'Oppenheimer' has winning night, 'Breaking Bad' cast reunites during SAG Awards

“And the actor goes to …”

“Oppenheimer” went into the night with four Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations.

The New Mexico-filmed production picked up three awards during the livestream from the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles.

The 30th annual show streamed on Netflix for the first time. The awards are given by the members of SAG, which ended a historic strike in late 2023 after productions halted for 118 days.

The film picked up the award for Motion Picture Cast and Kenneth Branagh spoked on behalf of the cast.

Branagh thanked SAG for fighting for a better deal for actors.

“It was last year in July we had the premiere and did the red carpet,” Branagh recalled. “Then we all walked off the carpet and stood in solidarity with the union. We didn’t get to see the film.”

Cilian Murphy picked up the award for Male Actor in a Leading Role – Motion Picture.

He thanked director Christopher Nolan and producer Emma Thomas for the role.

“Oh my goodness, it’s extremely, extremely special to me because it comes from you guys (the actors),” Murphy said of the award. “To my ‘Oppenheimer’ cast … they were the greatest group of actors. I never felt so looked after or cared for. Just looking at the names on the call sheet. Twenty-eight years ago when I was trying to become an actor, I was a failed musician and I felt like an interloper.”

Robert Downey Jr. picked up the award for Male Actor in a Supporting Role – Motion Picture for the role of Lewis Strauss in “Oppenheimer.”

Downey paid homage to a plethora of actors he has learned from over the course of his 40-year career and to his wife of 22 years.

“Oh boy,” Downey said. “Why me? Why now? And why do things seem to be going my way. Unlike my fellow nominees, I would never grow tired of the sound of my own voice.”

“Oppenheimer” is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book “American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer” by Kai Bird and the late Martin J. Sherwin.

It follows Oppenheimer’s journey working with the team behind the Manhattan Project as they developed what would become the atomic bomb.

Production on the film began in early 2022 in Los Alamos, Abiquiú, Santa Fe, Belen and Albuquerque.

The fourth nomination for “Oppenheimer” was in Female Actor in a Supporting Role – Motion Picture.

Though Emily Blunt was nominated, she lost out to Da’vine Joy Randolph from “The Holdovers,” who has been an awards season darling.

Randolph thanked SAG for the award

“Grief is a slippery emotion to capture,” Randolph said. “... To explore the depths of Mary. In what other profession are people able to live so many lives and touch so many hearts.”

Lily Gladstone picked up the award for Female Actor in a Leading Role — Motion Picture for her role in “Killers of the Flower Moon.”

Gladstone picked up a Golden Globe earlier this year and has been beaten out by Emma Stone for “Poor Things.”

Gladstone praised the actors and unions for staying strong during the SAG-AFTRA strike that took place the majority of 2023.

“Keep telling stories,” Gladstone said. “Thank you for all the compassionate souls in the room and the storytellers in this room. … Keep sticking up for each other.”

The cast of “Breaking Bad” reunited on stage at the SAG Awards, where it picked up the award 10 years ago for Ensemble in a Drama Series during its last year on TV.

Bryan Cranston and crew awarded “Succession” the honor for the night – in its final season.

Take a look at some of the SAG Award winners

“The Bear” also had a big night picking up three SAG Awards.

Jeremy Allen White won for Male Actor in a Comedy Series.

“I’m so honored to be part of this community,” White said in his acceptance speech. “I had no back up plan. I started very young and I’m so incredibly touched to be standing in front of you today.”

Ayo Edebiri won for Female Actor in a Comedy Series.

“I’m so thankful to be nominated alongside some incredible women,” Edebiri said.

“The Bear” also picked up for best ensemble in a comedy series.

The award was given by the cast of “Modern Family,” which included New Mexico native Jesse Tyler Ferguson.

Netflix’s “Beef” picked up two awards.

Steven Yeun and Ali Wong picked up the awards for Male Actor and Female Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries.