SAG Awards key moments: Chastain, 'Everything Everywhere'

A split image of a woman posing in a pink suit, a woman making a triangle on her forehead and a woman cupping hands to chest

Feb. 27, 2023 11:48 AM PT

Because you can’t be everything, everywhere, all at once, we took the liberty of rounding up all the key moments you might have missed at the 2023 Screen Actors Guild Awards.

On Sunday, stars of the big and small screens gathered at Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles to celebrate one another’s work and inspire the next generation of performers to pursue their dreams. “Everything Everywhere All at Once” won the night, which was full of fabulous fashion, nostalgic reunions and powerful speeches.

Here’s a sampling of what went down at the 29th Screen Actors Guild Awards, which Netflix streamed on its YouTube channel Sunday night.

‘Everything Everywhere’ wins big

A group of people in formalwear rejoicing onstage.

“Everything Everywhere All at Once” cleaned up at the SAG Awards, sweeping every category it was nominated for and emerging as this year’s Oscars front-runner.

In addition to the ensemble of the A24 epic winning the top film award of the night (cast in a motion picture), Ke Huy Quan scored the prize for supporting actor, Jamie Lee Curtis took home the trophy for supporting actress and Michelle Yeoh won the award for lead actress.

Onscreen spouses Quan and Yeoh made history as the first Asian man to win an individual film award and the first Asian woman to win the lead actress award at the SAGs, respectively.

“This is a really emotional moment for me,” a tearful Quan said during his acceptance speech. “I was told that if I were to win tonight, I would become the very first Asian actor to win in this category. When I heard this, I quickly realized that this moment no longer belongs to just me. It also belongs to everyone who has asked for change.

“When I stepped away from acting, it was because there was so few opportunities. ... The landscape looks so different now than before. Thank you so much to all of you in this room and everyone who contributed to these changes.”

Yeoh also acknowledged the historic significance of her victory and delighted the crowd by throwing some euphoric expletives into her rousing speech.

“This is not just for me,” Yeoh said.

“This is for every little girl that looks like me. ... Thank you for giving me a seat at the table, because so many of us need this. We want to be seen. We want to be heard. And tonight, you have shown us that it is possible, and I am grateful, and my mom will be eternally grateful to you.”

When Yeoh, Quan, Curtis, Stephanie Hsu and the entire cast of “Everything Everywhere” accepted the final award of the evening, they honored Hollywood icon James Hong, who stole the show with a poignant and humorous speech.

“I got my first SAG card ... 70 years ago,” said Hong, who turned 94 earlier this month and got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame last year.

“My first movie was with Clark Gable. But back in those days ... the leading role was played by these guys with eyes taped up like this, and they talk like this, because the producers said the Asians were not good enough and they are not box office [draws]. But look at us now.”

Ariana DeBose did the thing

A woman posing in a pink suit and a man smiling in a black suit in front of a podium on a stage.

While presenting the award for actress in a drama series alongside Diego Luna of “Andor,” Ariana DeBose subtly poked fun at her viral BAFTAs rap.

Before announcing the nominees, the “West Side Story” star turned to Luna and said, “Diego, do the thing” — a reference to the most famous and imitated line from her BAFTAs performance: “Angela Bassett did the thing.” The camera crew didn’t miss a beat, quickly cutting to Bassett — who laughed and blew a kiss from the audience while DeBose did a little shimmy onstage.

Eventually, DeBose broke character and couldn’t help but burst into laughter as the crowd went wild.

Jessica Chastain takes a tumble

A woman with long red hair in a pink gown pursing her lips and walking through a crowd of people.

On her way up to accept the award for actress in a limited series, “George and Tammy” star Jessica Chastain tripped on the steps and might have face-planted on the stage — if not for the steadying hand of fellow actor Courtney B. Vance, who helped her regain her balance.

In an interview with “Access Hollywood” after the show, Chastain said she realized she was “in trouble” soon after her name was read.

“My whole body is shaking, and I’m like, ‘OK, I’m gonna need help up the stairs,’” Chastain recalled.

“And then I started to trip. But once I got to the podium, I saw the quick countdown of how much time I had, and I was like, ‘I gotta talk fast.’ And I have a feeling I might have forgotten some people, but I need to, like, look back and see what I said, because I’m a little bit in a blur about it.”

Red-carpet reunions abound

A blond woman in a suit and a red-haired woman in a gown linking arms and laughing on a red carpet.

Before she was Ms. Schemmenti in “Abbott Elementary,” Lisa Ann Walter was known and loved for her work as Chessy in the 1998 remake of “The Parent Trap.” And she paid homage to the fan-favorite character by attending the SAG Awards with her longtime friend and “Parent Trap” co-star Elaine Hendrix (a.k.a. Meredith Blake).

“If [‘Parent Trap’ writer-director] Nancy Meyers writes it, it’s going to be genius,” Walter told “Extra” of a possible “Parent Trap” reboot with Hendrix.

“I don’t know that that is something that could happen, but certainly with Lindsay [Lohan] ... doing work again and being as beautiful and fabulous and talented as she is, certainly anything is possible. But I think in this version, we’d have to make Meredith a good guy. We’d have redemption for Meredith Blake.”

“Wait a minute — she wasn’t a good guy in the first place?” Hendrix joked.

Another red-carpet reunion that had fans buzzing involved Amy Poehler, Adam Scott and Aubrey Plaza of “Parks and Recreation” fame.

Walter was nominated with the cast of “Abbott Elementary,” while Scott and Plaza scored nods for “Severance” and “The White Lotus,” respectively.

Aubrey Plaza and Jenna Ortega are a match made in goth heaven

Two women with short brown hair wearing formal gowns and staring at each other in front of a podium on a stage.

Plaza and Jenna Ortega — two actors known for their deadpan line readings and sardonic senses of humor — joined forces to present the award for actor in a limited series.

Plaza, who won ensemble in a drama series with the cast of “The White Lotus,” and Ortega, who was nominated for actress in a comedy series for her dour turn in “Wednesday,” dramatically approached the podium Sunday with intense death-stares that drew chuckles from the audience.

“I don’t know why they paired us up together,” Plaza said dryly.

“Yeah, I know,” an unblinking Ortega replied. “We have nothing in common.”

The crowd-pleasing bit continued with both presenters vowing in unison to find the “people who did this and curse their families and watch as misfortune follows their bloodline for the next seven generations.”

“OK, I see it now,” Plaza quipped.