Doubts have been cast over Oscar-nominated The Banshees of Inisherin chances of an Academy Award after they missed out on taking home a gong from the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday night.
The awards are sandwiched in between the BAFTAs and the Oscars and are typically a good indication of who might win at the Academy Awards on March 12.
But there was disappointment amongst the Irish contingent as our Oscar nominees left empty-handed with Everything Everywhere All At Once sweeping away the competition, collecting almost every top accolade of the night.
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Boylesports have now thrown doubt over The Banshees of Inisherin's chances at taking home an Oscar next month as they pushed the odds on a best picture gong out to 12/1 from 4/1.
Star Colin Farrell is now out to 12/1 from 5/1 to scoop the Oscar for best actor, while Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan (12/1 from 6/1) now face missing out in the best supporting actor category to 1/50 frontrunner Ke Huy Quan.
Kerry Condon however retains a lively chance at 9/4 third favourite to be crowned best supporting actress at the 95th Academy Awards bash taking place in Los Angeles next weekend.
Lawrence Lyons, Spokesperson for BoyleSports said: “The Banshees Of Inisherin is losing momentum just before the red carpet gets rolled out and the latest odds suggest it’ll be a case of red faces for those who piled in on a best picture Oscar making its way back to Ireland.”
But despite drawing a blank at the awards, The Banshees of Inisherin famous four scrubbed up for the occasion, while Paul Mescal and Charlene McKenna also dressed to impress.
Bloodlands star Charlene looked pretty in pink as she supported her Ozarks star husband Adam Rothenberg on the red carpet.
Meanwhile, Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis all received recognition for their individual performances, as well as the award for best cast in a motion picture – the SAG equivalent of best picture.
Yeoh won the SAG award for outstanding performance by a female actor in a leading role, acknowledging that she had been “up against titans” in the category.
“Every one of you know, the journey, the rollercoaster ride, the ups and downs. But most importantly, we never give up.
“This is not just for me, this is for every little girl that looks like me. Thank you for giving me a seat at the table because so many of us need this. We want to be seen, we want to be heard.
“Tonight you have shown us that it is possible. And I am grateful and my mum will be eternally grateful to you.”
Wins for Quan and Curtis meant defeat for Banshees stars Brendan Gleeson, Barry Keoghan and Kerry Condon, all of whom were nominated in the best supporting categories.
Farrell also lost out in the category for male actor in a leading role to Brendan Fraser, who gave an emotional acceptance speech.
The US actor said his performance in The Whale had been “the role of a lifetime”, and described the character of Charlie as “someone who is on a raft of regrets but… in a sea of hope”.
“I’ve been on that sea and I’ve rode that wave lately and it’s been powerful and good,” he said.
“And I’ve also had that wave smash me down to the ocean floor and track my face along there, and wind up on some strange beach in a different world and wondering ‘where am I now?’
“And I just want you to know, for real, all the actors out there who have gone through that, who are going through that – I know how you feel.
“Believe me, if you just stay in there and you put one foot in front of the other, you’ll get to where you need to go. Have courage.”
Fraser also won the award over award season frontrunner Austin Butler, who has already scooped a Golden Globe award and Bafta for his performance in Elvis.
After Everything Everywhere… was named as the winner of best cast, its veteran star James Hong gave a comical acceptance speech, in which he vowed to return to the ceremony when he was 100 years old.
“Back in those days… producers said the Asians were not good enough and they are not box office – but look at us now!” the 94-year-old actor said.
Elsewhere, veteran actor Sally Field was presented with the lifetime achievement award by Andrew Garfield, telling audiences that “easy is overrated”.
“I’ve worked my whole life. I have written the highs and tried to learn from the lows,” she said.
“And in all of these almost 60 years there is not a day that I don’t feel quietly thrilled to call myself an actor.”
Famous faces including Ray Liotta, Robbie Coltrane, James Caan, Dame Olivia Newton John, and Dame Angela Lansbury also featured in the show’s in memoriam segment.
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