Conclave emerges as serious Oscar contender after SAG Awards triumph

Papal thriller Conclave won the top prize at the Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG) on Sunday in Los Angeles , propelling it into the running for an Oscar . The film about the mysterious, behind-closed-doors selection process for the new pope won the top prize for “best ensemble,” thanks to a stellar cast that included Ralph Fiennes , Stanley Tucci , John Lithgow and Isabella Rossellini . Accepting the award, Fiennes said the win celebrated “community” and “its supreme importance in our work and in the world.”

Isabella Rossellini, who plays Sister Agnes in Conclave , has wished a "speedy recovery" to Pope Francis , who has been hospitalized for ten days with respiratory problems. "For those of us who live in Rome, living a few meters from the Pope means having a much closer relationship with him. [...] I really wish him the best of luck," she added. Having already won a British Bafta award, Conclave is now emerging as a serious contender for the Oscar for best film, alongside critics' favorites such as Anora .

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In another twist, Timothée Chalamet won best actor in the awards for his portrayal of a young Bob Dylan in A Perfect Stranger . “I know we’re in a subjective realm, but the truth is I want to be great,” Chalamet said, saying he was inspired by Oscar winners Daniel Day-Lewis and Marlon Brando, and champions Michael Jordan and Michael Phelps. While Adrien Brody has long been considered the frontrunner for this year’s awards thanks to his portrayal of a Holocaust-haunted architect in The Brutalist , Chalamet’s win suggests the race may be closer than expected.

"I know we are in a subjective area, but the truth is that I want to become a great"

Timothé Chalamet

Demi Moore won the SAG Award for best actress for her role in the horror film The Substance , in line with pundits' predictions. Her role as an aging celebrity who injects herself with a serum to temporarily regain her youthful body - with disastrous consequences - marked a comeback for the '90s star. Kieran Culkin and Zoe Saldana won best supporting actor and best supporting actress for A Real Pain and Emilia Pérez , respectively. On the television front, Japanese series Shogun won best ensemble, while its stars Anna Sawai and Hiroyuki Sanada won individually.