In our annual bid for bragging rights, SheKnows predicts which stars will bring home a SAG Award in 2014. And hey, Bryan Cranston seems like a solid shoo-in, so we’ve got at least one going for us.
Movies
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
- 12 Years a Slave
- American Hustle
- August: Osage County
- Dallas Buyers Club
- Lee Daniels’ The Butler
Lots of people are pegging American Hustle to take this one home, but we’re going to go with our gut and give it to 12 Years a Slave. Sure, Hustle‘s great — it’s a solid film, and it’s got a lot of big names. But 12 Years is riding a lot of buzz, and the incredible film has the poignant performances to back it up.
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
- Bruce Dern, Nebraska
- Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
- Tom Hanks, Captain Phillips
- Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
- Forest Whitaker, Lee Daniels’ The Butler
In any other year, Forest Whitaker might very well walk away with this award — but in this year’s stacked category, it seems unlikely. Following his wins at the Golden Globes and the Critics’ Choice Awards, we predict Matthew McConaughey will make it to the podium. But don’t discount Chiwetel Ejiofor entirely — he could be the surprise here.
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
- Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
- Sandra Bullock, Gravity
- Judi Dench, Philomena
- Meryl Streep, August: Osage County
- Emma Thompson, Saving Mr. Banks
Sandra, you know we love you… but by all accounts, it appears that Cate Blanchett’s got this one in the bag.
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
- Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips
- Daniel Brühl, Rush
- Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
- James Gandolfini, Enough Said
- Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
If Jared Leto hadn’t been nominated here, we’d be giving this to Michael Fassbender for his brilliant turn in 12 Years a Slave. But hey, Leto was nominated — and rightly so. His transformative role in Dallas Buyers Club was funny, heartbreaking and, in a word, unforgettable.
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
- Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
- Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave
- Julia Roberts, August: Osage County
- June Squibb, Nebraska
- Oprah Winfrey, Lee Daniels’ The Butler
Being hailed these days as “Hollywood’s best friend,” Jennifer Lawrence is riding high as the industry’s “it” girl of the moment. Her performance in American Hustle absolutely merited a nod in this category and will likely lead to her becoming the first person to win two in a row since Renée Zellweger did a decade ago.
Television
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
- Boardwalk Empire
- Breaking Bad
- Downton Abbey
- Game of Thrones
- Homeland
With Homeland on less solid footing now than at this time last year, Breaking Bad looks good to win here — especially since this is the show’s “farewell tour.” We’re digging this idea. After all, the cast has yet to take home an ensemble award, and that seems like a wrong that needs to be righted.
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
- 30 Rock
- Arrested Development
- The Big Bang Theory
- Modern Family
- Veep
We’re feeling a little froggy, so we’re going to tip our hats to The Big Bang Theory here. While our initial inclination was that Modern Family would four-peat in this category, the comedy powerhouse received fewer nominations than usual (Ty Burrell was the only actor to be individually recognized). Meanwhile, The Big Bang Theory received more than expected, with Mayim Bialik even getting a nomination.
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
- Matt Damon, Behind the Candelabra
- Michael Douglas, Behind the Candelabra
- Jeremy Irons, The Hollow Crown
- Rob Lowe, Killing Kennedy
- Al Pacino, Phil Spector
Hands down, this has to go to one of the boys from Behind the Candelabra. And while we’d love for that guy to be Matt Damon, we’re thinking the more veteran Douglas will walk away with it.
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
- Angela Bassett, Betty & Coretta
- Helena Bonham Carter, Burton and Taylor
- Holly Hunter, Top of the Lake
- Helen Mirren, Phil Spector
- Elisabeth Moss, Top of the Lake
We’re not just choosing Elisabeth Moss because we think she is too frickin’ adorable for words. I mean, yes, we do feel that way — but her performance in Top of the Lake has been lauded industrywide, so clearly, we’re not alone in our love for the actress.
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
- Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
- Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
- Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom
- Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
- Kevin Spacey, House of Cards
If anyone but Bryan Cranston walks away with this award, we’re just going to have to hang up our awards show–prediction hat for good. In our opinion, this one’s a no-brainer — his turn as Breaking Bad‘s Walter White has been epic.
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
- Claire Danes, Homeland
- Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad
- Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Coven
- Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
- Kerry Washington, Scandal
Again, tough category… there is no shortage of talent here. But since Homeland experienced a few hiccups this season, we’re going to give it to Kerry Washington over Claire Danes. Washington’s performance as Olivia Pope in Scandal this season has been completely riveting. Look out for Downton Abbey‘s Maggie Smith for the upset, though.
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
- Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
- Jason Bateman, Arrested Development
- Ty Burrell, Modern Family
- Don Cheadle, House of Lies
- Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
Since this is 30 Rock‘s final season of eligibility, we’re banking on Alec Baldwin eight-peating. Again, though, The Big Bang Theory has had a banner year. Jim Parsons could pull out a win here, but it would be a shocker.
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
- Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory
- Julie Bowen, Modern Family
- Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
- Tina Fey, 30 Rock
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Veep may not have the edge in the other categories this year, but we’re pulling for the hilarious Julia Louis-Dreyfus to trump the other contenders in this category. Now, if we had our druthers, we’d split the award between Louis-Dreyfus and Tina Fey, but if we’ve got to choose just one, we’re going with JLD.
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What do you think? Did we get it right? Let us know who you think will win big at the 2014 SAG Awards and who won’t.
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