Three Billboards leads SAG nominations to firm up acting Oscar race

The Screen Actors Guild – whose awards are usually one of the strongest predictors of acting Oscars – has published a nominations list that shuns some of this year’s hottest contenders, in both the solo and ensemble categories.

With nothing for Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks or Daniel Day Lewis, SAG’s nominees were concentrated on more independent films and productions centred on women and ethnic minorities.

Bereaved mother Frances McDormand challenges authority in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is becoming an awards front-runner

In the equivalent of the Best Picture category, Outstanding Performance by a Cast, social romantic comedy The Big Sick is up against racial thriller Get Out, Greta Gerwig’s mother-daughter drama Lady Bird, the civil rights drama Mudbound and Martin McDonagh’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, which is becoming a front-runner for the bigger prizes of the Awards Season.

With SAG having about 160,000 members and actors making up the biggest single voting block in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, it’s been more than twenty years since the Best Picture Oscar has gone to a film that’s not on SAG’s Best Cast short-list, a pattern which could lead to a big upset at the Academy Awards, with no recognition here for Steven Spielberg’s The Post or Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread, among others.

All five of the Best Actor nominees picked up nods for the Golden Globes, earlier this week – British actors Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour) and Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out) are up against James Franco (The Disaster Artist), Timothée Chalamet (Call Me by Your Name) and Denzel Washington (Roman J Israel, Esq).

The lead actress shortlist also comprises five Golden Globe nominees – Britons Dame Judi Dench (Victoria & Abdul) and Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water) are nominated alongside Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird), Margot Robbie (I, Tonya) and Frances McDormand (Three Billboards).

Motel manager Willem Dafoe keeps a sympathetic eye on a group of delinquent children.
Willem Dafoe flies the flag for the acclaimed The Florida Project with a Best Supporting Actor nomination

In the supporting categories, Willem Dafoe (The Florida Project), Richard Jenkins (The Shape of Water) and Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards) mirror their Golden Globe nominations, Rockwell’s co-star Woody Harrelson also picks up a nomination and Steve Carell (Battle of the Sexes) is recognised as a supporting rather than lead actor, as he is at the Globes, but there’s no nod for his co-star Emma Stone.

Mary J Blige (Mudbound), Hong Chau (Downsizing), Allison Janney (I, Tonya) and Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird) all repeat their Globe recognition, while The Shape of Water’s Octavia Spencer is shunned in favour of The Big Sick‘s Holly Hunter.

Like the Golden Globes, SAG uses its annual awards ceremony to honour television and there are familiar names in the running; the best TV Drama cast will be fought out by Stranger Things, Big Little Lies, The Crown, Game of Thrones and The Handmaid’s Tale. Curb Your Enthusiasm, Veep, Glow, Black-ish and Orange is the New Black will contest the best TV comedy cast category.

While Netflix has topped the TV nominations list, with 19 nods, the most successful movie studio is Twentieth Century Fox, which – along with its Fox Searchlight branch for independent films – has nine nominations, as negotiations near an end to complete its sale to Disney.

At a time when Hollywood is embroiled in the ongoing sexual misconduct scandal, against a backdrop of calls for more women directors and pay equality between the genders, the Guild has decided to make the event a specific tribute to women; the ceremony will be hosted by the actress Kristen Bell and all thirteen of the Film and TV trophies will be presented by women.

The executive producer of the awards night, Kathy Connell, welcomed the fact that so many of this year’s nominated productions were for women-focused projects, such as Lady Bird and Big Little Lies.

