Five Biggest Jaw-Droppers at the 2012 SAG Awards

We must say, it's fun when our jaws actually drop.
The 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards—which have no host and therefore tend not to be the most, er, entertaining of award shows—were pretty much going along as per usual Sunday, a lovely tribute to Mary Tyler Moore being the only thing to distinguish this ceremony from any other.
But just when were ready to deem SAG the union most fearful of shaking things up (Alec Baldwin six years in a row, really?), the night got interesting.
Here were the five biggest surprises:
1. George Clooney Descends: With Clooney already a Critics' Choice and Golden Globe Award winner for The Descendants, most eyes were on the ladies' race to see if the pendulum would swing in Viola Davis' or Meryl Streep's direction. So consider us sacré bleu'd when The Artist's Jean Dujardin beat out Clooney for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role. True, Dujardin also won a Globe, but that was in the musical/comedy category, and we never saw Sherlock Holmes or Sweeney Todd swoop in to best the King Georges of the world when it counted. When it comes down to it, though, both Dujardin and Clooney gave marvelously subtle performances—not talking and making us care is hard, people!—in their respective films and both give great acceptance speeches (although if Dujardin doesn't start thanking Uggie, we're going to have to write an angry letter). And, even more importantly, the Oscar race for Best Actor just got interesting.

2. The Help Reopens for Business: It was a lock for a best picture Oscar nominee, but the heartwrenching-and-warming film based on Kathryn Stockett's bestseller had rather fallen by the wayside as The Artist and The Descendants jockeyed for front-runner status. It's a whole new ball game now (sorry, not for you, Moneyball), however, as The Help won the SAG Awards' top prize, Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Motion Picture. Unlike some presidential candidates, we love seeing the wealth get spread around, don't you?!

3. Grease Stain: Really, SAG? Jeff Conaway, already snubbed by the Emmys' in memoriam segment (yeah, we get that you can't include everybody, sure, whatever) and relegated to a mention on the Emmy website, got the shaft tonight, too. The late star of Grease and Taxi passed last May—giving both talent-honoring ceremonies a chance to include him. But we were awfully surprised that SAG didn't make a point of getting Conaway in tonight's tribute segment, especially considering the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences dropped the ball last year. (Also not making the montage: Welcome Back, Kotter's Robert Hegyes, who died last week.)

4. Times They Aren't A-Changin': OK, we were a little surprised at the voters' lack of horizon-broadening. The casts of Boardwalk Empire and Modern Family won for the second straight year, as did Boardwalk's Steve Buscemi and Hot in Cleveland's Betty White (once we get, but...) and Alec Baldwin. Oh, wait, Baldwin just won for the sixth straight year. We love him, but are screeners getting lost in the mail or something? There's a lot of talent out there, actors.
5. And...Scene: Instead of pick up her second award in two weeks for Mildred Pierce, Kate Winslet decided to skip tonight. As did the winner for male actor in a TV movie or miniseries, Paul Giamatti, who unlike Winslet didn't win either the Globe or Emmy for Too Big to Fail and maybe just figured it wasn't worth getting the tux out. Regardless, both Winslet and Giamatti have got to be thinking, "Wow, didn't I shoot that years ago?" and perhaps decided that the third time would be more of a hassle than a charm.

SAG Awards 2012 Winners List 'The Help' nabs Best Ensemble' in a stunning upset, while awards-show fave 'The Artist' leaves light on wins.

The SAG Awards, as we have noted, often have a curious way of letting us know what the Oscars are going to deliver. So when the Screen Actors Guild doled out its golden statuettes on Sunday night (January 29), we couldn't help but feel there were more than a few hints at how the Academy Awards might shake out in a few weeks.
What are we to make of the upset SAG win for "The Help" in outstanding cast in a movie, for instance? Where does this leave "The Artist," which had been looking increasingly, inevitably like the big champ come Oscar night, yet only won outstanding male performance (Jean Dujardin) at the SAGs?

