Individual SAG movie nods fall short on diversity

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ensemble nominations for the Screen Actors Guild Awards highlight diversity in both film and television, including nods for Beasts of No Nation, ''Straight Outta Compton and Orange is the New Black.

[...] while the predominantly black casts of both Beasts and Straight Outta Compton were recognized for their ensemble work, alongside Trumbo, ''Spotlight and The Big Short, individual acting nominations in most film categories exhibited a striking lack of diversity.

Nominees are selected by separate movie and TV nominating panels, each comprised of more than 2,000 randomly selected SAG members, and the organization's choices highlighted a few underdog performances.

Leading female performance nominees included Cate Blanchett ("Carol"), Brie Larson ("Room") and Saoirse Ronan ("Brooklyn"), all of whom have dominated awards buzz, but also Sarah Silverman for the depression indie "I Smile Back," and Helen Mirren for "Woman in Gold," about an elderly Jewish woman looking to reclaim art once stolen by the Nazis.

In the supporting category, Christian Bale was nominated for "The Big Short," Mark Rylance for the Cold War thriller "Bridge of Spies," Michael Shannon for playing a predatory real estate agent in "99 Homes" and young star Jacob Tremblay for playing a child in captivity in "Room."

Many members of the SAG movie panel also vote for the Academy Awards and as a result, the SAG nominees have traditionally served as a helpful indicator of potential Oscar acting nominees.