PHOTO: Getty
An outstanding night for The Help and actress Viola Davis last night at the 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards. The drama won three prizes including best actress for Viola Davis, supporting actress for Octavia Spencer and the guild's ensemble award, the equivalent of a best-picture prize.
"I’ve come to these awards with no expectations," Davis told Access Hollywood. "I’m just always pleasantly surprised and knowing that really, at the end of the day, I got to go back to work. I got to get back to being an actor. It’s been so wonderful."
The SAG Award wins increase the actors' prospects for the same honors at the Feb. 26 Academy Awards, notes the AP. "The winners at the SAG ceremony typically go on to earn Oscars. All four acting recipients at SAG last year later took home Oscars —Colin Firth for The King's Speech, Natalie Portman for Black Swan and Christian Bale and Melissa Leo for The Fighter."
Veteran actor Christopher Plummer won for supporting actor as an elderly father who comes out as gay in Beginners. Plummer would become "the oldest actor ever to win an Oscar at age 82, two years older than Jessica Tandy when she won best actress for Driving Miss Daisy," noted AP.
Brava and congratulations to Ms. Davis, who is a terrific LGBT ally. You may recall that the actress made some powerful remarks on homophobia when she received her first Oscar nomination for her tour de force role in Doubt.
Absolutely love Ms. Viola Davis. She is definitely the real deal. Good luck on Oscar night!!!
Posted by: Kirk | 30 January 2012 at 20:50
Well deserved and she looked absolutely stunning!
Posted by: JBK! | 31 January 2012 at 01:32
Its your year Viola! Loved her since the movie Doubt. I think I am the only person who hasn't seen The Help.
Posted by: MiguelN | 31 January 2012 at 04:17
Not only is she a great actress -- screen and stage -- but she is drop-dead gorgeous. When are they going to stop offering her dowdy down-on-their-luck characters and putting her in romantic dramas? She is so attractive!
Posted by: Account Deleted | 31 January 2012 at 08:53
I know many say Meryl will win, but I hoping she takes home the statue.
Posted by: thegaytekeeper | 31 January 2012 at 12:27
Just an FYI for everybody:
Viola winning the SAG Award now makes her the frontrunner for The Academy Award.
She is the one to beat, not Meryl.
Posted by: M | 01 February 2012 at 12:49
@ Don C. I agree with you. She is absolutely beautiful. I am happy that these very talented black women are being recognized for their work, but I want to see them cast in roles other than maids and dysfunctional mothers (remember Monique in Precious). This is not far from McDaniels in "Gone with the Wind."
Anyway, best of luck to Viola. I love her.
Posted by: Chris w. | 03 February 2012 at 12:26