Youth was served as the kid-dominated "Stranger Things"
proved the surprise Screen Actors Guild Awards top TV winner Sunday,
with "Shameless" star William H. Macy scoring his own upset victory over
Jeffrey Tambor of "Transparent."
"Stranger Things,"
Netflix's supernatural thriller that earned breakout buzz in its
freshman season, deprived three-time consecutive winner "Downton Abbey"
of one last trophy for its concluding year. The streaming service
claimed a leading four awards as the traditional broadcast networks were
shut out, something they're getting used to.
In the
Donald Trump presidential era, awards ceremony viewers may have to get
used to especially heavy doses of politics amid the glitz.
"In
light of all that's going on in the world today, it's difficult to
celebrate the already celebrated 'Stranger Things," said the show's
David Harbour, accepting the award for best TV drama series ensemble on
behalf of 15 fellow cast members heavy on teens.
In a
lengthy speech that reflected the evening's consistently activist tone,
Harbour suggested that people follow the lead of his lawman character
and "punch some people in the face when they seek to destroy the weak
and the disenfranchised and the marginalized."
Macy's win
as best TV comedy actor came despite Tambor's hefty awards haul for his
portrayal of a transgender character, including last year's SAG trophy,
two Emmys and a Golden Globe.
"I'm shocked. I'm probably
not as shocked as Jeffrey, but I'm pretty shocked. I would like to go
against the strain this evening and thank President Donald Trump for
making Frank Gallagher seem so normal," the actor said, referring to the
reprobate dad he plays in Showtime's "Shameless."
Louis-Dreyfus, who was honored as best TV comedy actress for HBO's "Veep," also started off on a lighter note.
"Whether
the Russians did or did not hack the voting of tonight's SAG Awards, I
look out on the million or probably even the million and a half people
in this room and I say this award is legitimate and I won. I won, the
winner is me, landslide," she said, referring to Trump's preoccupation
with his loss of the popular vote.
Turning serious,
Louis-Dreyfus called herself an immigrant's daughter and an American
patriot who feels compelled to say "this immigrant ban is a blemish and
it is un-American," a reference to Trump's order to halt immigration
from seven predominantly Muslim nations.
Netflix's big
night included "Orange Is the New Black," which won best ensemble in a
comedy series for the third consecutive year, and star Taylor Schilling
had something to say.
"We stand up here representing a
diverse group of people, representing generations of families who have
sought a better life here from places like Nigeria, the Dominican
Republic, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Ireland," Schilling said, "and we know
that it's going to be up to us and all of you, probably, to keep telling
stories that show what unites us is stronger than the forces that
divide us."
Two stars of Netflix's British royal saga
"The Crown" were winners: Claire Foy, who starred as Queen Elizabeth II,
and John Lithgow for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in the series.
Sarah
Paulson, an Emmy winner for her role as prosecutor Marcia Clark in FX's
miniseries "The People V. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story,"
triumphed again and used part of her time on stage to call for donations
to the ACLU.
Bryan Cranston, honored for playing
President Lyndon Johnson in the HBO movie "All the Way," offered wry
guidance for the new U.S. president.
"I'm often asked how
would Lyndon Johnson think about Donald Trump. And I honestly feel that
(president No.) 36 would put his arm around (president No.) 45 and
earnestly wish him success," Cranston said. "And he would also whisper
in his ear something he said often, as a form of encouragement and a
cautionary tale, 'Just don't piss in the soup that all of us gotta
eat.'"
