The offbeat comedy Sideways unexpectedly snatched a top acting award from Oscar favourites Million Dollar Baby, The Aviator and Ray, when it won the ensemble prize from the Screen Actors Guild on Saturday night in Los Angeles.
The win was a surprise because, although Sideways has garnered rave reviews, it had been left out of the main acting categories at this year's Academy awards. It is only up for the best supporting acting gongs.
On stage, Sideways' Sandra Oh thanked her husband, director Alexander Payne: "[He] saw in each one of us something you don't see. Thank you for giving us a shot."
In other categories, Jamie Foxx, who is widely expected to win the best actor Oscar later this month, collected a best actor gong for Ray. Hilary Swank, who plays a boxer in Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby, won the best actress nod. Following her win at the Golden Globes, she is largely tipped to snatch a second best actress Oscar on February 27.
Swank's co-star Morgan Freeman won in the best supporting actor category for his part as a boxing gym manager, while Cate Blanchett won best supporting actress for her Katharine Hepburn role in Martin Scorsese's The Aviator.
The SAG awards are considered a rather reliable indicator of Oscar success, as actors are the largest single voting group for the Academy awards.