Here’s the full list of nominees:

THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
JUDI DENCH / Queen Victoria – “VICTORIA & ABDUL” (Focus Features)
SALLY HAWKINS / Elisa Esposito – “THE SHAPE OF WATER” (Fox Searchlight)
FRANCES McDORMAND / Mildred – “THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI” (Fox Searchlight)
MARGOT ROBBIE / Tonya Harding – “I, TONYA” (Neon)
SAOIRSE RONAN / Lady Bird McPherson – “LADY BIRD” (A24)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET / Elio – “CALL ME BY YOUR NAME” (Sony Pictures Classics)
JAMES FRANCO / Tommy Wiseau – “THE DISASTER ARTIST” (A24)
DANIEL KALUUYA / Chris Washington – “GET OUT” (Universal Pictures)
GARY OLDMAN / Winston Churchill – “DARKEST HOUR” (Focus Features)
DENZEL WASHINGTON / Roman J. Israel, Esq. – “ROMAN J. ISRAEL, ESQ.” (Columbia Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
MARY J. BLIGE / Florence Jackson – “MUDBOUND” (Netflix)
HONG CHAU / Ngoc Lan Tran – “DOWNSIZING” (Paramount Pictures)
HOLLY HUNTER / Beth – “THE BIG SICK” (Amazon Studios/Lionsgate)
ALLISON JANNEY / LaVona Golden – “I, TONYA” (Neon/30West)
LAURIE METCALF / Marion McPherson – “LADY BIRD” (A24)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
STEVE CARELL / Bobby Riggs – “BATTLE OF THE SEXES” (Fox Searchlight)
WILLEM DAFOE / Bobby – “THE FLORIDA PROJECT” (A24)
WOODY HARRELSON / Willoughby – “THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI” (Fox Searchlight)
RICHARD JENKINS / Giles – “THE SHAPE OF WATER” (Fox Searchlight)
SAM ROCKWELL / Dixon – “THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI” (Fox Searchlight)

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

THE BIG SICK (Amazon Studios/Lionsgate)
ADEEL AKHTAR / Naveed
HOLLY HUNTER / Beth
ZOE KAZAN / Emily
ANUPAM KHER / Azmat
KUMAIL NANJIANI / Kumail
RAY ROMANO / Terry
ZENOBIA SHROFF / Sharmeen

GET OUT (Universal Pictures)
CALEB LANDRY JONES / Jeremy Armitage
DANIEL KALUUYA / Chris Washington
CATHERINE KEENER / Missy Armitage
STEPHEN ROOT / Jim Hudson
LAKEITH STANFIELD / Andrew/Logan King
BRADLEY WHITFORD / Dean Armitage
ALLISON WILLIAMS / Rose Armitage

LADY BIRD (A24)
TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET / Kyle Scheible
BEANIE FELDSTEIN / Julie Steffans
LUCAS HEDGES / Danny O’Neill
TRACY LETTS / Larry McPherson
STEPHEN McKINLEY HENDERSON / Father Leviatch
LAURIE METCALF / Marion McPherson
JORDAN RODRIGUES / Miguel McPherson
SAOIRSE RONAN / Lady Bird McPherson
ODEYA RUSH / Jenna Walton
MARIELLE SCOTT / Shelly Yuhan
LOIS SMITH / Sister Sarah Joan

MUDBOUND (Netflix)
JONATHAN BANKS / Pappy McAllan
MARY J. BLIGE / Florence Jackson
JASON CLARKE / Henry McAllan
GARRETT HEDLUND / Jamie McAllan
JASON MITCHELL / Ronsel Jackson
ROB MORGAN / Hap Jackson
CAREY MULLIGAN / Laura McAllan

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI (Fox Searchlight)
ABBIE CORNISH / Anne
PETER DINKLAGE / James
WOODY HARRELSON / Willoughby
JOHN HAWKES / Charlie
LUCAS HEDGES / Robbie
ŽELJKO IVANEK / Desk Sgt.
CALEB LANDRY JONES / Red Welby
FRANCES McDORMAND / Mildred
CLARKE PETERS / Abercrombie
SAM ROCKWELL / Dixon
SAMARA WEAVING / Penelope

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
“BABY DRIVER” (TriStar Pictures and MRC)
“DUNKIRK” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
“LOGAN” (20 th Century Fox)
“WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES” (20 th Century Fox)
“WONDER WOMAN” (Warner Bros. Pictures)

