US actor Michael B Jordan has scored a surprise win at the Actor Awards, formerly known as the Screen Actors Guild Awards, giving him a surge of momentum in the final weeks before the Oscars.
He was named best actor for his role in vampire horror Sinners, which also scored the top prize of the night – best ensemble cast.
“I don’t even know where to begin, I wasn’t expecting this at all,” Jordan said in his speech, adding that he felt “so honoured and privileged” to have been nominated.
Accepting the best ensemble prize, his co-star Delroy Lindo said making Sinners had been an “incredible journey”, adding: “Every single day we brought ourselves, our hearts, our souls, to this endeavour.”
Lindo said: “To be recognised by you all, ‘thank you’ does not come anywhere near to encompassing what we feel, the gratitude.”
The awards for Sinners came a week after the Bafta Film Awards, where Jordan and Lindo were praised for their composure after Tourette’s campaigner John Davidson involuntarily shouted a racial slur while the pair were on stage.
Other winners at the Actor Awards included Sean Penn (One Battle After Another) and Jessie Buckley (Hamnet), as well as a surprise supporting actress victory for Amy Madigan (Weapons) and a posthumous win for Catherine O’Hara (The Studio).
Voting for this year’s Actor Awards ceremony closed on Friday, five days after the Baftas ceremony, where the N-word was shouted while Lindo and Jordan were on stage.
Lindo acknowledged the incident at another awards event on Saturday, telling the audience: “We appreciate the support and love we have been shown in the aftermath of what happened last weekend.
“It’s a classic case of something that could’ve been very negative becoming very positive,” he said from the stage at the NAACP Image Awards. “Thank you so much for the support.” (BBC)
