Screen Actors Guild TV predictions: Heavy is the head that wears ‘The Crown’

Tyler Doster October 5, 2020

Prince Philip (TOBIAS MENZIES) and Queen Elizabeth II (OLIVIA COLMAN) in season four of THE CROWN (Alex Bailey / Netflix)

Some of last season’s Emmy nominees and winners will bump up with newer, 2020 content including summer hit I May Destroy You; 4th season of The Crown, airing in November, competes here

In a year of unpredictability, what will affect the SAG nominations? The international pandemic might allow SAG members more time to watch series they might not usually have time for. After this year’s Emmys, it seems there might be one show in line to sweep: Schitt’s Creek.

Schitt’s Creek turned out to win all seven Emmys in the major categories it was nominated for. Will the actors of Schitt’s Creek be able to retain this momentum and move onto the SAG awards with so many new shows having come on during the summer and even more to look forward to in the fall?

Beginning with comedy, it seems fit to assume that Schitt’s Creek will earn a nomination for all four of its stars, as well as gaining one for ensemble in a comedy series. Avenue 5, Armando Iannucci’s newest comedy after Veep, could find itself earning an ensemble nod as well as one for its lead, Hugh Laurie. With Veep having been nominated five times for ensemble (and winning one!) and Laurie being a seven-time nominee himself (winning two), it wouldn’t be a surprise to see both the show and Laurie earn a couple of nominations, even though the show might not be on many people’s radar since it premiered earlier this year in January. black-ish could find itself vying for the top prize for the third time, with lead Anthony Anderson earning his third nomination as well. Could Tracee Ellis Ross finally find herself earning a nomination this year, too? Insecure has had a big year, earning several Emmy nominations for its fourth season, and could propel Issa Rae into her first SAG nomination, as well as a possible nomination for the entire ensemble (Yvonne Orji was nominated as the Emmys as well).

The debut season of I May Destroy You made waves for star Michaela Coel, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the SAG nominations reflect that. Earlier this year, Fleabag creator and star Phoebe Waller-Bridge walked away with a SAG award for her role and the entire cast got nominated for ensemble. It would be nice to see another creator/star like Coel earn nominations for her powerful dramedy about power and consent in the modern age. Lastly in the comedy categories, ten-time nominee Steve Carell could find himself in the mix for his role on Space Force. Though facing lackluster reviews for its premiere season, Carell himself seems to get a SAG nomination anytime he’s in something, and this year could be no different.

Golden Globe TV predictions: Will it be another ‘Schitt’ show or can ‘I May Destroy You’ and ‘P-Valley’ break in?

The limited series acting categories could shape up to be similar to the Golden Globes, especially when it comes to the men. Paul Mescal should easily find his way into a nomination for his buzzy role in Normal People. Mark Ruffalo recently won an Emmy for his work in I Know This Much is True, and it seems like he’ll keep the momentum all the way to the SAG awards. Will he be able to win again? He’ll likely find himself facing off against Hugh Jackman, who has earned rave reviews for his role in Bad Education. Jude Law will be looking for his very first individual SAG nomination with The Third Day, also starring Emily Watson and Katherine Waterson. Hugh Grant will be looking to make his third individual SAG nomination with HBO’s newest limited series, The Undoing, where he’ll play husband accused of murder opposite Nicole Kidman.

Speaking of Nicole Kidman, the Screen Actors Guild love her. This would be her ninth individual nomination if she can earn it for playing a therapist who unravels after the release of her first book in The Undoing. She will likely find herself going against Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington of Little Fires Everywhere, a commanding miniseries where the two women are at odds about what it means to be a mother. The other two nominees in this category are likely to come from FX’s acting-showcase Mrs. America. Based off performance and the recent Emmys, it seems like the two representing the show could be Cate Blanchett and Uzo Aduba. Could Rose Byrne or Margo Martindale take one of the nominations as well? With such a stacked cast, anything could happen.

