'Oppenheimer' claims top SAG award on way to the Oscars

Los Angeles: Historical drama "Oppenheimer," the story about the race to build the first atomic bomb, won the top honor at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards on Saturday, bolstering its chances at next month's Oscars.

Oppenheimer took the trophy for best movie cast at the honors handed out by members of the SAG-AFTRA actors union.

Cillian Murphy, who played scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer, was named best movie actor, and his co-star Robert Downey Jr. landed the best supporting actor prize.

The best actress trophy went to Lily Gladstone, star of the historical drama Killers of the Flower Moon. Da'Vine Joy Randolph won supporting actress for playing a grieving mother in The Holdovers.

SAG-AFTRA's film choices are closely watched because actors form the largest group of voters for next month's Academy Awards, the film industry's top prizes.

The ceremony took place after SAG-AFTRA staged a four-month strike against Hollywood studios last year to fight for higher pay and protections around artificial intelligence.

"It is especially meaningful to be here with us all together again, for this occasion, after going though a very difficult time with the strike," actor Idris Elba said in opening remarks.

The awards streamed live on Netflix for the first time, part of the company's efforts to expand its live programming.

SAG-AFTRA also handed out a lifetime achievement honor to Barbra Streisand, the award-winning actor, producer, director, singer and writer.