OMG! The Craziest Things to Happen at the SAG Awards

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How do I look?

At the 2017 SAG Awards, Meryl Streep helped the La La Land star adjust his bowtie. Meryl to the rescue again!

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Two time’s the charm

The 2018 Sexiest Man Alive made history at the 2016 SAG Awards when he won not one but two accolades. He became the first male and black person to be crowned with this achievement. Elba won Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture for Beasts of No Nation and Best Male Actor in a Television Movie or Mini Series for Luther.

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Comfort is key

Carol Burnett doesn’t have time for uncomfortable shoes. The famous comedian put her best foot forward and strutted the red carpet in a green skirt and coat and a black fringed shirt. Burnett’s grey Ugg slippers were the pièce de résistance. Other pictures showed The Carol Burnett Show namesake in a pair of black heels, but still. That happened.

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Best Dressed

In 2018, Morgan Freeman did what only Morgan Freeman could when he wore a baseball cap to the awards show. That year, Freeman accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award and made a very astute observation during his speech. “I wasn’t gonna do this, but I’m gonna tell you what’s wrong with this statue,” he said. “It works from the back. From the front, it’s gender specific. Maybe I started something.”

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Two lifetimes of achievement

Carrie Fisher presented her mom Debbie Reynolds with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2015 SAG Awards and the two of them poked fun at each other along the way. While speaking about her role in Singin’ in the Rain, Reynolds said, “Some of you may not remember this but I had a bun. At the back of my head I had a big bun, an ugly bun. I’d warned my daughter Carrie who’d just gotten a part in a picture, Princess Leia in Star Wars and I said ‘Carrie be careful of any weird hairdos.’ So luckily, George gave her two buns. Thank you, George.” Fisher and Reynolds died one day apart: December 27, 2016 and December 28, 2016, respectively.

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A speech to remember

The Time’s Up and #MeToo movements took center stage at all of the 2018 awards shows, SAG included. SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris spoke about the massive shift in Hollywood and how “women are stepping into their power.” She said in her speech, “We are, with brave voices saying ‘Me Too’ and advocates who know time is up, we are making a difference. You are making a difference. It’s amazing. Change is coming and we are the agents of that change.” 

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You talkin’ bout me?

In 2017, Stranger Things won the award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. The entire cast went onstage and although David Harbour gave a viral speech in and of itself, Winona Ryder’s facial expressions quickly became the star of the show. Harbour praised Ryder and called the memes about her “epic.”

This happened

This is one of those times where words can’t really do it justice. All we can say is that Cate Blanchett proved herself mortal when she got a little handsy with her statue in 2014 after winning for her role in Blue Jasmine.

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Time’s Up

As evidenced by Gabrielle Carteris’ speech, sexual harassment and female empowerment became two leading topics on the red carpet and on stage at the 2019 SAG Awards. Call Me By Your Name star Timothée Chalamet praised the fact that these conversations were being had. He also said he would “donate my entire salary to three charities: Time’s Up, The LGBT Center in New York and RAINN.”

Nicole Kidman later encouraged filmmakers those in the industry to tell more stories about women. “We’ve proven, and these actresses and so many more are proving that we are potent and powerful and viable. I just beg that the industry stays behind us because our stories are finally being told,” she said in her acceptance speech for her role in Big Little Lies. ” It’s only the beginning and I’m so proud to be part of a community that is instigating this change, but I implore the writers, directors, studios, and financiers to put passion and money behind our stories. We have proven we can do this.” Oh, she also said all of this while battling the flu and having worked until 1 a.m. the day before.

The Tremblay Twirl

Be still, our beating hearts. Jacob Tremblay was the ultimate cutie at the 2016 SAG Awards when he showed off his best dance moves to Bruno Mars’ song “Uptown Funk.”

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Political Fashion Statement

Big Bang Theory star Simon Helberg and his wife Jocelyn Towne made a very clear political statement at the 2017 awards. Their signage and body art referenced President Donald Trump’s ban that prohibited people from predominantly Muslim countries from visiting the U.S. He instituted the Executive Order on Jan. 27, 2017, which was a week after his inauguration. The SAG Awards were Jan. 29.