Things were more predictable on the TV side of things. In 2012, for the second year in a row, "Modern Family" (Outstanding Cast in a Comedy) and "Boardwalk Empire" (Outstanding Cast in a Drama and a Lead Actor win for Steve Buscemi) had strong showings. Check out the full list of winners: 

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
"Bridesmaids"
"The Artist"
"The Descendants"
"The Help"
"Midnight in Paris"
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
George Clooney, "The Descendants"
Demian Bichir, "A Better Life"
Leonardo DiCaprio, "J. Edgar"
Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"
Brad Pitt, "Moneyball"



Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Michelle Williams, "My Week With Marilyn"
Glenn Close, "Albert Nobbs"
Viola Davis, "The Help"
Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady"
Tilda Swinton, "We Need to Talk About Kevin"
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Nick Nolte, "Warrior"
Kenneth Branagh, "My Week With Marilyn"
Armie Hammer, "J. Edgar"
Jonah Hill, "Moneyball"
Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Octavia Spencer, "The Help"
Berenice Bejo, "The Artist"
Jessica Chastain, "The Help"
Melissa McCarthy, "Bridesmaids"
Janet McTeer, "Albert Nobbs"

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
"The Adjustment Bureau"
"Cowboys & Aliens"
"Harry Potter and the Deahtly Hallows - Part 2"
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
"X-Men: First Class"
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie Or Miniseries
Laurence Fishburne, "Thurgood"
Paul Giamatti, "Too Big to Fail"
Greg Kinnear, "The Kennedys"
Guy Pearce, "Mildred Pierce"
James Woods, "Too Big to Fail"
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie Or Miniseries
Diane Lane, "Cinema Verite"
Maggie Smith, "Downton Abbey"
Emily Watson, "Appropriate Adult"
Betty White, "The Lost Valentine"
Kate Winslet, "Mildred Pierce"
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Patrick J. Adams, "Suits"
Steve Buscemi, "Boardwalk Empire"
Kyle Chandler, "Friday Night Lights"
Bryan Cranston, "Breaking Bad"
Michael C. Hall, "Dexter"

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Kathy Bates, "Harry's Law"
Glenn Close, "Damages"
Jessica Lange, "American Horror Story"
Julianna Margulies, "The Good Wife"
Kyra Sedgwick, "The Closer"

(L-R) Actors Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and Amy Pascal attend The 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards broadcast on TNT/TBS at The Shrine Auditorium on January 29, 2012 in Los Angeles, California.

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock"
Ty Burrell, "Modern Family"
Steve Carell, "The Office"
Jon Cryer, "Two and a Half Men"
Eric Stonestreet, "Modern Family"
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Julie Bowen, "Modern Family"
Edie Falco, "Nurse Jackie"
Tina Fey, "30 Rock"
Sofia Vergara, "Modern Family"
Betty White, "Hot In Cleveland"
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
"Boardwalk Empire"
"Breaking Bad"
"Dexter"
"Game of Thrones"
"The Good Wife"
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
"30 Rock"
"The Big Bang Theory"
"Glee"
"Modern Family"
"The Office"
Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
"Dexter"
"Game of Thrones"
"Southland"
"Spartacus: Gods of the Arena"
"True Blood"
Screen Actors Guild Awards 48th Annual Life Achievement Award
Mary Tyler Moore

Complete List of SAG Award Nominations

The contenders for the 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards were announced this morning, with The Help leading all comers with four nominations, while The Artist was next with three.

Did your favorites make the cut? Who'll take home the trophy when the winners are crowned Jan. 29?

Get the complete list right now...

Male Actor, Lead
Demián Bichir, A Better Life
George Clooney, The Descendants
Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar
Jean DuJardin, The Artist
Brad Pitt, Moneyball

Male Actor, Supporting
Kenenth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Armie Hammer, J Edgar
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Nick Nolte, Warrior
Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Female Actor, Lead
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis, The Help
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

Female Actor, Supporting
Bérénce Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer, The Help

Cast in a Motion Picture
The Artist
Bridesmaids
The Descendants
The Help
Midnight in Paris

TV

Male Actor, TV Movie or Miniseries
Laurence Fishburne, Thurgood
Paul Giamatti, Too Big to Fail
Greg Kinnear, The Kennedys
Guy Pearce, Mildred Pierce
James Woods, Too Big to Fail

