New Line Cinema's "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" notched yet another victory Sunday as it took home the prize for best ensemble cast of a motion picture at the 10th annual SAG Awards.

But it was Johnny Depp -- conspicuously absent from the ceremony at the Shrine Exposition Center -- who stole the show, injecting one of the few notes of surprise into the proceedings when he was named best male actor in a leading role for his swaggering performance as Capt. Jack Sparrow in the popular summer hit "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" from Walt Disney Studios.

Until Renee Zellweger read Depp's name, the other film awards all had gone to the presumed front-runners in the Oscar race. Charlize Theron was chosen best female actor in a leading role for transforming herself into serial killer Aileen Wuornos in "Monster." In the supporting film categories, the victors were Zellweger for "Cold Mountain" and Tim Robbins for "Mystic River."

On the TV front, HBO was dominant, picking up five awards, including two for Mike Nichols' miniseries "Angels in America," honoring stars Meryl Streep and Al Pacino, and two for Alan Ball's drama "Six Feet Under," with wins for Frances Conroy and the show's ensemble cast.

The cast of the cable network's departing comedy "Sex and the City" delivered the fifth nod for HBO, while Tony Shalhoub landed the first series SAG Award for a basic cable network for his role in USA Network's dramedy "Monk."

Two wins for the broadcast networks came in the best actress in a comedy series category where Megan Mullally of NBC's "Will & Grace" became the first actor to score three wins in the individual categories, and in the best actor in a drama series where Kiefer Sutherland of Fox's "24" grabbed his first SAG award.

"It just doesn't get much better," Theron exclaimed as she accepted her award from Clint Eastwood. "I have so many amazing actors to thank whom I could not have done this film without, who came and gave us their time and we gave them no money in return," she said, referring to the low-budget nature of the project. She saved a special thank you to her mother "who put me on a plane with a one-way ticket to Hollywood when I was 19 years old."

Zellweger is becoming a familiar presence at the SAG Awards. Her supporting actress trophy for playing a feisty mountain woman in "Cold Mountain" was her fifth nomination since 1997 -- and last year, she took home two awards for her lead performance in "Chicago" and as part of that film's ensemble cast.

Even after winning a Golden Globe last month and a BAFA award last weekend, Zellweger still appeared slightly stunned when her name was called. "Thank you for inviting me here tonight," Zellweger said, drawing a deep breath. "It is such an honor. I think it's the nicest invitation of the year actually, and I'm beside myself." Paying tribute to her cast, crew and director Anthony Minghella, she smiled, "It is a wonderful life!"

Robbins took home his first Actor -- as the SAG awards are dubbed -- for his performance in "Mystic River," where he plays a shell of man damaged by an abusive past. "Susie's got one of these," he cracked as the trophy was handed to him -- a reference to his companion, Susan Sarandon. "I'm gonna get them alone in a dark room and see what happens."

In addition to his requisite thank yous -- as the spotlight flashed, signaling he should leave the stage, Robbins made a special plea to curb runaway production. "This (award) is about supporting actors," Robbins said. "I just would like to say, there are so many supporting actors that make their living ... that have taken a hit in the past few years because of a lot of runaway productions. And I'd like to encourage all the power that's in this room to try to bring back some of those productions into the United States of America."

The cast of "Return of the King" may have meshed onscreen, but they seemed to be competing for the spotlight as they offered thanks.

Said Bernard Hill, who plays Theoden, "We sit atop a kind of pyramid of talent we actors, because we can't do this without a whole structure beneath us."

Sean Astin, who plays Sam, followed him and pointed out that his mother, Patty Duke, had served as SAG president for 1 1/2 terms. He began to address some of the divisiveness within SAG. "There is internecine strife, there is controversy, and there is a time for all of us, and a way for all of us to look a little bit more closely," Astin said. "Some of us make a lot more money than others of us, but I think we need to be involved (in the union) or the union will not endure, and these awards shows will not last."

But then Astin was shoved aside by John Rhys-Davies, who plays Gimli, who was eager to introduce New Line topper Bob Shaye, whom he joshingly described, as "the very worst actor in the room."

Actors and acting were, of course, the theme of most of the acceptance speeches.