The Crown, which is the only drama from last year that was nominated for best ensemble to be eligible again this year, could repeat its win for best ensemble in a drama series. Olivia Colman and Helena Bonham Carter were both nominated last year for their work in Netflix’s royal drama, so there seems reason to believe that they will both be back again this year. With so many of last year’s dramas finished or ineligible, Ozark seems poised to slip its way back into best ensemble in a drama series, as well as producing nominations for Jason Bateman, Laura Linney, and Julia Garner. Batemen has already won this award before, so he seems like a shoe-in for a nomination. Westworld could find itself back in best ensemble and even earn a nomination for Jeffrey Wright for its third season after earning better reviews than its second season. Sterling K. Brown should round out the nominations for the men, as he’s usually a lock for his role on This Is Us.

Killing Eve is another major contender for ensemble in a drama series. Both Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer have been nominated for individual awards for their performances in the series yet have never earned nominations together in the same year. This year might be pretty similar and they will stick to Jodie Comer as their nominee but allow the entire ensemble to be nominated for the first time. Rounding out the drama categories could be Better Call Saul, a show whose reviews only get better as the seasons go on. Bob Odenkirk could find himself being nominated again for his role on the series. It has been a strange year with more time to watch television than ever and the SAG nominations could reflect that.

Ensemble in a Drama Series

Better Call Saul (AMC)
The Crown (Netflix)
Killing Eve (BBC America/AMC)
Ozark (Netflix)
Westworld (HBO)

Male Actor in a Drama Series

Jason Bateman, Ozark
Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us
Tobias Menzies, The Crown
Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul
Jeffrey Wright, Westworld

Female Actor in a Drama Series

Helena Bonham Carter, The Crown
Olivia Colman, The Crown
Jodie Comer, Killing Eve
Julia Garner, Ozark
Laura Linney, Ozark

Ensemble in a Comedy Series

Avenue 5 (HBO)
black-ish (ABC)
I May Destroy You (HBO)
Insecure (HBO)
Schitt’s Creek (POP TV)

Male Actor in a Comedy Series

Anthony Anderson, black-ish
Steve Carell, Space Force
Hugh Laurie, Avenue 5
Eugene Levy, Schitt’s Creek
Daniel Levy, Schitt’s Creek

Female Actor in a Comedy Series

Michaela Coel, I May Destroy You
Catherine O’Hara, Schitt’s Creek
Annie Murphy, Schitt’s Creek
Issa Rae, Insecure
Tracee Ellis Ross, black-ish

Male Actor in a Limited Series or Movie

Hugh Grant, The Undoing
Hugh Jackman, Bad Education
Jude Law, The Third Day
Paul Mescal, Normal People
Mark Ruffalo, I Know This Much is True

Female Actor in a Limited Series or Movie

Uzo Aduba, Mrs. America
Cate Blanchett, Mrs. America
Nicole Kidman, The Undoing
Kerry Washington, Little Fires Everywhere
Reese Witherspoon, Little Fires Everywhere

Nominations for the 27th Screen Actors Guild awards will be announced Thursday, February 4, 2021 with the awards set to take place Sunday, March 14, 2021.

Tyler is from Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He’s been obsessed with movies and the oscars since he was about 14. He enjoys reading, but even more, talking about Amy Adams more and will, at any given moment, bring up her Oscar snub for Arrival. The only thing he spends more time on than watching TV is sitting on Twitter. If you ever want to discuss the movie Carol at length, he’s your guy. You can find Tyler at @wordswithtyler

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Tyler Doster

Tyler is the TV Awards Editor for AwardsWatch and from Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He’s been obsessed with movies and the oscars since he was about 14. He enjoys reading, but even more, talking about Amy Adams more and will, at any given moment, bring up her Oscar snub for Arrival. The only thing he spends more time on than watching TV is sitting on Twitter. If you ever want to discuss the movie Carol at length, he’s your guy. You can find Tyler at @wordswithtyler