20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards: An #Actor Votes. #SAGAwards #2014

As a member of the Screen Actors Guild, I am able to vote in the SAG Awards. Below are my choices for  each award.

The Screen Actors Guild Awards air Saturday, January 18th on TNT & TBS at 8p.m.

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE

Nominated: 12 Years a Slave, American Hustle, August: Osage County, Dallas Buyers Club, Lee Daniels’ The Butler.

Voted for:  August: Osage County seems to me to be a true ensemble piece in itself, but with these specific actors, they gave performances that helped move the film along as a whole. As an ensemble. Plus, filming dinner scenes are actually extremely complex.  

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), Tom Hanks (Captain Phillips)  Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club), Forest Whitaker (Lee Daniels’ The Butler), Bruce Dern (Nebraska)

Voted For: Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave): I was so impressed with his performance. It’s truly amazing because it has made me want to become a better actor. To learn as much as I can. Although, I was impressed with Matthew McConaughey, I thought the depths that Chiwetel Ejiofor had to go to in order to give a complete portrayal of his character were so much deeper. *Side note, he’s BRITISH and does one of the best American accents I’ve ever heard.

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Nominated: Meryl Streep (August: Osage County), Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine). Sandra Bullock (Gravity), Judi Dench (Philomena), Emma Thompson (Saving Mr. Banks)

Voted For: Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine): It was a toss up between Meryl Streep and Cate Blanchett for me once I narrowed my choices down. Ultimately, I thought the arc of Blanchett’s character was played beautifully, her performance as Jasmine simply impressed me more than the others. Although, it was extremely difficult NOT to vote for Meryl Streep (BECAUSE she’s MERYL STREEP)

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Nominated: Michael Fassbender (12 Years a Slave), Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips), Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club), James Gandolfini (Enough Said), Daniel Bruhl (Rush)

Voted For: Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club): He truly immersed himself into this character and the power of his performance, for me, is undeniable. Although, before I saw it, I was convinced I would be voting for Michael Fassbender because there is nothing forgivable about his character, and it’s extremely difficult to play the bad guy well. Leto blew the competition out of the water for me.

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Nominated: Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave),  Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle), Julia Roberts (August: Osage County), June Squibb (Nebraska), Oprah Winfrey (Lee Daniels’ The Butler)

Voted For: Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave): She truly gave a supporting performance and was so visceral in the process of playing Patsey, that I felt I had so other choice but to vote for her. I was blown away by her skill and talent. Although, there were pleasant surprises from Julia Roberts and Oprah, but Lupita is one to watch. She was fantastic.

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TELEVISION

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A DRAMA SERIES

Nominated: Boardwalk Empire, Breaking Bad, Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, Homeland.

Voted For: Breaking Bad

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY SERIES

Nominated: 30 Rock, Arrested Development,  Modern Family, The Big Bang Theory, Veep.

Voted For: Modern Family

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Nominated: Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire), Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones), Kevin Spacey (House of Cards), Jeff Daniels (The Newsroom)

Voted For: Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) *There was no contest. Seriously.

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Nominated: Jessica Lange (American Horror Story: Coven), Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad), Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey), Claire Danes (Homeland), Kerry Washington (Scandal)

Voted For: Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad) *Side note, this was the most difficult decision I had to make this year. I love them all.

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Nominated: Alec Baldwin (30 Rock), Jason Bateman (Arrested Development), Don Cheadle (House of Lies), Ty Burrell (Modern Family)  Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory)

Voted For: Ty Burrell (Modern Family)

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Nominated: Tina Fey (30 Rock), Julie Bowen (Modern Family) Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie), Mayim Bialik (The Big Bang Theory), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep)

Voted For: Julie Bowen (Modern Family)

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINISERIES

Nominated: Matt Damon (Behind the Candelabra), Michael Douglas (Behind the Candelabra), Rob Lowe (Killing Kennedy), Al Pacino (Phil Spector), Jeremy Irons (The Hollow Crown)

Voted For: Michael Douglas (Behind the Candelabra

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINISERIES

Nominated: Angela Bassett (Betty & Coretta), Helena Bonham Carter (Burton & Taylor), Elisabeth Moss (Top of the Lake), Holly Hunter (Top of the Lake), Helen Mirren (Phil Spector)

Voted For: Helen Mirren (Phil Spector)

OUTSTANDING ACTION PERFORMANCE BY A STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A MOTION PICTURE

Nominated: All is Lost, The Fast the Furious 6, Lone Survivor, Rush, Wolverine.

Voted for: Wolverine

OUTSTANDING ACTION PERFORMANCE BY A STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES

Nominated:  Boardwalk Empire, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Homeland, The Walking Dead. 

Voted For: Game of Thrones. Due to the sheer amounts of stunts in this series, for me, it was  a clear choice. Plus, it seems like they would have more fun. Voting for stunt ensembles is really difficult.

Why #BreakingBad Was So #Good. #RememberMyName

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AMC’s Breaking Bad is going down in history as one of the greatest shows in television history already; and it just ended a month ago. And, it only lasted 5 seasons. One would assume that the longer a series runs, the more successful it is. While it’s fantastic that a series can sustain longevity, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it will be remembered fondly because it had a long run. Over time, without any sort of evolution, storylines and characters become stale. A good story has a beginning, middle, and an end. Most of the time in television, the stories that are told are open-ended. They are meant to go on forever. That is not the case with Breaking Bad. The show’s creator, Vince Gilligan, has even stated that the 5 seasons it was on was the perfect amount of time to tell the story in its entirety and not over-do things. Part of what made the show so appealing was that the story line (while it had its twists and turns) was very clearly following the setup of a beginning, middle and ultimate ending. Most Hollywood executives would probably want to ride the success of a show like Breaking Bad for as long as they possibly can, making as much profit from it as possible; whether or not the story has run out of steam. The genius of the show was that it did not over-stay its welcome. It told its specific story and came to an end, exiting gracefully. I love the show. It will forever be one of, if not my favorite show on television due to its fantastic acting and writing. Watching Bryan Cranston and the rest of the cast act is like a master class.  Anthony Hopkins was completely in the right with the breathtaking fan letter he wrote to Bryan Cranston about his admiration of the show.  It is truly the best acting I’ve seen too. That is probably due to one thing: They were telling the truth. Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, along with their cast mates, told what was true for each of their characters situations as they evolved throughout the series. That made it powerful.  I think what made the series most interesting was that the characters, like people do in real life, changed. Whether they were good, bad, or a mix of both, they were ultimately, human. If you haven’t seen Breaking Bad, watch it. Now. You won’t regret it.