"I realized that I wanted to be an actor (when) I was about 14," Sutherland said. "I was watching a performance of 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' and somewhere between the first and second act, I forgot my mother was playing Martha and realized how powerful that was."

Conroy won for her role as the matriarch of the Fisher clan in "Six Feet Under." "This is a family, and we've worked with one another in many capacities and many jobs that we've always felt fortunate to get," Conroy said as she teared up. "We've either been in Actors Equity or AFTRA or SAG, and they've protected us. And that's an important thing."

Minutes after she accepted her award, Conroy returned to the stage with her fellow "Six Feet Under" members to receive the show's second straight award for best performance by an ensemble in a drama series.

"This is the only occasion that an ensemble gets to be awarded in the award arena, so I think we're all very happy to be standing up here together, as happy as we are to be working with each other," series star Peter Krause said.

In addition to "Six Feet Under," Mullally was the other reigning winner to defend her title. She landed a third consecutive best actress in a comedy series statuette.

In one of the more entertaining moments of the evening, Mullally brought her "Will & Grace" co-star and fellow nominee Debra Messing to the stage with her.

"Well, I brought Mother Nature with me," she said, pointing to pregnant Messing. "And Debra is so deserving. I hope you all get a chance to work with her some day. It's a real treat."

For the first time in the past three years, Mullally was not joined in the winners' circle by her co-star Sean Hayes. Instead, Emmy and Golden Globe winner Shalhoub picked up his first SAG Award for his portrayal of obsessive-compulsive Detective Adrian Monk.

"I am so deeply unprepared," Shalhoub said. "I'm so thankful, so proud to be an actor. It is my fondest wish that all of you, all of the actors here tonight and watching at home have the opportunity to work with a team of people that I work with."

The best ensemble in a comedy series category featured three beloved comedies bidding farewell this season, former winners "Sex and the City," "Frasier" and "Friends."

It was the cast of "Sex and the City" that received another recognition at the same time the show's final episode aired on HBO.

"We will all miss you so much," said Kristin Davis who accepted the award with two of her three fellow cast members Kim Cattrall and Cynthia Nixon. Series star Sarah Jessica Parker was a no-show.

Although they didn't win, the cast of NBC's "Frasier" also was honored Sunday. As the quintet walked onstage to present the award for best ensemble in a drama series, the actors drew a standing ovation from the crowd.

Streep threw some rhymes into the ceremony with a prepared acceptance speech in the form of an elaborate poem. "Uncomfortable truths, homosexual youth, middle-aged heterosexual glory, Al Pacino's face, Emma Thompson's grace, Tony Kushner's incomparable story," she said of "Angels in America," a grim tale of Reagan-era America. "Forgiving Mike Nichols, a truckload of shekels to bring this sweet tale to the masses."

Streep's co-star Pacino was less poetic. "I wish you all luck," he said. "I hope you all can get a part that you really love -- it's really great."

Michael Douglas introduced Karl Malden, his former co-star on TV's "The Streets of San Francisco," who became the 40th recipient of SAG's Life Achievement Award. "I don't know if anyone has ever called him beautiful, at least in public," Douglas said. "But I can tell you this, not only is he one helluva actor, but Karl Malden, to all of us here, you are one beautiful human being."

In particular, Douglas observed that Malden "has proudly worn the mantle of a character actor, and, without question, the characters he's brought to life onstage and screen are legendary."

In his acceptance, Malden recalled reading an article about acting during his first trip to New York in 1937. He took its words to heart, as he explained, saying, "I believe that life created artistically on the stage is superior entertainment, and that superior entertainment is educational. Therefore, an actor spreads culture, his profession has dignity."

"This is the peak for me," Malden added before surrendering the stage to warm applause.

In her welcoming remarks, SAG president Melissa Gilbert noted that this year marks SAG's 70th anniversary -- "seven decades of progress and change marked by enduring friendships and solidarity among artists."

The film awards were spread evenly among U.S. distributors with one award each going to Miramax Films, New Line Cinemas, Newmarket Films, the Walt Disney Studios and Warner Bros. Pictures.

The show was executive produced by Jeff Margolis, produced by Kathy Connell, written by Stephen Pouliot, directed by Ron de Moraes and broadcast on TNT.