TELEVISION PROGRAMS

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
LAURA DERN / Renata Klein – “BIG LITTLE LIES” (HBO)
NICOLE KIDMAN / Celeste Wright – “BIG LITTLE LIES” (HBO)
JESSICA LANGE / Joan Crawford – “FEUD: BETTE AND JOAN” (FX Networks)
SUSAN SARANDON / Bette Davis – “FEUD: BETTE AND JOAN” (FX Networks)
REESE WITHERSPOON / Madeline MacKenzie – “BIG LITTLE LIES” (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH / Sherlock Holmes – “SHERLOCK: THE LYING DETECTIVE” (WGBH/Masterpiece)
JEFF DANIELS / Frank Griffin – “GODLESS” (Netflix)
ROBERT DE NIRO / Bernie Madoff – “THE WIZARD OF LIES” (HBO)
GEOFFREY RUSH / Albert Einstein – “GENIUS” (National Geographic)
ALEXANDER SKARSGÅRD / Perry Wright – “BIG LITTLE LIES” (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
MILLIE BOBBY BROWN / Eleven – “STRANGER THINGS” (Netflix)
CLAIRE FOY / Queen Elizabeth II – “THE CROWN” (Netflix)
LAURA LINNEY / Wendy Byrde – “OZARK” (Netflix)
ELISABETH MOSS / Offred/June – “THE HANDMAID’S TALE” (Hulu)
ROBIN WRIGHT / Claire Underwood – “HOUSE OF CARDS” (Netflix)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
JASON BATEMAN / Martin “Marty” Byrde – “OZARK” (Netflix)
STERLING K. BROWN / Randall Pearson – “THIS IS US” (NBC)
PETER DINKLAGE / Tyrion Lannister – “GAME OF THRONES” (HBO)
DAVID HARBOUR / Jim Hopper – “STRANGER THINGS” (Netflix)
BOB ODENKIRK / Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman – “BETTER CALL SAUL” (AMC)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
UZO ADUBA / Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren – “ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK” (Netflix)
ALISON BRIE / Ruth Wilder – “GLOW” (Netflix)
JANE FONDA / Grace Hanson – “GRACE AND FRANKIE” (Netflix)
JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS / Selina Meyer – “VEEP” (HBO)
LILY TOMLIN / Frankie Bergstein – “GRACE AND FRANKIE” (Netflix)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
ANTHONY ANDERSON / Andre “Dre” Johnson – “BLACK-ISH” (ABC)
AZIZ ANSARI / Dev – “MASTER OF NONE” (Netflix)
LARRY DAVID / Himself – “CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM” (HBO)
SEAN HAYES / Jack McFarland – “WILL & GRACE” (NBC)
WILLIAM H. MACY / Frank Gallagher – “SHAMELESS” (Showtime)
MARC MARON / Sam Sylvia – “GLOW” (Netflix)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

THE CROWN (Netflix)
CLAIRE FOY / Queen Elizabeth II
VICTORIA HAMILTON / Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
VANESSA KIRBY / Princess Margaret
ANTON LESSER / Prime Minister Harold Macmillan
MATT SMITH / Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

