Taking home the biggest award of the night, the cast of Everything Everywhere All at Once dedicated it to their inspiration — their fellow 94-year-old cast mate James Hong!
Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis won individual acting awards at the SAG Awards 2023 on Sunday, but Yeoh made sure to acknowledge Hong on stage as the actors accepted the award for outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture.
As the audience rose for a standing ovation, Hong delivered a rousing speech — at first, in Chinese.
"Actually, I said that because we might be broadcast in Hong Kong," Hong began. "And I hope next year the network won't change their mind and put us on again. So I got my first card, SAG card, and...well anyway 70 years ago. My first movie was with Clark Gable."
Hong continued, "But back in those days, I have to tell you that the leading role was played by these guys with eyes taped up like this and they talk like this, because the producer said the Asians were not good enough and they are not box office."
"But look at us now, huh?" Hong said, as the crowd cheered.
He went on to joke about Curtis's name — "We are not all Chinese but Jamie Lee, Lee is a good Chinese name." — before acknowledging others who played a role in the movie's success, including the Daniels directors (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert) and a "bald guy" producer.
"SAG is a wonderful organization," he added.
Earlier in the evening, Yeoh won outstanding performance by a female actor in a leading role at the Screen Actors Guild Awards 2023 for her performance.
"SAG-AFTRA, to get this from you, who understands what it is to get here, everyone of you know the journey, the roller-coaster ride, the ups sand downs," Yeoh, 60, said while accepting the honor. "But important, we never give up. I thank you for your love, for your support because I know I'm up against titans, rightly so."
Yeoh paused for a minute to take in the moment. "S---!" she said as she turned away in tears.
The actress laughed and said "f---" as the crowd applauded.
Quan, 51, was awarded outstanding performance by a male actor in a supporting role for his portrayal of Waymond Wang and became the first Asian male to win a SAG Award for acting in a film.
"Thank you, thank you so much!" said Quan as he accepted the honor from Orlando Bloom on Sunday night. "This is a really emotional moment for me."
He cried as he explained, "Recently, I was told that if I would've won 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."
Quan went on to reflect on a moment he stopped acting.
"When I stepped away from acting, it was because there were so few opportunities, and now tonight here we are, celebrating. The landscape looks so different now than before. Thank you to everyone who contributed to these changes. Thank you so much to SAG-AFTRA for this truly, truly prestigious honor."
Curtis was overcome with emotion about winning outstanding performance by a female actor in a supporting role in the movie.
After expressing shock from her table about her name being called, Curtis kissed costar Yeoh on the lips and made her way to the stage, where she got emotional and said, "Come on!" as she got a standing ovation.
"I'm wearing the wedding ring that my father gave my mother. They hated each other, by the way, by the end of it," she said with a laugh, referencing her late movie star parents Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh. "But my sister Kelly and I were born from love. My father was from Hungary and my mother was from Denmark, and they had nothing and they became these monstrous stars in this industry. My parents were actors. And I married an actor [Christopher Guest]."
"I love actors. I love acting. I love the job we get to do. I love being a part of a crew. I love being part of a cast. I love what we do with each other. It's such a beautiful job. And I know that so many people in our industry who are actors who don't get to do this job and you look at nights like this and think 'Is that ever going to be possible for me?' And I know you look at me and think 'Well, nepo baby, that's why she's there' — and I totally get it. But the truth of the matter is I'm 64 years old and this is just amazing!"
The 2023 SAG Awards ceremony aired live on Netflix's YouTube Channel from the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles.
