SAG Awards Shakes Up Oscar Race: Demi Moore Wins, Timothée Chalamet’s Speech Got Mixed Reactions

Sunday’s Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award saw some interesting upsets that could potentially shake up the Oscars race next week. 

At 29, Timothée Chalamet became the youngest actor to ever win Best Actor for his turn as Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown. The win surprises everyone as much as the actor himself. The Brutalist’s Adrien Brody has been the erstwhile favorite to win, having dominated the awards circuit thus far. Chalamet’s victory at the actors’ guild, the largest voting body for the Academy Awards, means that Brody’s victory is far from sealed.

“I can’t downplay the significance of this award, because it means the most to me,” Chalamet said in his speech. “I know we’re in a subjective business, but the truth is, I’m really in pursuit of greatness.” 

The actor’s earnest speech, in which he talked about devoting “five and a half years of my life” for the film and name-checking Daniel Day-Lewis, Viola Davis, and Michael Jordan, among others, drew mixed reactions online. Some were put off by what they perceived as desperation, but many more seem to endorse his passionate determination.

Upset is also happening in the Best Actress category. The Substance’s Demi Moore won the night over frontrunner Mikey Madison from Anora. 

“This is extraordinary and so deeply meaningful,” Moore told audiences. “I am so so grateful that I have continued over these many years to be able to try and sometimes succeed and sometimes fail, but to be able to keep going.”

Meanwhile, Conclave walked away with Best Ensemble. This continues its late surge after securing last week’s BAFTA Best Film. With no clear frontrunner for the major categories in sight, next week’s Oscars telecast is guaranteed to be a nailbiter.