Jeffrey Wright and AMERICAN FICTION Make the Cut with SAG Nominations but PAST LIVES and MAY DECEMBER Nods are MIA

Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction In, Past Lives, May December Out at SAG

The Screen Actors Guild announced their nominations today and Jeffrey Wright, Sterling K. Brown and American Fiction made the final cut while Past Lives and May December were pretty much completely snubbed.

The Screen Actors Guild announced their nominations today and Penelope Cruz managed to sneak in the back door to become a contender late in the acting awards race for her terrific work in the Michael Mann film, Ferrari. Movies that are serious Academy Award contenders like Past Lives and May December were curiously left out of the equation with the revelation of the SAG nominations today.

The big surprise regarding what did make it onto the final SAG nomination list is certainly the inclusion of Jeffrey Wright for Best Actor, Sterling K. Brown for Best Supporting Actor and the film those stars were in, itself, American Fiction. The biggest shockers, however, came when one realizes the fact that Charles Melton failed to receive SAG recognition for Best Supporting Male Actor for May December and Greta Lee didn’t make the cut for Best Female Actor for Past Lives.

Melton got a lot of recognition from the likes of the various critics groups and many folks believed the actor was pretty much a shoo-in to receive a SAG nod for Best Supporting Male Actor. Greta Lee’s spot on the SAG Best Female Actor list was replaced with either the high-grossing film, Barbie‘s actress, Margot Robbie, or Annette Bening from Nyad, depending on who you ask. Wild horses couldn’t keep Lily Gladstone, Emma Stone and Carey Mulligan from getting SAG nods for their work in Killers of the Flower Moon, Poor Things and Maestro, respectively.

May December was completely shut out at SAG in all categories, including no nominations for either of its main stars, Natalie Portman or Julianne Moore.

Past Lives did not receive a nod from SAG anywhere in any category either. It wouldn’t be wise to rule out director Celine Song’s hidden treasure quite yet, though. SAG tends to reward films with bigger casts for the Best Motion Picture Cast category and Past Lives mostly centers around just three characters. Song’s film from A24 could still find itself in the running at the Academy Awards come Oscar time.

Penelope Cruz had been absent from many awards lists for Best Supporting Actress but now that Ferrari was officially released wide recently, Cruz’s performance has been seen and SAG awarded it accordingly with a nomination for the terrific supporting actress in the movie.

Besides American Fiction, and the Sterling K. Brown out-of-left-field, pleasant surprise nod, the only real other shocker with the SAG nominations was the inclusion of The Color Purple in the Best Motion Picture Cast category. This nod could help translate to a Best Picture nomination for the acclaimed film. Some people weren’t sure it would make the cut but it’s odds have just improved significantly.

With the fine supporting actor from Past Lives, John Magaro, snubbed by SAG for a nod, it will take a minor miracle to see that great performance nominated for an Oscar.

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