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Story by: Jack Foley
JAMIE Foxx and Hilary Swank have emerged as hot Oscar favourites
after winning the best actor and actress prizes at the Screen
Actors' Guild Awards at the weekend (February 5, 2005).
Foxx followed up his Golden Globe success by being named best
actor for his exemplary portrayal of late soul-singer and music
icon, Ray Charles, in Taylor Hackford's gritty biopic, Ray.
While Swank also followed up her Golden Globe success by winning
the best actress prize for her tragic portrayal of a female boxer
in Clint Eastwood's magnificent Million
Dollar Baby.
The biggest surprise of the night, however, was reserved for
the best cast performance, which was awarded to the delightful
ensemble of Sideways - beating
the likes of Million Dollar Baby and pre-awards favourite, The
Aviator.
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Martin Scorsese's epic did, however,
pick up a trophy for Cate Blanchett, who won best supporting actress
for her portrayal of Katharine Hepburn alongside Leonardo DiCaprio's
Howard Hughes.
While Morgan Freeman deservedly picked up the best supporting
actor prize for his masterly turn in Million Dollar Baby.
Needless to say, both main award winners were gushing in their
praise for their directors.
Swank, especially, said she bowed down to Eastwood, informing
him that 'you are a talent beyond compare'.
"If I'm half the person you are and half the talent you
are when I'm 74, I will know that I've accomplished something
great," she added.
Foxx, meanwhile, paid tribute to Charles 'for just living so
complex and so interesting, and making us all just come together'.
Of Hackford, he added:"Thank you for taking a chance with
an African-American film. Taylor, you're my director of the year."
The wins mean that both Foxx and Swank are now among the hot
favourites for Oscars, particularly as SAG winners often go on
to win at the Academy Awards.
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