‘Shogun’ and ‘Only Murders in the Building’ win top TV honors at SAG Awards

LOS ANGELES: “Shogun,” FX’s historical epic set in imperial Japan, claimed the prestigious best ensemble in a drama TV series award at Sunday’s Screen Actors Guild Awards ceremony.

Hulu’s original series “Only Murders in the Building,” known for three strangers who become involved in a murder in their New York City apartment building, claimed the best TV comedy ensemble win.

“70% Japanese, and with the subtitles, it must have been a big gamble of them (FX Studios), they were so brave, but “Shogun” and this award, show us that acting is a universal language,” Hiroyuki Sanada, who plays Lord Yoshii Toranag, said during the show’s acceptance speech. “Shogun” follows the character Lord Yoshii Toranag, as he discovers secrets that can help him destroy his enemies.

A tale of political machinations, “Shogun,” also won best female actor in a drama series and best male in a drama series awards for first-time winners Anna Sawai and Sanada.

“Very happy, but I’m also kind of sad, because this is probably the last time I’m able to celebrate the work with you guys. I love you, the whole FX team,” Sawai said with tears rolling down her cheeks. Sanada, also emotional, reflected on his acting journey.

“I started acting in Japan when I was five years old, and moved to LA 20 years ago, and luckily, I worked with great filmmakers and actors,” Sanada said.

“I put everything, every single experience in my life into “Shogun” then “Shogun” brought me here,” he added. The “Only Murders in the Building” team was surprised by their win, which beat out frontrunners “The Bear” and “Hacks.”

“We never win. This is so weird,” Selena Gomez said. “I’m taking it home for all of us and bringing this back to New York,” she added. Jessica Gunning won best actor in a television movie or limited series for her role in the Netflix series “Baby Reindeer” as stalker Martha Scott. She recalled creating a PowerPoint vision board when she was working a desk job while acting on the side about eight years ago.

“It was like a kind of positive thinking vision board of all the things I wanted to do and the people I wanted to meet and work with,” Gunning said.

“And Cate Blanchard and Jodie Foster and Kathy Bates were on that vision board,” she added, noting the feeling of honor she felt to be nominated alongside them and then winning the category.

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Colin Farrell took home the best actor in a television movie or limited series award for his role at the title character in the HBO Max series “The Penguin,” which had him reflecting on what it means to him to be an actor.

“The beautiful thing, and the annoying thing, about what we do, it’s just unquantifiable,” he said. “It’s play time,” he added, expressing that to be an actor is never having to “fully grow up.”