Although audiences slowly returned to theaters in 2021, it was a familiar streamer that dominated the Jan. 12 SAG nominations — Netflix, which had seven noms in just the film categories. (The platform’s 10 TV nominations place it second to HBO and HBO Max’s 14 nods in the small-screen categories.) Although Netflix’s Don’t Look Up is its sole contender in the best cast category — nominated alongside Focus Features’ Belfast, Apple TV+’s CODA, MGM/UA’s House of Gucci and Warner Bros.’ King Richard — the film’s star-packed ensemble could sway the actors who vote for the prize, giving the streamer a second win in this category after 2021’s The Trial of the Chicago 7.
Netflix has been eyeing a best picture Oscar since entering the running with Roma in 2019 (Alfonso Cuarón’s film received no SAG Award noms). The next two years saw the streamer place multiple titles in the best picture category: The Irishman and Marriage Story in 2020, Mank and The Trial of the Chicago 7 in 2021. Only two of these films earned SAG Award nominations for best cast (The Irishman and Chicago 7). Last year the streamer’s Da 5 Bloods and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom did earn nominations — which proved to be a reminder that a SAG Award nom for best cast is not a guarantee for best picture.
This year, Netflix has increased its chances with more contenders, and their nominations in the individual SAG Award categories are a good sign that the streamer will be well represented when the Oscar noms are announced Feb. 8. The Power of the Dog earned three noms: best actor (Benedict Cumberbatch), best supporting actor (Kodi Smit-McPhee) and best supporting actress (Kirsten Dunst). The Lost Daughter and Tick, Tick … Boom! earned nods for leads Olivia Colman and Andrew Garfield, respectively.
But Netflix hasn’t entirely shut out its digital competitors on the film side. Amazon’s Being the Ricardos earned noms for leads Javier Bardem and Nicole Kidman, and The Tender Bar’s Ben Affleck was nominated for his supporting role. Apple TV+’s CODA also earned a best cast nom, plus notice for supporting actor Troy Kotsur. The Tragedy of Macbeth, which Apple TV+ shared with theatrical distributor A24, earned a nom for lead actor Denzel Washington.
The streamers fared much better on the TV side, with eight out of the 10 nominations for best ensemble in the comedy and drama categories going to digital series. The comedy race sees competition among Hulu (The Great and Only Murders in the Building), HBO Max (Hacks), Netflix (The Kominsky Method) and Apple TV+ (Ted Lasso), while HBO’s Succession and Paramount Network’s Yellowstone are up against Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Apple TV+’s The Morning Show and Netflix’s Squid Game in drama.
The latter made history as the first non-English series and Korean series to earn an ensemble nomination. That its leads Lee Jung-jae and Jung Ho-yeon were also honored with individual noms is an improvement from the previous Korean project to be nominated (and win) an ensemble award: Parasite picked up the best cast award in 2020 ahead of its Oscar win for best picture, but its actors were shut out of the individual categories.
This story first appeared in the Jan. 19 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.