TV Jots

The same goes for Jaime Pressly in My Name Is Earl for the category Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series. Pressly got my sympathy vote because of her undeserved loss (in my opinion) at last year’s Emmy’s, but the actual winner, America Ferrera of Ugly Betty, has been and still is my favorite comedic actress this season. I suspected she would win again, and I was thrilled when she did.

The one major disappointment for me among all of the winners was the selection of Little Miss Sunshine over Dreamgirls for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. I have yet to come to terms with the fact that Dreamgirls did not make the final cut for Best Picture at the forthcoming Academy Awards. On the other hand, they do call these early awards shows the “Road to the Oscars” for a reason. Why pick a film that has no chance whatsoever at the most renowned awards celebration of them all? I guess it just would have been nice for a monumentally deserving motion picture to receive a few more accolades to make up for the glaring snub. If I weren’t such a staunch supporter of Dreamgirls, I would have chosen Little Miss Sunshine due to its charming child actor Abigail Breslin, its magnificent adult cast, and its fresh and engaging plot.

The other proud new owners of SAG statuettes are:

THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role

• Leonardo DiCaprio, Blood Diamond
• Ryan Gosling, Half Nelson
• Peter O’Toole, Venus
• Will Smith, The Pursuit of Happyness
• Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland
• I SAID: Whitaker took home the Golden Globe, and it’s generally believed he has a good chance of doing so with the Academy Award. Will he make it a potential three-peat tonight? The chances look good to me.
• WINNER: Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role

• Penelope Cruz, Volver
• Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal
• Helen Mirren, The Queen
• Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada
• Kate Winslet, Little Children
• I SAID: Mirren is the hands-on favorite, both with me and those in the know (for example, the industry types who have been writing all of the glowing articles saying as much).
• WINNER: Helen Mirren, The Queen

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role

• Alan Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine
• Leonardo DiCaprio, The Departed
• Jackie Earle Haley, Little Children
• Djimon Hounsou, Blood Diamond
• Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls
• I SAID: Murphy got the Golden Globe, and I hope he gets the SAG, as well.
• WINNER: Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role

• Adriana Barraza, Babel
• Cate Blanchett, Notes on a Scandal
• Abigail Breslin, Little Miss Sunshine
• Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls
• Rinko Kikuchi, Babel
• I SAID: American Idol alum and Golden Globe victor Hudson is a deserving nominee, but I like ten-year-old Breslin, too.
• WINNER: Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

• Babel
• Bobby
• The Departed
• Dreamgirls
• Little Miss Sunshine
• I SAID: After the recent Oscar snub for Best Picture, Dreamgirls is *so* my pick.
• WINNER: Little Miss Sunshine

PRIMETIME TELEVISION

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries

• Thomas Haden Church, Broken Trail
• Robert Duvall, Broken Trail
• Jeremy Irons, Elizabeth I
• William H. Macy, Nightmares & Dreamscapes
• Matthew Perry, The Ron Clark Story
• I SAID: Although Irons snagged the Golden Globe for Elizabeth I, many people are rooting for Duvall in Broken Trail. I think I’ll join them, although I wouldn’t mind if Macy triumphed for his excellent work in the uneven Stephen King mini-series of adapted short stories, Nightmares & Dreamscapes.
• WINNER: Jeremy Irons, Elizabeth I

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries

• Annette Bening, Mrs. Harris
• Shirley Jones, Hidden Places
• Cloris Leachman, Mrs. Harris
• Helen Mirren, Elizabeth I
• Greta Scacchi, Broken Trail
• I SAID: Mirren has been burning up both the big and small screens, so I pick her to repeat her Golden Globe win for Elizabeth I.
• WINNER: Helen Mirren, Elizabeth I

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series

• James Gandolfini, The Sopranos
• Michael C. Hall, Dexter
• Hugh Laurie, House
• James Spader, Boston Legal
• Kiefer Sutherland, 24
• I SAID: Laurie picked up the Golden Globe, which was a nice comeback after not having been nominated for a comparable Emmy last year, despite the nomination of House as best drama. Some people also feel Sutherland was robbed at the Globes when he didn’t win for the hot, hot, hot 24. Still, I’m sticking with my Globe pick, namely Hall in the devilish Dexter.
• WINNER: Hugh Laurie, House

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series

• Patricia Arquette, Medium
• Edie Falco, The Sopranos
• Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
• Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer
• Chandra Wilson, Grey’s Anatomy
• I SAID: This is a hard one. Although I enjoy the performances of all five nominees, I usually root for Hargitay and Sedgwick, both of whose shows I avidly follow (Sedgwick won the recent Golden Globe). Then again, Wilson typically isn’t in contention because she isn’t nominated as much. Since I really think she deserves recognition for her thoroughly and consistently effective work on Grey’s Anatomy, Wilson’s my favorite tonight.
• WINNER: Chandra Wilson, Grey’s Anatomy

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series

• Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
• Steve Carell, The Office
• Jason Lee, My Name Is Earl
• Jeremy Piven, Entourage
• Tony Shalhoub, Monk
• I SAID: The Golden Globes had Zach Braff for Scrubs, while the SAGs have Piven for Entourage. Everything else is identical. My opinion remains the same, however. All of the nominees are excellent, but Golden Globe winner Baldwin is my pick for a repeat.
• WINNER: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series

• America Ferrera, Ugly Betty
• Felicity Huffman, Desperate Housewives
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine
• Megan Mullally, Will & Grace
• Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds
• Jaime Pressly, My Name Is Earl
• I SAID: Why’d they have to mess up things by nominating Pressly? I love the Golden Globe winner Ferrera, who was my pick then. Yet, I also think Pressly should have received the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series when she was nominated last year. Ergo, I must root for Pressly, with Ferrera a close second.
• WINNER: America Ferrera, Ugly Betty

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

• 24
• Boston Legal
• Deadwood
• Grey’s Anatomy
• The Sopranos
• I SAID: They got the Golden Globe, so why not the SAG, too? Go, Grey’s Anatomy (sorry, 24 fanatics).
• WINNER: Grey’s Anatomy

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

• Desperate Housewives
• Entourage
• The Office
• Ugly Betty
• Weeds
• I SAID: They got the Golden Globe, so why not the SAG, too? Go, Ugly Betty (but The Office would be a welcome winner also, in my book).
• WINNER: The Office

Screen Actors Guild statuette photo courtesy of the Screen Actors Guild