Most of the crowd gathered inside Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall for the SAG Awards Feb. 24 spent the bulk of last summer on vacation. They made at least one visit to the picket lines and posted messages of celebration when the 118-day SAG-AFTRA strike ended in November.
They are the members of the Screen Actors Guild and they are actors.
While that particular anecdote didn't make the cut of the SAG Awards' famed opening, Idris Elba did address the picket line-shaped elephant in the room at the top of the show. "It is especially meaningful to be here with us all together to for this occasion after going through a very difficult time with the strike," the Luther star noted. "I want to take this moment to honor and appreciate all of you both here and watching at home who stood up for SAG-AFTRA in solidarity and support. So, thank you very much."
The SAG-AFTRA strike officially came to an end in early November—mere weeks after the Writers Guild of America reached a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, putting an end to their nearly five-month standoff.
"We are thrilled and proud to tell you that today your TV/Theatrical Negotiating Committee voted unanimously to approve a tentative agreement with the AMPTP," the performers union announced on Nov. 7. "As of 12:01am PT on November 9, our strike is officially suspended and all picket locations are closed."
Per the guild, the new contract is valued at upwards of $1 billion and includes "'above-pattern' minimum compensation increases, unprecedented provisions for consent and compensation that will protect members from the threat of AI, and for the first time establishes a streaming participation bonus."
"We have arrived at a contract that will enable SAG-AFTRA members from every category to build sustainable careers," the organization continued. "Many thousands of performers now and into the future will benefit from this work."
In short, "We did it!!!!" as union president Fran Drescher posted on her Instagram. "The Billion+ $ Deal! 3X the last contract! New ground was broke everywhere! Ty sag aftra members for hanging in and holding out for this historic deal!"
The news meant that our favorite TV shows will soon be back on air and that Hollywood's famous faces can return to red carpets to dazzle us with their fashionable frocks (check out what every star wore to the SAG Awards) and accept a few accolades for their latest projects.
Among those nominated at the SAG Awards—where winners are decided by SAG-AFTRA union members, i.e. their colleagues—are Ryan Gosling, Margot Robbie, Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt and Robert Downey Jr. (see all the nominees here). And, yes, they were pretty stoked for the chance to celebrate.
But before the party was the picket line party. Keep reading to see which stars were hoisting a sign last year.