Javier Bardem, Nicholas Braun, Elle Fanning Kick Off 2022 SAG Awards With “I Am an Actor” Segment

Javier Bardem, Nicholas Braun and Elle Fanning kicked off the 2022 SAG Awards with the “I Am an Actor” opening segment at Sunday night’s ceremony, taking place at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica.

Braun, who is nominated in the ensemble category for Succession, told the audience that he got his SAG card when he was 11 years old working on his first film, on which the director told him to lay off the soda because his face was getting significantly rounder as shooting went on. “I was hitting it hard,” he said. Braun called that the best note he’d ever received.

The camera then panned to Javier Bardem, nominated for his role as Desi Arnaz in Being the Ricardos in the outstanding performance by a male actor in a leading role category, who gave a shoutout to his grandparents, parents and siblings, who are all actors. “I am very proud to say I am an actor,” he said.

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Elle Fanning, nominated for her performance in the comedy series The Great, said her first on-screen kiss was her first kiss in real life at the age of 13, and that the first take was used in the film. “I guess I was a natural,” she joked.

And last but not least, the camera moved to Daveed Diggs, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Leslie Hamilton Jr., all of whom were part of the original Broadway cast of Hamilton, who also opened the show. All spoke at the same time and couldn’t agree on who should be the one to talk.

“I think in a time like this, the star should go first,” Diggs said, but all three started up again. The debate continued, only for music to interrupt the trio.

“Are they playing us off?” Miranda asked, before the three took to the stage, noting that the theme for the show was “together again.”

“Together again finally we return to a world where all we have to do to hang out like this is get dressed up, show up, get swabbed, sanitized, screen, mask, vaccinated, boosted, rapid tested and PCR cleared in 48 hours, now who’s ready to party?” Odom Jr. said.

The “I Am an Actor” opening segment dates back to 1995, when Angela Lansbury gave a glimpse into her life as a performer: “I’ve been Elizabeth Taylor’s sister, Spencer Tracy’s mistress, Elvis’ mother and a singing teapot,” she said.

The ceremony was dedicated, by actors themselves, to the art and craft of acting, and prompted future telecasts to include anecdotes from distinguished veterans in the field.

Hundreds of actors have participated, from Robert Duvall, Michael Keaton and Eugene Levy to Halle Berry, Millie Bobby Brown, Jenna Fischer and Christina Applegate.