Did Denzel Washington just shake up the race for this year’s best actor Oscar? The star topped presumptive front-runner Casey Affleck in what was just one of several major surprises and snubs at the Screen Actors Guild Awards ceremony on Sunday, January 29, held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Check out the event’s top moments in the video above!
The evening’s biggest stunner came when Washington, 62, nabbed the coveted trophy for his role as Troy Maxson in the film adaptation of late playwright August Wilson’s 1983 play, Fences. Affleck, 41, has earned a litany of accolades throughout this awards season for his role in Manchester by the Sea, including taking home the Golden Globe for best actor earlier this month.
Washington himself acknowledged during his SAGs acceptance speech that he wasn’t expecting to win. “I’m a God-fearing man — I’m supposed to have faith, and I didn’t have faith,” the Training Day star told the crowd. “I said, ‘You know that young boy’s gonna win, Denzel — you ain’t gonna win.'”
The TV categories were not without their own surprises. Stranger Things (including star Winona Rider) emerged victorious as best ensemble in a drama series despite fierce competition from Downton Abbey and Game of Thrones, plus fellow newcomers Westworld and The Crown, the latter of which picked up wins for best actor and actress in a drama series for John Lithgow and Claire Foy.
Another unexpected victory came when Bryan Cranston (All the Way) won best actor in a miniseries or TV movie, beating out The People v. O.J. Simpson‘s Sterling K. Brown and Courtney B. Vance, who both won Emmys for their performances.
And the last category of the night brought one final jaw-dropping moment. Hidden Figures prevailed for best film cast over Moonlight, Manchester by the Sea and Fences, all three of which are projected to win key Oscars next month. (La La Land, seen by many pundits as likely to triumph for best picture at the Oscars, was not even nominated in the category, although Emma Stone did win best actress for her role in the popular musical.)
Tell Us: Which win surprised you the most? And do you think Denzel Washington will win for best actor at the Oscars?