GAME OF THRONES (HBO)
ALFIE ALLEN / Theon Greyjoy
JACOB ANDERSON / Grey Worm
PILOU ASBÆK / Euron Greyjoy
HAFÞÓR JÚLÍUS BJÖRNSSON / The Mountain
JOHN BRADLEY / Samwell Tarly
JIM BROADBENT / Archmaester Ebrose
GWENDOLINE CHRISTIE / Brienne
EMILIA CLARKE / Daenerys Targaryen
NIKOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU / Jaime Lannister
LIAM CUNNINGHAM / Davos Seaworth
PETER DINKLAGE / Tyrion Lannister
RICHARD DORMER / Beric Dondarrion
NATHALIE EMMANUEL / Missandei
JAMES FAULKNER / Randyll Tarly
JEROME FLYNN / Bronn
AIDAN GILLEN / Petyr Baelish
IAIN GLEN / Jorah Mormont
KIT HARINGTON / Jon Snow
LENA HEADEY / Cersei Lannister
ISAAC HEMPSTEAD WRIGHT / Bran Stark
CONLETH HILL / Varys
KRISTOFER HIVJU / Tormund Giantsbane
TOM HOPPER / Dickon Tarly
ANTON LESSER / Qyburn
RORY McCANN / The Hound
STAZ NAIR / Qhono
RICHARD RYCROFT / Maester Wolkan
SOPHIE TURNER / Sansa Stark
RUPERT VANSITTART / Yohn Royce
MAISIE WILLIAMS / Arya Stark

THE HANDMAID’S TALE (Hulu)
MADELINE BREWER / Janine/Ofwarren/Ofdaniel
AMANDA BRUGEL / Rita
ANN DOWD / Aunt Lydia
O-T FAGBENLE / Luke
JOSEPH FIENNES / Commander Waterford
TATTIAWNA JONES / Ofglen #2
MAX MINGHELLA / Nick Blaine
ELISABETH MOSS / Offred/June
YVONNE STRAHOVSKI / Serena Joy
SAMIRA WILEY / Moira

STRANGER THINGS (Netflix)
SEAN ASTIN / Bob Newby
MILLIE BOBBY BROWN / Eleven
CARA BUONO / Karen Wheeler
JOE CHREST / Ted Wheeler
CATHERINE CURTIN / Claudia Henderson (Dustin’s Mom)
NATALIA DYER / Nancy Wheeler
DAVID HARBOUR / Jim Hopper
CHARLIE HEATON / Jonathan Byers
JOE KEERY / Steve Harrington
GATEN MATARAZZO / Dustin Henderson
CALEB McLAUGHLIN / Lucas Sinclair
DACRE MONTGOMERY / Billy
PAUL REISER / Dr. Owens
WINONA RYDER / Joyce Byers
NOAH SCHNAPP / Will Byers
SADIE SINK / Max
FINN WOLFHARD / Mike Wheeler

THIS IS US (NBC)
ERIS BAKER / Tess Pearson
ALEXANDRA BRECKENRIDGE / Sophie
STERLING K. BROWN / Randall Pearson
LONNIE CHAVIS / Young Randall
JUSTIN HARTLEY / Kevin Pearson
FAITHE HERMAN / Annie Pearson
RON CEPHAS JONES / William Hill
CHRISSY METZ / Kate Pearson
MANDY MOORE / Rebecca Pearson
CHRIS SULLIVAN / Toby Damon
MILO VENTIMIGLIA / Jack Pearson
SUSAN KELECHI WATSON / Beth Pearson
HANNAH ZEILE / Teenage Kate

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
BLACK-ISH (ABC)
ANTHONY ANDERSON / Andre “Dre” Johnson
MILES BROWN / Jack Johnson
DEON COLE / Charlie Telphy
LAURENCE FISHBURNE / Pops
JENIFER LEWIS / Ruby
PETER MACKENZIE / Mr. Stevens
MARSAI MARTIN / Diane Johnson
JEFF MEACHAM / Josh
TRACEE ELLIS ROSS / Dr. Rainbow Johnson
MARCUS SCRIBNER / Andre Johnson, Jr.
YARA SHAHIDI / Zoey Johnson

CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM (HBO)
TED DANSON / Himself
LARRY DAVID / Himself
SUSIE ESSMAN / Susie Greene
JEFF GARLIN / Jeff Greene
CHERYL HINES / Cheryl David
JB SMOOVE / Leon Black

GLOW (Netflix)
BRITT BARON / Justine Biagi
ALISON BRIE / Ruth Wilder
KIMMY GATEWOOD / Stacey Beswick
BETTY GILPIN / Debbie Eagan
REBEKKA JOHNSON / Dawn Rivecca
CHRIS LOWELL / Bash
SUNITA MANI / Arthie Premkumar
MARC MARON / Sam Sylvia
KATE NASH / Rhonda Richardson
SYDELLE NOEL / Cherry Bang
MARIANNA PALKA / Reggie Walsh
GAYLE RANKIN / Sheila the She-Wolf
BASHIR SALAHUDDIN / Keith
RICH SOMMER / Mark
KIA STEVENS / Tammé Dawson
JACKIE TOHN / Melanie Rosen
ELLEN WONG / Jenny Chey
BRITNEY YOUNG / Carmen Wade

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK (Netflix)
UZO ADUBA / Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren
EMILY ALTHAUS / Maureen Kukudio
DANIELLE BROOKS / Tasha “Taystee” Jefferson
ROSAL COLÓN / Ouija
JACKIE CRUZ / Marisol “Flaca” Gonzales
FRANCESCA CURRAN / Helen Van Maele
DANIELLA DE JESÚS / Zirconia
LEA DeLARIA / Big Boo
NICK DILLENBURG / CO Blake
ASIA KATE DILLON / Brandy Epps
BETH DOVER / Linda Ferguson
KIMIKO GLENN / Brook Soso
ANNIE GOLDEN / Norma Romano
LAURA GÓMEZ / Blanca Flores
DIANE GUERRERO / Maritza Ramos
EVAN ARTHUR HALL / CO Stratman
MICHAEL J. HARNEY / Sam Healy
BRAD WILLIAM HENKE / Desi Piscatella
MIKE HOUSTON / CO Lee Dixon
VICKY JEUDY / Janae Watson
KELLY KARBACZ / Kasey Sankey
JULIE LAKE / Angie Rice
SELENIS LEYVA / Gloria Mendoza
NATASHA LYONNE / Nicky Nichols
TARYN MANNING / Tiffany “Pennsatucky” Doggett
ADRIENNE C. MOORE / Cindy Hayes
MIRIAM MORALES / Pidge
KATE MULGREW / Galina “Red” Reznikov
EMMA MYLES / Leanne Taylor
JOHN PALLADINO / Josh
MATT PETERS / Joel Luschek
JESSICA PIMENTEL / Maria Ruiz
DASCHA POLANCO / Dayanara Diaz
LAURA PREPON / Alex Vause
JOLENE PURDY / Stephanie Hapakuka
ELIZABETH RODRIGUEZ / Aleida Diaz
NICK SANDOW / Joe Caputo
ABIGAIL SAVAGE / Gina Murphy
TAYLOR SCHILLING / Piper Chapman
CONSTANCE SHULMAN / Yoga Jones
DALE SOULES / Frieda Berlin
YAEL STONE / Lorna Morello
EMILY TARVER / CO Artesian McCullough
MICHAEL TORPEY / CO Thomas Humphrey
LIN TUCCI / Anita DeMarco

VEEP (HBO)
DAN BAKKEDAHL / Roger Furlong
ANNA CHLUMSKY / Amy Brookheimer
GARY COLE / Kent Davison
MARGARET COLIN / Jane McCabe
KEVIN DUNN / Ben Cafferty
CLEA DUVALL / Marjorie Palmiotti
NELSON FRANKLIN / Will
TONY HALE / Gary Walsh
JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS / Selina Meyer
SAM RICHARDSON / Richard Splett
(continued on next page)
PAUL SCHEER / Stevie
REID SCOTT / Dan Egan
TIMOTHY SIMONS / Jonah Ryan
SARAH SUTHERLAND / Catherine Meyer
MATT WALSH / Mike McLintock

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series
GAME OF THRONES (HBO)
GLOW (Netflix)
HOMELAND (Showtime)
STRANGER THINGS (Netflix)
THE WALKING DEAD (AMC)

LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Morgan Freeman