Helen Mirren wowed audiences as she accepted her Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award on Sunday night in Los Angeles – with a total of 13 SAG nominations and five SAG Actor wins to her name.
The 76-year-old Oscar winner was introduced by fellow British actress Kate Winslet, who explained she could not be there on the night, instead beaming in remotely, but didn’t reveal why.
Winslet, 46, praised Mirren for pushing boundaries for female actresses getting older, and invited Cate Blanchett to finish off the tribute before handing out the award.
Impressive: Helen Mirren wowed audiences as she accepted her Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award on Sunday night in Los Angeles – she has a total of 13 SAG nominations and five SAG Actor wins to her name
Taking to the stage, Mirren immediately had the audience laughing as she joked she didn’t like to say the word ‘sag’ at her age.
‘Well, lifetime achievement, Sounds so grand,’ Mirren began. ‘I suppose I’m still alive, so by that measure, I’m eligible. But honestly, any achievement that I’ve succeeded in is the result of my mantra, which is basically, be on time and don’t be an a**.
‘Thank you, SAG, so much for this. I hate to say the word ‘Sag’ at my age. So it’s S.A.G. For me. I’m simultaneously and enormously proud, and driven with the understanding that I absolutely do not deserve this.
Beaming in: The 76-year-old Oscar winner was introduced by fellow British actress Kate Winslet, who explained she could not be there on the night
Presenting: Winslet, 46, praised Mirren for pushing boundaries for female actresses getting older, and invited Cate Blanchett to finish off the tribute before handing out the award
‘And there, there is the conflict that I believe you all understand. Insecurity versus ego, huh? That cocktail that I believe most actors sip in the evening as they contemplate the wonderful gift they received the moment they decided to become an actor.’
‘So, any way, I’ve been thinking about what to say tonight and I waited for inspiration. And then it came. It came to me, to all those people with whom I have shared my professional life, the actors. I will talk about actors,’ before self-deprecatingly joking, ‘Oh my god, what a brilliant idea. So original, I mean I like to think inside the box!’
She dedicated her award to her tribe of ‘rogues and vagabonds’ as she celebrated British actors like Kate Winslet, Olivia Colman and Vanessa Kirby.
Going down a storm: Taking to the stage, Mirren immediately had the audience laughing as she joked she didn’t like to say the word ‘sag’ at her age
Hit: Her impassioned speech garnered cheers from the audience that included movie stars such as Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon
Humble: Mirren is the 57th actor to receive the honor as last year it was not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic
‘It’s you, actors, that I want to thank. For your wit and your humour – all the giggles all the laughter – I’ve laughed all my life, honestly,’ she continued, adding, ‘Your perception, your emotional generosity, your great intelligence, and your incredible energy.’
Her impassioned speech garnered cheers from the audience that included movie stars such as Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon.
She also elicited an emotional moment from Lady Gaga during the evening.
In between commercial breaks, the actresses were spotted chatting with each other and sharing a long embrace before Gaga, 35, started sobbing, overcome with meeting the screen legend.
Gaga was nominated for outstanding performance by a female actor in a leading role for her portrayal of Patrizia Reggiani in the Ridley-Scott-directed murder drama House of Gucci on Sunday, losing to Jessica Chastain.
Mirren is the 57th actor to receive the honor as last year it was not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The London-born star has had quite the storied career as she has earned multiple accolades including being the only person to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting (film, television, and stage) in both the United States and United Kingdom.
She received an Academy Award and a British Academy Film Award for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in 2006 film The Queen.
Mirren also earned a Tony Award and a Laurence Olivier Award for the same role in 2013 play The Audience written by playwright Peter Morgan.
When it comes to television she earned three British Academy Television Awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards for drama Prime Suspect which aired over seven seasons from 1991 to 2006.
Mirren also earned two more Primetime Emmys for playing Queen Elizabeth I in 2005’s Elizabeth I and her portrayal of Amy Rand in 1999’s The Passion Of Amy Rand. She has been nominated a total of 10 times.
In addition to her Oscar win for Best Actress in a Leading Role in 2007, she has been nominated three other times including in 1995 for The Madness Of King George, in 2002 for Gosford Park, and 2010 for The Last Station.
She began her career in her late teens as she excelled on stage with the National Youth Theatre.
Her performance as Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra in 1965 led her to being invited to join the Royal Shakespeare Company before making her West End stage debut in 1975.
Mirren made her breakthrough in film years later as she starred in 1980’s The Long Good Friday.
In 1984 she won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress for Cal.
She has starred in several critically acclaimed films including: 2010 (1984), The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989), Teaching Mrs. Tingle (1999), Calendar Girls (2003), Hitchcock (2012), The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014), Woman in Gold (2015), Trumbo (2015), and The Leisure Seeker (2017).
Mirren has not exclusively starred in serious dramas as she has been in several action films including: Red (2010) and Red 2 (2013) playing an ex-MI6 assassin, and in the Fast & Furious films The Fate of the Furious (2017), Hobbs & Shaw (2019), and F9 (2021).
