SAG Awards Live Blog

Let's talk about you for a second...

7:11 This is the face Sarah Silverman made after hearing "Let's talk about you for a second" which is... sublimely funny, a perfect encapsulation of the faux humility #blessed of superstars attending awards shows in which they all fawn on each other. You're great. No, no, you're great.

07:14 Rami Malek doesn't know who he was wearing. Alicia Vikander says 'I've only watched this on YouTube' before. Idris Elba is working the grey in his beard. Everyone is adorable x3 is my point.

07:22 Saoirse is in light pink and Brie in baby blue and I'm not sure what to make of that.

07:25 Jesse Tyler Ferguson and E! Brad talking to each other 

- "Are you a nervous nellie."
- "Yaaas"

(hugs)

"-I hope I didn't get any contour on you"

This is the gayest thing I've ever seen on television. Which is saying a lot.

07:31 Nicole Kidman has arrived. [More...]

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IMDb's Top 10 Movers and Shakers of 2015

Manuel here. 2015 may be over but 2015 lists won’t stop for another week or two. This one comes courtesy of IMDB. In their own words, “the rising stars on this list experienced the largest increase in their best weekly STARmeter ranking in 2015 as compared to 2014.” If you’re like me and had to confirm what an actor’s STARmeter is, know that it basically calculates people’s awareness:

The primary measure is who and what people are looking at on IMDb.”

Testament of Youth co-stars make the 2015 list

It’s a fascinating list if one that skews young, white, and television-heavy. I have to admit I could only easily identify half the list and those are primarily the ones in the thick of awards conversation. From the 10 listed, we have 2 Golden Globe nominees, and 3 SAG-nominated actors.

Unsurprisingly, the list is full of pretty faces that you’ll recognize from established TV tentpoles like Fear the Walking Dead, buzzy Netflix series like Narcos, Orange is the New Black, Sense8, as well as big box office hits like Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation and Straight Outta Compton. Of course, 2015's “It girl”/ hardest working actress Alicia Vikander makes the list though she’s probably lower than we’d all have wagered. A reminder, perhaps, that prestige “rising stars” can sometimes exist in their own little critical bubble. [More...]

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Red Carpet: Palm Springs Film Festival

Jose here with great news. Apparently Cate Blanchett decided to listen to my prayers (yes, I pray to her) and - after a good, but slightly underwhelming fashion run - finally went back to wowing us. She is the epitome of Kate Hepburn-effortless-glamour in a sky-hued Marc Jacobs gown, with a stunning gold applique-Rorschach-test that screams "Awards season Queen is here, biatches" (And screams it right in other celebrities ears. See tweets from Carol's genius screenwriter Phyllis Nagy, Cate's Best Actress competition Brie Larson and images of Rooney Mara, too.)

Cate was benevolent enough to also let Alicia Vikander out of her leathery/earthy Louis Vuitton curse, and allow her to wear a delicious Erdem gown that's the most playful we've seen her yet. My usual quandary with Vikander comes in her usually meh choice of footwear, which always seem to be inspired by Charlotte York. Ooh, interesting game here, which of these ladies whould be which Sex and the City character? Dame Helen is of course the Samantha, in yet another elegantly sexy design by Alberta Ferreti. The lovely Saoirse Ronan in a multicolored/multipattern Duro Olowu is all kinds of perfect and age appropriate.

Less impressive, yawn inducing even, are potential Oscar winners Rooney Mara and Brie Larson, both of whom exist only within the confinements of an "if it ain't broken" universe. They're both beautiful, but I bet I could have found any picture of any other ceremony they've attended, inserted it here, and fooled everyone. Mara is in Lanvin, Larson in Jason Wu. Just a thought, would their styles become slightly more exciting if we Freaky Friday-ed them? It's about time Rooney did some more color, and Larson put her hair in a bun, or anything other than her usual pulled back, wet look

How would you improve these two soon-to-be awards season fixtures? 

Top 15 Most Hardworking Performers in 2015

Manuel here continuing our year end review.

Remember in 2011 when Jessica Chastain went from unknown actress to Oscar nominee in the blink of an eye thanks to the whirlwind of release dates that had her starring in over six films in that calendar year? It was as great a calling card as you could ask for and while Chastain had a relatively subdued year (Crimson Peak, The Martian), other actors gave her a run for her money in the “how many projects can I appear on in one year” race. Not that it’s a contest, but we’re fan of lists here at TFE even as we understand they’re more jumping off discussion points rather than monolithic assertions of quality or taste. And so find below a list of 15 actors who were extra hardworking and who you couldn’t have missed seeing as they were everywhere from superhero franchise films and prestige flicks to Netflix series and festival sensations.

The Martian cast had a busy 2015, but 2016 looks busier still for Damon, Chastain, Mara and Marvel boy Stan.

Rankings and inclusions were both arbitrary and subjective. Thus, they’re neither binding nor absolute (my personal fave and the inspiration for this post in the first place comes at #2). Feel free to tell me who I missed and whether you agree with our undisputed #1 placement who’ll be getting a special Gold Medal from Nat himself for their Body of Work this year.

15. Bill Murray (Aloha, Rock the Kasbah, A Very Murray Christmas)

14. Nicole Kidman (Grace of Monaco, Paddington, Strangerland, Secret in Their Eyes)

13. Chiwetel Ejiofor (Z for Zachariah, The Martian, Secret in their Eyes)

the ubiquitous dozen after the jump

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Golden Globe Nominations

"Previously on The Precursors..."  Gotham, Spirit, OFCS, NBR, NYFCC, LAFCA, BSFC, SAG

The shiny round fun began at 8:00 AM for the Globes annual film and television party with the nominees split, sometimes ungracefully, into Comedy/Musical and Drama categories. Except those pesky supporting actors! They have to share everything because who needs character actors (see also rampant category fraud every year plus SAG's unfortunate Ensemble rules) . America Ferrerra, Angela Bassett, Chloe Moretz and Dennis Quaid were on hand to read the nominations aloud.

Ready? Clicking on any of the names or titles will take you to previous articles about them. We are happy to report that director Todd Haynes' latest masterpiece (dude is a genius if you haven't heard) Carol led the nominations with 5 in total.

Full nomination list with commentary after the jump...

COMEDY/MUSICAL FILMS

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