehler, Adam Scott and Aubrey Plaza of “Parks and Recreation” fame.

Walter was nominated with the cast of “Abbott Elementary,” while Scott and Plaza scored nods for “Severance” and “The White Lotus,” respectively.

Aubrey Plaza and Jenna Ortega are a match made in goth heaven

Two women with short brown hair wearing formal gowns and staring at each other in front of a podium on a stage.
Jenna Ortega, left, and Aubrey Plaza present the award for actor in a limited series.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Plaza and Jenna Ortega — two actors known for their deadpan line readings and sardonic senses of humor — joined forces to present the award for actor in a limited series.

Plaza, who won ensemble in a drama series with the cast of “The White Lotus,” and Ortega, who was nominated for actress in a comedy series for her dour turn in “Wednesday,” dramatically approached the podium Sunday with intense death-stares that drew chuckles from the audience.

“I don’t know why they paired us up together,” Plaza said dryly.

“Yeah, I know,” an unblinking Ortega replied. “We have nothing in common.”

What’s it like to party with enough stars to cause a singularity? Our correspondent at the SAG Awards comes back with an answer.

Feb. 27, 2023

The crowd-pleasing bit continued with both presenters vowing in unison to find the “people who did this and curse their families and watch as misfortune follows their bloodline for the next seven generations.”

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“OK, I see it now,” Plaza quipped.

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