KC’s Jason Sudeikis, ‘Ted Lasso’ win big at SAG Awards. So do ‘CODA,’ Will Smith

For the second year in a row, “Ted Lasso” and its star, Kansas Citian Jason Sudeikis, won big at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

The Apple TV+ series won best comedy series ensemble at Sunday’s 28th annual awards, and Sudeikis, who grew up in Overland Park, won best actor in a comedy.

“Thanks to my kids, thanks to, you know, everybody I got to take improv classes with, do improv shows with,” Sudeikis said, in perhaps a subtle homage to his comedy roots at Shawnee Mission West High School and Kansas City’s Comedy Sportz. “Everybody from Second City. My cast and crew and generation at ‘SNL,’” he continued. “My folks, my family and this chosen family here. So thank you very much. I really appreciate it.”

The “Ted Lasso” cast was among those who, citing quarantine regulations related to production schedules, attended remotely. Sudeikis and castmates appeared via video link from Britain, where they are in production for the third season of the series.

Also on Sunday, in an upset, the film “CODA” took top honors at an unpredictable ceremony that also saw wins for the leads of “Squid Game” and Will Smith.

The ceremony was notably border-breaking, with historic wins for deaf actors, Korean stars and some of Hollywood’s biggest names. It culminated with “CODA,” Sian Heder’s heartwarming Apple TV+ coming-of-age film and Sundance Film Festival sensation, winning best ensemble.

“This validates the fact that we, deaf actors, can work just like anybody else. We look forward to more opportunities for deaf actors,” said Marlee Matlin on stage before teaching the crowd sign language for “I love you.”

Matlin is the only deaf actor to win an Oscar, but her “CODA” co-star, Troy Kotsur, may be in line to join her. Kotsur won best supporting actor Sunday, becoming the first deaf actor to win an individual SAG award. When his name was read, the 53-year-old veteran actor plunged his head into his hands. On stage, he thanked his wife for “reminding me to check my fly before walking the red carpet.”

Netflix’s “Squid Game,” the first non-English language series nominated by the actors guild, came on strong with three awards, including Lee Jung-jae for best male actor in a drama series and Jung Ho-yeon for best female actor in a drama series. Those wins came over the likes of “Succession” stars Brian Cox and Jeremy Strong, and Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston of “The Morning Show.”

“I have sat many a times watching you on the big screen dreaming of one day becoming an actor,” Jung told the crowd, fighting back tears.

Still, HBO’s “Succession” ultimately reigned in the best drama series category. Cox fittingly accepted the award with an expletive printed on his face mask, and another uttered as he struggled to take it off. But Cox turned serious when discussing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In the evening’s bluntest remarks on the invasion, he noted that the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, was a comic – a fellow performer. He urged censored dissenters in Russia to speak out.

“The people in Russia who don’t like what’s going on – and particularly the artists – I think we should join and celebrate them and hope that they can make a shift, as I believe they can,” said Cox while the audience stood and applauded.

The SAG Awards are considered one of the most reliable predictors of the Academy Awards. Actors make up the largest percentage of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, and their picks often align. In 2020, when the cast of “Parasite” and Brad Pitt won, they matched exactly.

Though the actors guild and the academy diverged last year when Aaron Sorkin’s 1960s courtroom drama “Trial of the Chicago 7” topped the SAG Awards and “Nomadland” triumphed at the Oscars, the win for “CODA” suggests it’s a major threat to win best picture over Kenneth Branagh’s “Belfast” (which went winless Sunday) and Jane Campion’s leading Oscar nominee, “The Power of the Dog“ (which failed to get an ensemble nod even though three of its actors were individually nominated).

SAG’s track record may also mean Will Smith, star of the Williams family tennis drama “King Richard,” is heading for his first Oscar. Smith took best actor, scoring his first SAG award.

“That may have been one of the greatest moments of my career just now because my name was called for ‘King Richard’ sitting next to Venus Williams,” beamed Smith.

Best actress has been more difficult category to track. Many have seen Olivia Colman (“The Lost Daughter“) as the favorite to win her second Oscar. In an especially competitive category, those snubbed have often drawn the most focus. Kristen Stewart of “Spencer” was passed over by SAG, while Lady Gaga (“House of Gucci“) missed with the film academy.

Yet it was Jessica Chastain, who plays the infamous televangelist in “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” who won Sunday, notching her first individual SAG award. Heading into the Oscars on March 27, no category may be more uncertain.

Meanwhile, Ariana DeBose of “West Side Story” confirmed her frontrunner status with a win Sunday for best supporting performance by a female actor.

“It’s taken me a long time to feel comfortable calling myself an actor,” said DeBose. “My roots come from the dance world and the Broadway stage, and the Anita that we see on screen took every bit of me but she took 10 years to make.”

The SAG Awards, which are available to stream on HBO Max, are presented by the Hollywood actors guild SAG-AFTRA. After the January Golden Globes were a non-event, they were Hollywood’s first major, televised, in-person award show – complete with a red carpet and teary-eyed speeches – this year. The “Hamilton” trio of Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr. and Daveed Diggs kicked off the broadcast with the declared theme of “together again.”

“We’ve returned to a world where all we have to do to hang out like this is get dressed up, show up, get swabbed, sanitized, screened, masked, vaccinated, boosted, rapid-tested and PCR-cleared within 24 hours,” said Odom Jr. “Now who’s ready to party?”

While the Academy Awards aren’t mandating vaccination for presenters (just attendees), it was required for the SAG Awards, which are voted on by the Hollywood actors’ guild SAG-AFTRA. Other awards went to Jean Smart of “Hacks,” Kate Winslet of “Mare of Easttown and Michael Keaton of “Dopesick,” who dedicated his award to his nephew, Michael. Keaton has previously said he died from fentanyl and heroin use in 2016.

Helen Mirren, a five-time SAG winner, was honored with a lifetime achievement award.

“Honestly, any achievement that I’ve succeeded in is the result of my mantra which is basically: Be on time and don’t be ass,” said the 76-year-old actor. “Thank you, thank you, S-A-G so much for this. I hate to say the word ‘sag’ at my age.”

SAG Award winners

The list of winners at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, presented Sunday night:

FILM

Cast: “CODA”

Female actor: Jessica Chastain, “The Eyes of Tammy Faye”

Male Actor: Will Smith, “King Richard”

Male supporting actor, film: Troy Kotsur, “CODA”

Female supporting actor, film: Ariana DeBose, “West Side Story”

Stunt ensemble: “No Time to Die”

TELEVISION

Male actor, drama series: Lee Jung-jae, “Squid Game”

Female actor, drama series: Jung Ho-yeon, “Squid Game”

Drama ensemble: “Succession”

Male actor, comedy series: Jason Sudeikis, “Ted Lasso”

Female actor, comedy series: Jean Smart,” Hacks”

Comedy series ensemble: “Ted Lasso”

Female actor in a television movie or limited series: Kate Winslet, “Mare of Easttown.”

Male actor in a television movie or limited series: Michael Keaton, “Dopesick”

Stunt ensemble: “Squid Game”

Includes reporting by The Star’s Sharon Hoffmann.

This story was originally published February 27, 2022 at 10:27 PM.