Oppenheimer received a top honor at the 2024 Screen Actors Guild Awards on Saturday, February 24.
The stars of the film, including Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr. and more, won Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture at the awards show, which was held at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles. The movie competed against Barbie, Killers of the Flower Moon, American Fiction and The Color Purple in the category.
Kenneth Branagh, who played Niels Bohr in the film, led the speech after Murphy previously took the stage for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role. “Thank you so much Chris Nolan and Emma Thomas,” Branagh said, thanking the Oppenheimer director and producer.
“Thank you SAG-AFTRA,” Branagh continued. “Thank you for this. Thank you for fighting for us. Thank you to every SAG-AFTRA member whose support and whose sacrifice allowed us to be here.”
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The actor recalled how the SAG-AFTRA strike went into affect the night of the July Oppenheimer premiere. “”We went from the red carpet and we didn’t see the film that night,” he explained. “We happily went in the direction of solidarity with your good selves. So this is a full-circle moment, and to receive this recognition in a year of spectacular acting achievement … it means the world to us.”
The five movies nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture were well-represented in other categories. Barbie’s Margot Robbie and Killers of the Flower Moon’s Lily Gladstone both received nods for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role, while Oppenheimer’s Cillian Murphy and American Fiction’s Jeffrey Wright were up for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role.
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Oppenheimer’s Emily Blunt and The Color Purple’s Danielle Brooks earned nods for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role, and Barbie’s Ryan Gosling, Oppenheimer’s Robert Downey Jr., Killers of the Flower Moon’s Robert De Niro and American Fiction’s Sterling K. Brown garnered nominations for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role. Barbie also scored an additional nod for Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture.
Oppenheimer already won big at the 2024 Golden Globe Awards in January, with accolades for Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama for Murphy, Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture for Downey Jr., Best Director – Motion Picture for Christopher Nolan and Best Original Score – Motion Picture.
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Barbie, meanwhile, took home the award for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement, and Gladstone earned Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama.
In March, the top films of the past year will battle it out at the 2024 Academy Awards. American Fiction, Barbie, Killers of the Flower Moon and Oppenheimer will compete for Best Picture against Anatomy of a Fall, The Holdovers, Maestro, Past Lives, Poor Things and The Zone of Interest. Murphy, Wright, Gladstone, Brown, De Niro, Downey Jr., Gosling, Blunt and Brooks also earned Oscar nominations in their respective acting categories. Although Robbie was snubbed for Best Actress in a Leading Role, she could still win an Academy Award for her work as a producer on Barbie.