Proud: Kate Winslet, 46, praised Mirren for pushing boundaries for female actresses getting older, and invited Cate Blanchett to finish off the tribute before handing out the award
Pretty in pink: Taking to the stage, Mirren immediately had the audience laughing as she joked she didn’t like to say the word ‘sag’ at her age
Wise words: Helen told the audience that ‘any achievement that I’ve succeeded in is the result of my mantra, which is basically, be on time and don’t be an a**’
Victorious: Dame Helen was on cloud nine as she lapped up the applause from the A-list attendees
Time to party! After receiving her award, Helen posed up with Cate Blanchett, who had presented her with the gong
Acting trio: Elle Fanning joined Helen and Cate for a chat, with the a-list audience keen to congratulate Mirren
Two legends: Helen looked radiant in her embellished Dolce & Gabbana gown as she embraced an equally glam Cate
Consoling her: Mirren also had to contend with a very emotional Lady Gaga who came over for a chat
Gracious: In between commercial breaks, the actresses were spotted chatting with each other and sharing a long embrace before Gaga, 35, started sobbing, overcome with meeting the screen legend
Embrace: An overcome Gaga was in floods as Dame Helen enveloped her in a huge hug while being swarmed by snappers
Strike a pose: The two stars were captured posing up a storm for the crowd of photographers after Gaga had dried her tears
Cheer up! Gaga had earlier lost out on the award for outstanding performance by a female actor in a leading role to Jessica Chastain
Loss: Gaga was nominated for outstanding performance by a female actor in a leading role for her portrayal of Patrizia Reggiani in House of Gucci
Proud as punch: Helen posed with her award backstage after her monumental night at the SAGs
Holding court: Helen was seen larking around with her gong and happily greeting fellow Hollywood stars after her speech
Congrats! Cate cooed over Helen’s award as she cradled it in her arms backstage at The Barker Hangar
SAG AWARD WINNERS 2022
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
Murray Bartlett (‘The White Lotus’)
Oscar Isaac (‘Scenes From a Marriage’)
Michael Keaton (‘Dopesick’) – WINNER
Ewan McGregor (‘Halston’)
Evan Peters (‘Mare of Easttown’)
Emotional: Michael Keaton got tearful as he won Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series for Dopesick
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
Jennifer Coolidge (‘The White Lotus’)
Cynthia Erivo (‘Genius: Aretha’)
Margaret Qualley (‘Maid’)
Jean Smart (‘Mare of Easttown’)
Kate Winslet (‘Mare of Easttown’) – WINNER
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Michael Douglas (‘The Kominsky Method’)
Brett Goldstein (‘Ted Lasso’)
Steve Martin (‘Only Murders in the Building’)
Martin Short (‘Only Murders in the Building’)
Jason Sudeikis (‘Ted Lasso’) – WINNER
Mind of a goldfish: Jason Sudeikis won Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series for Ted Lasso
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Elle Fanning (‘The Great’)
Sandra Oh (‘The Chair’)
Jean Smart (‘Hacks’) – WINNER
Juno Temple (‘Ted Lasso’)
Hannah Waddingham (‘Ted Lasso’)
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
‘The Great’ (Hulu)
‘Hacks’ (HBO Max)
‘The Kominsky Method’ (Netflix)
‘Only Murders in the Building’ (Hulu)
‘Ted Lasso’ (Apple TV Plus) – WINNER
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Brian Cox (‘Succession’)
Billy Crudup (‘The Morning Show’)
Kieran Culkin (‘Succession’)
Lee Jung-Jae (‘Squid Game’) – WINNER
Jeremy Strong (‘Succession’)
Epic: Lee Jung-Jae beat out three actors from Succession to earn Actor in a Drama Series for Squid Game
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Jennifer Aniston (‘The Morning Show’)
Jung Ho-yeon (‘Squid Game’) – WINNER
Elizabeth Moss (‘The Handmaid’s Tale’)
Sarah Snook (‘Succession’)
Reese Witherspoon (‘The Morning Show’)
Stunner: Jung Ho-yeon also won for Squid Game
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ (Hulu)
‘The Morning Show’ (Apple TV Plus)
‘Squid Game’ (Netflix)
‘Succession’ (HBO) – WINNER
‘Yellowstone’ (Paramount Network)
Icon: Brian Cox accepted the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series on behalf of the Succession cast
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Caitríona Balfe (‘Belfast’)
Cate Blanchett (‘Nightmare Alley’)
Ariana DeBose (‘West Side Story’) – WINNER
Kirsten Dunst (‘The Power of the Dog’)
Ruth Negga (‘Passing)
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Ben Affleck (‘The Tender Bar’)
Bradley Cooper (‘Licorice Pizza’)
Troy Kotsur (‘CODA’) – WINNER
Jared Leto (‘House of Gucci’)
Kodi Smit-McPhee (‘The Power of the Dog’)
History: Troy Kotsur became the first ever deaf individual to win a SAG Award for his role in CODA
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Jessica Chastain (‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye’) – WINNER
Olivia Colman (‘The Lost Daughter’)
Lady Gaga (‘House of Gucci’)
Jennifer Hudson (‘Respect’)
Nicole Kidman (‘Being the Ricardos’)
Can’t believe it: Jessica Chastain was shocked as she won Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role for The Eyes Of Tammy Faye
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Javier Bardem (‘Being the Ricardos’)
Benedict Cumberbatch (‘The Power of the Dog’)
Andrew Garfield (‘Tick, Tick … Boom!’)
Will Smith (‘King Richard’) – WINNER
Denzel Washington (‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’)
Ace: Will Smith won Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role for King Richard
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
‘Belfast’ (Focus Features)
‘CODA’ (Apple Original Films) – WINNER
‘Don’t Look Up’ (Netflix)
‘House of Gucci’ (MGM/United Artists Releasing)
‘King Richard’ (Warner Bros)
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
‘Black Widow’
‘Dune’
‘The Matrix Resurrections’
‘No Time to Die’ – WINNER
‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
‘Cobra Kai’
‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’
‘Loki’
‘Mare of Easttown’
‘Squid Game’ – WINNER
