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Screen Actors Guild Honors “Chicago”

It was all about that jazz at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles tonight, as the Screen Actors Guild handed out its top honors in its annual ceremony. Miramax’s musical spectacular Chicago emerged as the big winner, snagging the best cast performance award.

The musical’s Renee Zellweger won best actress honors for her kewpie-doll murderess Roxie Hart, and Catherine Zeta-Jones was named best supporting actress for her vixen Velma Kelly. The very pregnant Zeta-Jones made it up to the podium and declared, “If I wasn’t pregnant, I’d do it all over again!”

Of course, Zeta-Jones‘ chances may have been further enhanced by the absence of Meryl Streep‘s name on the list. In a rather embarrassing snafu, Sony Pictures submitted her name to SAG in the best actress category for her role in Adaptation rather than in the supporting category. Since Paramount Pictures had also submitted Streep’s performance in The Hours for best actress honors, many felt the two cancelled one another out and cost her any nomination at all.

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Streep still got honors from several of the winners, however, including Edie Falco, who won best actress in a drama series for her work in The Sopranos. As she came on stage, she took a deep breath, saying, “I just locked eyes with Meryl Streep–I need to collect myself for a moment.”

Another admirer was Will & Grace‘s Megan Mullally, who, after winning the award for best actress in a comedy series, quipped “I am so busted! I was trying to tell Meryl Streep that I love her and I tripped on the stairs!”

Other film winners included Daniel Day-Lewis, who picked up the award for best actor for his performance as Bill the Butcher in Gangs of New York, and Christopher Walken, who won the award for best supporting actor for his turn as Frank Abagnale Sr. in Catch Me If You Can. The slightly disoriented Walken seemed a little surprised at his win, but joked, “We are all family and I hope we all work together–soon.”

The evening’s best acceptance speeches, however, belonged to the winners in the television categories, including James Gandolfini, who took home the best actor in drama award for his mob boss on The Sopranos. The burly actor, looking even more menacing with a full beard, made light of his recent contractual woes with HBO. “It’s a great place to work!…Enjoy it while it’s happening ’cause it can get weird later on,” referring to the recent lawsuit he has filed against the cable channel for breach of contract.

The cast of Everybody Loves Raymond had a few things to say about Gandolfini‘s troubles as well. As they headed up on stage after winning the best TV comedy series ensemble, Ray Romano handed the mike over to co-star Brad Garrett, claiming “[Brad] never gets enough lines.” Without missing a beat, Garrett admitted, “This is an exciting time for me because I’m going to be auditioning for the lead in The Sopranos next week.” Then turning to his co-stars, he nervously asked, “Is [Gandolfini] laughing?…This is why they never let me talk.”

Sean Hayes, who won for best actor in a comedy series for Will & Grace, hammed it up. “I’m completely shocked. I have nothing prepared. But now I can get these,” lifting up his shirt to show markings for plastic surgery on his stomach. “They said I’d have six-packs in no time.” All joking aside, Hayes got a little emotional, thanking his co-stars. “I wasn’t that long ago I couldn’t pay my rent. And now I can pay all of you guys’ rent. Thank you.”

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Other television wins included HBO’s Six Feet Under for best TV drama series ensemble,
William H. Macy for best actor in a TV movie/miniseries for TNT’s Door to Door and Stockard Channing for best actress in a TV movie/miniseries for The Matthew Shepherd Story.

Tough guy Clint Eastwood received SAG’s lifetime achievement award and was introduced by Romano, who freely admitted he thought it was a little odd that he was chosen as the person to introduce Eastwood, even though they “went way back.”

Here’s the complete list of nominees and winners:

Movies

Actor

Adrien Brody, The Pianist

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Nicolas Cage, Adaptation

Daniel Day-Lewis, Gangs of New YorkWinner!

Richard Gere, Chicago

Jack Nicholson, About Schmidt

Actress

Salma Hayek, Frida

Nicole Kidman, The Hours

Diane Lane, Unfaithful

Julianne Moore, Far From Heaven

Renee Zellweger, ChicagoWinner!

Supporting Actor

Chris Cooper, Adaptation

Ed Harris, The Hours

Alfred Molina, Frida

Dennis Quaid, Far From Heaven

Christopher Walken, Catch Me If You CanWinner!

Supporting Actress

Kathy Bates, About Schmidt

Julianne Moore, The Hours

Michelle Pfeiffer, White Oleander

Queen Latifah, Chicago

Catherine Zeta-Jones, ChicagoWinner!

Cast Performance

Adaptation

Chicago–Winner!

The Hours

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

My Big Fat Greek Wedding

Television

Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries

Albert Finney, The Gathering Storm, HBO

Brad Garrett, Gleason, CBS

Sean Hayes, Martin & Lewis, CBS

William H. Macy, Door to Door, TNT–Winner!

John Turturro, Monday Night Mayhem, TNT

Actress in a TV Movie or Miniseries

Kathy Bates, My Sister’s Keeper, CBS

Stockard Channing, The Matthew Shepard Story, NBC–Winner!

Helen Mirren, Door to Door, TNT

Vanessa Redgrave, The Gathering Storm, HBO

Uma Thurman, Hysterical Blindness, HBO

Actor in a Drama Series

Michael Chiklis, The Shield, FX

James Gandolfini, The Sopranos, HBO–Winner!

Martin Sheen, The West Wing, NBC

Kiefer Sutherland, 24, Fox

Treat Williams, Everwood, WB

Actress in a Drama Series

Lorraine Bracco, The Sopranos, HBO

Amy Brenneman, Judging Amy, CBS

Edie Falco, The Sopranos, HBO–Winner!

Allison Janney, The West Wing, NBC

Lily Tomlin, The West Wing, NBC

Actor in a Comedy Series

Sean Hayes, Will & Grace, NBC–Winner!

Matt LeBlanc, Friends, NBC

Bernie Mac, The Bernie Mac Show, Fox

Ray Romano, Everybody Loves Raymond, CBS

Tony Shalhoub, Monk, USA

Actress in a Comedy Series

Jennifer Aniston, Friends, NBC

Kim Cattrall, Sex and the City, HBO

Patricia Heaton, Everybody Loves Raymond, CBS

Jane Kaczmarek, Malcolm in the Middle, Fox

Megan Mullally, Will & Grace, NBC–Winner!

Ensemble in a Drama Series

24, Fox

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CBS

Six Feet Under, HBO–Winner!

The Sopranos, HBO

The West Wing, NBC

Ensemble in a Comedy Series

Everybody Loves Raymond, CBS–Winner!

Frasier, NBC

Friends, NBC

Sex and the City, HBO

Will & Grace, NBC

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