The SAG Awards are always a breath of fresh air during awards season, given the show's svelte two-hour run-time and its nothing-but-stars cast of characters taking the stage to accept awards.
Sunday night's 2019 edition was no different, offering the most minute-by-minute star power, affably helmed by Will & Grace's Megan Mullally. But let's take a closer look at some of the night's best and worst moments:
BEST MOMENT: Geoffrey Owens' Warm Welcome
The tables truly have turned since it was reported late last year that Cosby Show alum Geoffrey Owens had a day job as a Trader Joe's cashier. While the headlines aimed to embarrass the once-successful actor, they had the opposite effect — painting a picture of a typical professional actor who takes up side jobs between gigs and earning him some new acting offers in the process. His appearance at Sunday's SAG Awards during the show's "I Am an Actor" intro was received with enthusiastic applause. "Somewhere in the middle of the road of my life, I found myself in the dark wood of unemployment and debt," Owens said to the camera. "But instead of switching careers like a sane person, I took a job at the local Trader Joe's to see if I could hang in there with my career. And it's actually worked out pretty well. I'm Geoffrey Owens, and I am an actor." Watch the full intro here:
We are officially underway at the #sagawards
DO NOT MISS IT! pic.twitter.com/ZGahasZRx8— SAG Awards® (@SAGawards) January 28, 2019
WORST MOMENT: This Is Us Actor Justin Hartley Goes Oddly Off-Script
Following Mandy Moore's heartfelt tribute to the cast and crew of This Is Us when the NBC show won outstanding ensemble in a drama series, her co-star Justin Hartley ably took the baton, thanking voters for "embracing a show that is about life and its unpredictable loss and its sweet, sweet victories, and inclusivity, and all of that amazing stuff." But then, he went bafflingly off-script, adding this odd postscript: "And thank you to all of our parents up here for feeling randy — otherwise we wouldn't be here." No surprise here, the offhanded quip landed with a thud.
BEST MOMENT: Emily Blunt & John Krasinski's Love Story
The Office fans might still be rooting for Jim Halpert and Pam Beesly, but John Krasinski's real-life love story is just as sweet. When Emily Blunt accepted the prize for outstanding performance by a female actor in a supporting role for A Quiet Place, she dedicated the award to her director, co-star and life partner. "I am going to share this completely with my husband, John, because the entire experience of doing this with you has completely pierced my heart directly." Krasinski was clearly moved by her words, giving his best sentimental Jim reaction and holding back tears as she referred to him as a "stunning filmmaker." And like any classic Office episode, there were tears and laughs. "Thank you for giving me the part," she concluded. "You would have been in major trouble if you hadn't so you didn't really have an option, but thank you."
Emily Blunt receives the Actor®#sagawards pic.twitter.com/h2rDSmO4O7
— TNT Drama (@tntdrama) January 28, 2019
BEST MOMENT: Lady Gaga & Ricky Martin Own the Red Carpet
Only in Ryan Murphy's wildest dreams would Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin be the prom queen and king of the SAG Awards red carpet. When the two linked up before Sunday's show, they made the most of their moment, glamming and hamming it up for the cameras, and Twitter was living for the GIF-able pair.
This little monster is Livin' La Vida Loca —#sagawards @ladygaga @ricky_martin pic.twitter.com/Oeq6P9y35M
— TBS Network (@TBSNetwork) January 28, 2019
.@ladygaga is serving up a pop of leg at the #SAGawards… and some moves with @ricky_martin! https://t.co/m4No8wIdWG pic.twitter.com/FPUDg4fSS2
— ExtraTV (@extratv) January 28, 2019
WORST MOMENT: Airing at the Same Time as Rent Live
There's no doubt that the audiences for the SAG Awards and Fox's Rent Live overlap, so it's unfortunate that both of these TV events aired at the same time on Sunday night. DVR solves part of the problem, but for pop-culture consumers who require a live Twitter experience with their event television, it's a loss.
BEST MOMENT: Black Panther Wins Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Movie
Black Panther's unexpected win for the night's top prize was even more fulfilling given Chadwick Boseman's thoughtful acceptance speech on behalf of the cast. He recalled being asked two questions over and over again while promoting the movie: "Did we know that this movie was going to receive this kind of response?" and "Has it changed the industry?" Boseman's response: "We knew that we had something special that we wanted to give the world. That we could be full human beings in the roles that we were playing. That we could create a world that exemplified a world that we wanted to see." And did the cast expect all the awards-season love? "It's a pleasure to be celebrated by you," he humbly concluded.
