Inside the SAG Awards 2022: What You Didn’t See on TV

The SAG Awards 2022 on Sunday night, honoring the best TV and film performances from the past year, was the first major in-person awards event to be held since the COVID-19 pandemic. Those who tuned in live caught all the winners—from Succession to CODA—and acceptance speeches on TV, but the Awards Insider team was inside the room to catch all the action up close. They were also able to do what’s been sorely missing this entire awards season: Read the room to figure out who’s really surging, and break down some of these surprise wins (and losses!) may mean for those hoping to take the stage at the Oscars in just a few weeks.

Rebecca Ford: Awards season is officially back! I have to say it felt pretty surreal to be in a big room with a couple hundred people dressed up and maskless after two years without these sorts of mega-events, but the SAG Awards made this process feel as safe as possible, requiring vaccinations, a PCR test and an on-site rapid COVID test. Once we got through the drive-through testing and onto the red carpet at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, I have to say it felt pretty special to finally be back in a room with the people and films and TV shows we’ve been covering for the past few months. And what a night it was! There were some outstanding surprises along with some interesting results on the TV side that promise for a very interesting Emmy season to come. David, you and I were able to see a lot inside the room that the TV cameras may have missed. How was everybody feeling to be back in the room together again.

David Canfield: I sort of think they felt the same way that we did! The SAG Awards are designed not unlike the Golden Globes—round tables for casts and nominees, food served along with plenty of alcohol, mingling during commercial breaks—and with the latter show skipping a physical edition this year for several reasons, this was the big, starry, in-person kickoff to awards season we’ve been waiting for. So you had Billy Crudup and Bradley Cooper deep in conversation, or Cate Blanchett with Julianna Margulies. It felt like everyone was making the rounds, catching up with their peers, and having a good, boozy time. It’s what the SAG Awards should always feel like, really.

I also got serious Parasite vibes out of the entire room becoming increasingly drawn to the tables occupied by Squid Game, Netflix’s history-making Korean contender which took home the top two individual acting awards for drama. As we hovered around the main floor, we watched A-listers mob upset winners Lee Jung-jae and Jung Ho-Yeon. Even though it lost the ensemble prize to Succession, the series felt like the toast of the night for many and is now going into Emmy season with incredible momentum. It felt nice to see, amid so many legends hitting the podium, new talent to Hollywood finding a real embrace. (A telling, inspiring moment I caught backstage: Lee and CODA’s groundbreaking supporting-actor winner Troy Kotsur ecstatically cheering each other’s wins.)

What stood out to you inside, Rebecca?

Ford: I’d say the emotion in the room. Everyone was crying! Starting with Jung Ho-Yeon who gave that lovely acceptance speech. When we met her shortly after, I’m pretty sure she hadn’t stopped crying since she took the stage. I asked her how she was feeling and she was clearly speechless. We saw Michael Keaton, Will Smith and Jessica Chastain all get emotional during their speeches and while I realize that actors who are very capable of crying on cue, the emotions in the room felt very real. After the show ended, I was wandering around the room and spotted Lady Gaga crying. The night’s lifetime award honoree Helen Mirren quickly came up to her and comforted her, but I’ve got to say I haven’t seen this much emotion at an awards show in a while. I would guess it’s a combination of the global news that is weighing heavily on everyone (several acceptance speeches touched on the Russia-Ukraine conflict) along with the emotions that some may be feeling being back in the world after a long period of pandemic isolation.

Before we talk a bit more about film, I do want to take another moment to emphasize how big of a night this was for Squid Game. Lee Jung-jae and Jung Ho-Yeon’s wins are historic, especially because I remember how frustrating it was that the Parasite cast didn’t get any individual acting attention during that season. It feels really significant that the actors guild chose to single out these performances. And to see Jung sitting with her CAA agent Hylda Queally — whose clients include a slew of leading actresses including Kate Winslet and Cate Blanchett — just made me feel like we were witnessing her welcome into Hollywood. But enough about Squid Game, which I think we’ll be talking a lot about for the next few months. Do you think these results gave us any clearer ideas for what might happen at the Oscars, David?