2023 SAG Awards Give ‘The White Lotus’ Hope to Compete as Drama

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“The peer prize hits differently, doesn’t it?” I feel good,” said “Abbott Elementary” creator-star Quinta Brunson as she accepted the Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series award at the 2023 Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday night.

The same sentiment was shared by those giving acceptance speeches in the other seven TV categories, as the SAG Awards are the first American awards show of the season where winners are decided by their unionized co-stars. Since many of those members vote for the Oscars and Emmys, the show is also seen as a bellwether for what to expect at the big awards shows, where winners are also decided by their industry peers.

On the TV front, however, the eligibility period is very different from the Primetime Emmy Awards, so some 2023 SAG winners, such as Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series Jason Bateman (“Ozark”) and Outstanding Actor in a TV Movie or Limited Series A its recipient, Sam Elliott (“1883”), already completed his Emmy bid last fall (none of them won) and will not be back in the running in September. Still, it was nice to hear the 78-year-old Elliott begin his acceptance speech: “What can I say in 45 seconds after receiving the most significant accolade of my 55-year career from a group of peers, many of whom I don’t even know?”

The biggest takeaway from the 2023 SAG Awards was that “The White Lotus” will be great if it wins the drama category at the Emmys. HBO’s hit series returned to the SAG Awards this year and did even better than last year, where season 1 star Jennifer Coolidge lost Outstanding Actress in a TV Movie or Limited Series to “East City Mare.” Kate Winslet.

This year, a serious Coolidge had to take the stage as Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series and said, “I want you all to know that I’m very grateful.” He later returned with the rest of the cast to accept the award for Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series and stand close to co-star F. Murray Abraham as the Oscar winner described “The White Lotus” as “the best job he’s ever had.”

While the TV Academy kicked it out of the Limited or Anthology Series Emmy categories for an ongoing story, “The White Lotus” was given a choice between the drama and comedy categories. But if you’re just looking at the shows it was supposed to compete with in the Comedy categories at the SAG Awards, it’s unlikely the Mike White-helmed show will go that route, given the even stiffer competition.

Voters spread their fortunes around this year, with the second Outstanding Female Actor in a Comedy Series trophy going to “Hacks” star Jean Smart, and Outstanding Male Actor in a Comedy Series to Jeremy Allen White, star of the recent Hulu drama “The Bear.” ,” in addition to the aforementioned win for “Abbott Elementary,” which is its first year eligible for the SAG Awards.

Finally, while Elliott won’t be returning to Paramount+’s anthology series “1883,” the surprise Outstanding Actress in a TV Movie or Limited Series win went to Jessica Chastain for sister network Showtime’s winter miniseries “George & Tammy,” ahead of Emmy winner Amanda Seyfried. (“The Dropout”), is giving parent company Paramount hope that it can break into multiple categories at the Emmys this year, even as it undergoes a major overhaul.

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