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SAG Awards Take on Diversity Issue


Laura Prepon, center, and the cast and crew of “Orange is the New Black” accept the award for outstanding ensemble in a comedy series at the 22nd annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall, Jan. 30, 2016, in Los Angeles.
Laura Prepon, center, and the cast and crew of “Orange is the New Black” accept the award for outstanding ensemble in a comedy series at the 22nd annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall, Jan. 30, 2016, in Los Angeles.

"This is what we talk about when we talk about diversity. Different race, color, creed, sexual orientation," said Laura Prepon of the television show Orange Is The New Black as she motioned to her fellow cast members who won the ensemble prize Saturday at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Diversity was the running theme of the night, from the producers of the show and from the remarks of the actors.

Diversity has become the topic of much conversation in the entertainment industry following the announcement of the Oscar nominations that for a second year straight failed to go to any people of color.

But the SAG Awards include television shows and movies, while the Oscar categories are focused only on films.

Idris Elba poses in the press room with the award for outstanding male actor in a supporting role for “Beasts of No Nation” and the award for outstanding male actor in a TV movie or miniseries for “Luther” at the 22nd annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles, Jan. 30, 2016.
Idris Elba poses in the press room with the award for outstanding male actor in a supporting role for “Beasts of No Nation” and the award for outstanding male actor in a TV movie or miniseries for “Luther” at the 22nd annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles, Jan. 30, 2016.

Idris Elba won two awards Saturday, one for supporting actor in the Netflix film Beasts of No Nation and his lead performance in the BBC miniseries Luther.

"Ladies and gentleman, welcome to diverse TV," Elba said on his third trip to the stage as a presenter.

In Addison to Elba, Queen Latifah won an award for her portrayal of blues singer Bessie Smith on HBO, Viola Davis won for her work on the ABC-TV show How to Get Away with Murder and actress Uzo Aduba won for Orange Is The New Black.

The newspaper drama Spotlight won the best picture prize.

Leonardo DiCaprio, left, winner of the award for outstanding male actor in a leading role for “The Revenant” and Brie Larson winner of the award for outstanding female actress in a leading role for “Room”, pose in the press room at the 22nd annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall, Jan. 30, 2016, in Los Angeles.
Leonardo DiCaprio, left, winner of the award for outstanding male actor in a leading role for “The Revenant” and Brie Larson winner of the award for outstanding female actress in a leading role for “Room”, pose in the press room at the 22nd annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall, Jan. 30, 2016, in Los Angeles.

Leonardo DiCaprio took home the best film actor award for his outdoor-adventure in The Revenant, while Brie Larson won the top actress prize for her role as a mother in Room.

Best supporting actress went to Alicia Vikander for The Danish Girl. Her mother is an actress and Vikander said she watched her mother act. "I learned then and I know still that acting is not in a bubble, that magic only happens between acting companions."

Some material for this report came from AP and Reuters.

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