“Check, one, two,” Matt Friend said into his mic. The comedian, known for his celebrity impressions, was warming up as the SAG Awards red carpet kicked off at 2:45 p.m.
“Any advice for aspiring actors today?” he asked John Lithgow.
“Don’t do it. Don’t do it. This business is murder,” joked the seasoned actor, seen in “Killers of the Flower Moon.”
A couple of feet away stood Cole Walliser operating his high-speed camera, capturing slow-motion videos of the stars. Ariana Greenblatt, in a voluminous red velvet gown, was making her way to him. “Vera Wang. Custom,” the 16-year-old “Barbie” actress said of her dress as her handler held the trail. “I’m so happy,” she added, lifting her hands in prayer.
Louisa Jacobson, nominated for “The Gilded Age,” opted for black leather — in Louis Vuitton.
“My stylist and I had a choice of four of their dresses, and we chose this one,” she said, working with Edward Bowleg 3rd.
It was her first time at SAGs as a nominee. But she’s familiar with the ceremony, as the daughter of Hollywood’s most celebrated actress, Meryl Streep. “It’s my favorite awards to watch, always, because people seem really happy to be here.”
“I’ve watched this show, and I just love the energy of actors all being together,” echoed Tantoo Cardinal.
The 73-year-old, nominated for “Killers of the Flower Moon,” was in a reflective spirit.
“People really don’t know much about our world as Indigenous people, so it’s great to have the opportunity to talk about our work and what we may be thinking,” she said. “Honestly, I feel there’s a lot of misinformation that has to be cleared up still. There’s some kind of a strange idea about who we are or what our reality is. And that hasn’t hit the mainstream. There’s a long way for us to go to share our stories in the mainstream and our reality in the mainstream.”
What was on her mind?
“Dare I say it?” she debated, with hesitation. “No, I don’t dare say it.”
Perhaps another day. “Yes, another day.”
She used the spotlight to celebrate an Indigenous designer, Adam Avery, wearing a colorful, beaded top hat. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” she said of his creation, which she paired with a black Gucci suit.
Fellow Indigenous actress and costar Cara Jade Myers did so too, donning a vibrant dress with long, pink and orange fringe by Jontay Kahm.
“He’s a Native American designer who’s still in college,” she explained. “This is his senior thesis.”
Alok Vaid-Menon also went for a multicolored look — the familiar pattern of Pucci. “I love the bold prints,” said the gender non-conforming writer and performance artist. “I’m always looking for something that wakes people up.”
Did it wake them up? “Yes, I looked at it like, ‘I’m awake,’” Vaid-Menon smiled. “I’m coming off of two and a half weeks of touring in India, so I’m 12 and a half hours ahead so I needed something to keep me up.”
“Ted Lasso” actor Billy Harris came from London, bringing his Lanvin suit with him.
“She’s back in England,” he said of his stylist, Holly White. “So I carried it over here.”
Pedro Pascal turned heads in an unbuttoned white dress shirt and black trousers — with his eyes on Ciara. The pop star wore her hair big, in a skin-tight latex gown by Venus Prototype, with husband Russell Wilson by her side. Nearby were celebrity couples Adam Brody with Leighton Meester and Alan Ruck with Mireille Enos.
“This is like date night for us, because we never go out,” said Ruck, nominated for “Succession.”
It was now 20 minutes until showtime, and the stars were darting past reporters. Margot Robbie, still channeling “Barbie,” was in black and pink Schiaparelli. Ali Wong surprised in a whimsical and sculptural Iris Van Herpen design. Emma Stone — pausing to high-five Jeff Goldblum — had on a beaded silver gown by Louis Vuitton, as expected.
“That’s the thing about these, everyone comes in at the same time, anyone big,” a reporter said. “And then it’s a rush.”
