SAG Awards 2012: Best & Worst

Giuliana Rancic and Jane Lynch demonstrated their ability to juggle live on the air, meaning that if the whole E! host/reality star thing doesn’t work out for Rancic, there’s always the RenFaire circuit.  (Frazer Harrison / Getty Images)

Maybe it’s age, but George Clooney‘s once ultra-suave red carpet manner has shown signs of creeping into goofy dad territory in recent years. The standard question “Who are you wearing?” resulted in the deadpan response that he’d borrowed it from the (much taller) John Krasinski. Hilarity!

However, he did save himself slightly with his response to a question about whether he’d ever “drop trou” for a movie role. “I’m 50,” Clooney responded. “So it’s just trying to get my trou up!” Giuliana Rancic then bestowed leis upon Clooney and girlfriend Stacy Keibler. E! co-host Ross Matthews gushed, “You just lei-ed George Clooney on live TV. I’m so jealous of you.”   (Joe Klamar / AFP / Getty Images)

How much attractive force do Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie command on the red carpet? So much that it takes not one but two E! hosts to ask them questions. Giuliana Rancic and Ross Mathews teamed up to pepper the power couple with questions in the final moments before the show. The drool from their lips was almost visible. (That’s the E! hosts’ lips, not Brad and Angelina.)   (Chris Pizzello / Associated Press)

His early winning speeches were marked with the giddy bombast of an old-school actor thrilled to be in the spotlight. But with the SAG win for supporting actor in a film, Christopher Plummer’s acceptance speech took on a different tone, a grander tone. A tone appropriate for Oscar show clips for decades to come. It was a speech filled with larger-than-life metaphors -- “When [actors] honor you, it is to be lit by the Holy Grail” -- and mysteriously touching moments -- “Lastly, my long-suffering wife Elaine who 43 years ago came to my rescue and saved my life.” Save some for the academy, Plummer!  (Kevin Winter / Getty Images)

Alec Baldwin‘s speech got off to a screeching start. Immediately after accepting his trophy -- his sixth -- for his role as Jack Donaghy on “30 Rock,” Baldwin channeled his inner teenage girl. “Oh my gawd,” Baldwin yelped repeatedly. Yet anyone worried (or perhaps excited) that Baldwin’s speech would go off the rails had nothing to fear. Baldwin directed attention away from the art of acting and put it squarely on the craft of writing, thanking “30 Rock” scribes Tina Fey and Robert Carlock. “No offense to anyone else, but we have the greatest writers,” he gushed.   (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

The awards show fetishization of Betty White continued with the SAGs. And since the ceremony didn’t have a host or an opening bit into which to work the octogenarian star, they had to give her an award for actress in a comedy series. To her credit, White seemed quite befuddled by all the attention and was sure to mention her “Hot in Cleveland” costars in her acceptance speech. But she revealed her sweet but steely side for the assembled crowd. “I’m not going to let them keep this, but I’ll let them see it,” she said. Then White fetishized her own award, purring, “Oh, I remember you sweetheart.”   (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Kate Winslet and Paul Giamatti couldn’t make it to the ceremony, but both won the awards for actor in a miniseries or TV movie. For the stressed-out telecast director worried about bringing the show in on time, the no-shows provided blessed breathing room. But from an entertainment perspective, it popped a little hole in the aura of importance to the evening. Isn’t Woody Allen the only person allowed to skip awards shows? Presenter Armie Hammer did his best to lighten the moment with the quip, “I’m gonna keep his award.”   (Kevin Winter / Getty Images)

“Modern Family” won its second SAG Award for ensemble in a TV comedy series, yet any evidence as to why the cast was honored certainly wasn’t on display when Team “Modern Family” accepted the trophy. The adult actors let the show’s younger stars have the microphone, and there were more cringe-inducing moments than funny ones. Nolan Gould, who portrays Luke Dunphy on the show, played the role of an obnoxious kid at the podium, paraphrasing W.C. Fields‘ “never work with animals or children” quote, adding, “Well, he can kiss my... “

And it was downhill from there.   (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Regular readers of the trades surely thrilled at SAG President Ken Howard’s mid-show speech announcing the impending merger of the two major acting unions, SAG and AFTRA. But Midwestern moms tuning in to ogle George Clooney and coo over Jim Parsons were probably left shrugging their shoulders. Maybe they could have saved this for the next chapter meeting? Sometimes Hollywood’s business isn’t necessarily everyone’s business.   (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

Some show up at awards because they’re nominated, and others have less noble pursuits. “This all free,” said Kristen Wiig, holding up what looked to be a pint of beer. Joined by her “Bridesmaids” peers Maya Rudolph and Melissa McCarthy, the actors weren’t, of course, attending the SAG Awards for the free food and drink. In introducing a clip from the film, the actors explained that they have devised a drinking game for all their award-show appearances of late. “You take a drink every time you hear the word ‘Scorsese,’” said Rudolph. As to what followed, well, we lost count as to how many times the trio referenced the director. And how many swigs of Grey Goose Melissa McCarthy downed.   (Kevin Winter / Getty Images)

Steve Buscemi made sure to take his wine with him to the stage to accept the award for best actor in a drama series. He knew he would have to invoke a name that would require some chug-a-lugging. However, presenter Tina Fey took the glass from him. “Thanks for taking my wine, Tina,” he said. “But I have to thank our producer, Martin Scorsese.” In keeping with the Scorsese drinking game, Fey downed the glass. Buscemi later made sure to invoke the name of Marty again when “Boardwalk Empire” picked up the best ensemble in a drama series award.   (Kevin Winter / Getty Images)

There’s a lot of love in Hollywood for old sitcom stars. When Dick Van Dyke came out on stage to present the lifetime achievement award to Mary Tyler Moore, he got a standing ovation that went on forever. “I’m just the presenter,” the shocked Van Dyke told the crowd. When they settled down, he started his intro with the evening’s classic line: “I’m what’s left of Dick Van Dyke.”   (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

Mary Tyler Moore‘s life achievement award video intro surely put some of the youngsters in the audience in their places by revealing just how long Moore has been a star (she was on TV when it was black-and-white!) and how many major bits of history she’s been part of (she counts Elvis freaking Presley as a former costar). Besides that, she also produced more TV series than some full-time TV producers. Some life achievement awards are purely sentimental, but this one was earned.   (Kevin Winter / Getty Images)

Powerful emotion swept the room when Viola Davis took the stage to accept the award for lead actress in a motion picture for “The Help.” Tears streaming down her face, she pointed out her idols in the room. “I was 8 years old when I decided to be an actor and I’m just so privileged to be looking at the face of the woman who inspired me that day. And that’s Cicely Tyson.” More tears. Tears from Viola. Tears from Cicely. Then she pointed out Meryl Streep. Not as many tears from Meryl. As acceptance speeches went, Davis’ was one of the more powerful ones, ending with great advice to children: “Dream big and dream fierce.”   (Kevin Winter / Getty Images)