Female Actor, TV Movie or Miniseries
Diane Lane, Cinema Verite
Maggie Smith, Downtown Abbey
Emily Watson, Appropriate Adult
Betty White, The Lost Valentine
Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce

Male Actor, Drama Series
Patrick J. Adams, Suits
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall, Dexter

Female Actor, Drama Series
Kathy Bates, Harry's Law
Glenn Close, Damages
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
Julianna Marguiles, The Good Wife
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

Male Actor, Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Steve Carell, The Office
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

Female Actor, Comedy Series
Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Betty White, Hot in Cleveland

Ensemble, Comedy Series
30 Rock
The Big Bang Theory
Glee
Modern Family
The Office

Ensemble, Drama
Boardwalk Empire
Breaking Bad
Dexter
Game of Thrones
The Good Wife

Lifetime Achievement Award
Mary Tyler Moore

10 Things You Gotta Know About Tonight's SAG Awards

The 2012 Screen Actors Guild Awards are—wait for it no more—tonight!

As an added bonus, here are 10 more amazing facts about tonight's surprisingly influential awards gala:

1. George Clooney Is (Probably) Going to Win: We couldn't find any oddsmakers issuing odds on the SAGs, but if you operate under the assumption that the SAGs are the Oscars, and vice versa, then Clooney, the concensus favorite of professional handicappers for the Best Actor Academy Award, should be viewed as the SAG favorite, as well.

2. Meryl Streep Is (Possibly) Not Going to Win: The Oscar odds for Best Actress are tighter than they are for Best Actor. One Vegas sports book has the race between Streep and The Help's Viola Davis as a dead even heat. The bottom line for the SAG Awards? No one, not even Streep, is going to be surprised if Davis takes the Actor.

3. Octavia Spencer and Christopher Plummer Are (Definitely) Going to Win: Are the supporting-acting categories still in contention? Officially, yes. Unofficially, no. 

4. The Best Picture Race Is Going to Be Clear as Mud: Let's say The Artist or The Descendants wins the SAG ensemble award, which is the closest thing to a Best Picture tonight. What does that mean for the Oscars when Hugo, the top nominee going into next month's show, isn't even in contention tonight? Let's say The Help cleans up, as the pundits at Gold Derbypredict, what does that mean for the Oscars when The Help is a hopeless Best Picture contender, having been shut out of the Best Director, screenplay and editing categories? The SAG Awards are usually a tad more clarifying.

5. Boardwalk Empire and Modern Family Are the TV Shows to Beat: That is, if last weekend's Producers Guild of America Awards are any indication. (And they are.)

6. The Harry Potter Revolution Will Not Be Televised: If you want to see the franchise compete for its first (and last) SAG nomination, then you're going to have to log onto the offical preshow webcast, offered via TNT.tv, TBS.com and People.com, at 6:15 p.m. ET/3:15 p.m. PT. That's when the stunt winners are scheduled to be announced.

7. Lisbeth Salander Will Not Be Televised (or even Webcast): The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, which pulled out a Best Actress Oscar nomination for Rooney Mara, is not up for anything on Sunday night, so stop trying to adjust your set: That really is Betty White up for all those awards.

8. Three Words: Mary. Tyler. Moore.: The beloved star, last seen feting White on the elder actress' prime-time birthday special, is set to receive the Guild's Lifetime Achievement Award. Dick Van Dyke, Moore's TV husband from The Dick Van Dyke Show, will present. (We trust Mr. Grant, Moore's office-husband from The Mary Tyler Moore Show, is OK with that.)

9. Brad Pitt and Dallas: Together Again! Well, sort of. The Moneyball nominee, who got his start looking fidgety and mullet-y on the 1980s soap, will serve as a presenter, as will J.R. Ewing's Larry Hagman, set to hype the upcoming Dallas reboot alongside Linda Gray and Patrick Duffy.

10. You Get a Do-Over: The two-hour show is scheduled to air live on TBS and TNT starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. If you miss it then, first, you should be ashamed, and, second, you should sit down because TNT will be reairing the whole shebang (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT).