Sopranos sweeps TV drama prizes
The Sopranos swept the TV drama categories at today’s US
Screen Actors Guild Awards.
James Gandolfini and Edie Falco took both lead-acting prizes and
the entire ensemble joined them onstage in Los Angeles to accept
the award for overall cast performance.
“Ten years … I wish for everybody in every walk of life, but
particularly for actors, to have the opportunity to have a work
experience like I have had with my family here,” Falco said.
“You’re not supposed to get this attached because it’s a
transient business. I have fallen in love with these people and I
don’t know how you walk away from that.”
Minutes before, Gandolfini took the first trophy of the night in
a star-studded ceremony - something of an anomaly in a
strike-hobbled awards season.
“This is our last official act as Sopranos together,”
Gandolfini said.
“Here’s to you guys. Thank you very much. It’s been 10 years.
It’s been an honour. That’s all I can say.”
The guild’s first-ever prizes for best stunt ensemble went to
The Bourne Ultimatum for films and 24 for TV before
the ceremony began.
The 14th annual awards were being held at the Shrine Auditorium
in Los Angeles.
Earlier, Australia’s Cate Blanchett was among the stars walking
the red carpet for the awards.
Blanchett has been nominated for her starring role in
Elizabeth: The Golden Age, and the Bob Dylan chronicle
I’m Not There, which won her a best supporting actress
Golden Globes earlier this month.
Normally a small cousin to the Globes and the Academy Awards,
the SAG Awards could end up being the biggest celebration of
Hollywood’s film-honours season due to the ongoing writers’
strike.
The swanky Globes were cancelled because of the strike by the
Writers Guild of America, which refused to let its members work on
the show, and the fate of the Oscars on February 24 is in question
because of the same labour quarrel.
The actors’ union, however, has been steadfast in support of
striking writers, who in turn gave their blessing to the SAG
ceremony.
But today’s event was not without its issues - the weather.
Heavy rain soaked a section of the red carpet before organisers
could get a clear, plastic tent around it to protect the cadre of
stars that began arriving more than an hour before showtime.
The rain let up, however, and rays of the setting sun began
peeking through the storm clouds.
AP
