“Oppenheimer”, directed by Christopher Nolan, took the trophy for best movie cast at the ceremony 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.
Earlier, “The Bear” stars Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri snagged television honours, while comedian Ali Wong took home the prize for “Beef”.
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 through 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.
Barbra’s lifetime achievement award
During the star-studded event on Saturday, SAG-Aftra also handed out a lifetime achievement honour to Barbra Streisand, the award-winning actor, producer, director, singer and writer, in recognition of her prolific career and humanitarian work.
The 81-year-old received SAG’s highest award from Jennifer Aniston and Bradley Cooper. She was the 59th recipient of the award, which goes to an actor who fosters the “finest ideals of the acting profession”, and received a standing ovation.
Streisand recounted her dream of becoming an actress as a teenager in Brooklyn and being in awe of actor Marlon Brando in the 1955 film “Guys and Dolls”, saying: “That make-believe world was much more pleasant than anything I was experiencing.
“I didn’t like reality. I wanted to be in the movies even though I knew I didn’t look like the other women on the screen. My mother said ‘you better learn to type’, but I didn’t listen.”
It was the first SAG award for Streisand, who has two Oscars, 10 Grammys, five Emmys and an honourary “Star of the Decade” Tony that put her in the elite EGOT club of stars who have won all those awards.
Streisand completed her acceptance speech with an ode to her fellow actors and directors: “I’ve loved working with you, playing with you and inhabiting that magical world of the movies. And most of all, I want to thank you for giving me so much joy.”