Idris Elba, who failed to earn an Oscar nomination for his performance in 'Beasts of No Nation,' was the toast of the evening.
The ensemble casts of Spotlight and Downton Abbey won the top awards at the 22nd Screen Actors Guild Awards, held Saturday night at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles.
But the big takeaway from the evening was the focus it put on diversity, especially in the wake of the #OscarsSoWhite controversy that has enveloped this year’s Academy Awards.
“Ladies and gentleman, welcome to diverse TV,” Idris Elba said as he appeared beside his young Beasts of No Nation co-star Abraham Attah to introduce a clip from the film about child soldiers in an African civil war.
Elba, who failed to earn an Oscar nomination for his performance in Beasts, was the toast of the SAG Awards, winning a supporting actor award for that film and a second trophy for TV’s Luther.