LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – South Korean thriller “Parasite” was the upset winner at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) awards on Sunday, while Joaquin Phoenix and Renee Zellweger were named best actors, cementing their roles as frontrunners at the Oscars next month.
“Parasite,” the Korean language social satire about the wealth gap in South Korea, was the first film in a foreign language to win the top prize of best cast ensemble in the 26 year-history of the SAG awards.
Despite an unknown cast, it beat homegrown Hollywood movies “The Irishman” and “Once Upon A Time in Hollywood” which both have A-list stars.
The SAG awards, which focus entirely on performances, are closely watched as an indicator of Oscar success because actors form the largest voting group in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
“Parasite” director Bong Joon Ho said backstage that no-one could predict what might happen at the Oscars on Feb. 9
Speaking through an interpreter he added; “It is true that the momentum is building and we are a part of the awards race and campaign. But what happened today, what’s truly important, is that these actors were acknowledged by fellow peers as the best ensemble cast of this year.”
