Trumbo leads Screen Actor nods

Nominations for best ensemble cast went to Beasts of No Nation, a war drama about child soldiers in Africa, and Straight Outta Compton, which charts the rise of hip hop group N.W.A.

Spotlight, with its heralded cast, was expected to rule, especially in the best supporting actor category (Mark Ruffalo and Michael Keaton), where it was surprisingly denied.

The SAG Awards, along with rival awards show the Golden Globes, are key stepping stones for actors and films hoping to build momentum toward next month’s Oscar nomination ceremony.

The best actress nominees were Cate Blanchett for the lesbian drama “Carol”, Brie Larson for psychological thriller “Room”, Saoirse Ronan for Irish immigrant tale “Brooklyn” and Sarah Silverman for “I Smile Back”.

She received her SAG nomination in the TV movie/mini-series actress category for Grace of Monaco, the critically-slammed biopic that American producer Harvey Weinstein refused to release in USA cinemas.

While lead actor nominees included Bryan Cranston, Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Fassbender and Eddie Redmayne.

LOS ANGELES | “Trumbo”, the movie about the 1947 Hollywood blacklist, led the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) nominations on Wednesday in a diverse field that hinted at likely Oscar contenders but snubbed presumed front-runners “The Martian” and new Jennifer Lawrence drama “Joy”.

The period drama will compete against Game of Thrones, Homeland, House of Cards and Mad Men for the award.

The Screen Actors Guild award will be presented on January 30, 2016 – three weeks before Oscar balloting closes.

Unlike the Oscars and Golden Globes, SAG lets film distributors decide the categories in which to place their candidates.

The nominated actors and filmmakers expressed their gratitude for being selected for one of the most prestigious awards in Hollywood.

On the comedy series front, the nominated actresses are Uzo Aduba (“Orange Is the New Black”); Edie Falco who picked up her record-setting 22nd nod for “Nurse Jackie”; Ellie Kemper (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”); 17-time nominee Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“Veep”) and Amy Poehler (“Parks and Recreation“).

She will go up against Kristen Wiig (The Spoils Before Dying), Susan Sarandon (The Secret Life Of Marilyn Monroe), Christina Ricci (The Lizzie Borden Chronicles) and Queen Latifah (Bessie).

The nominees for best film supporting actress are Mirren, Rooney Mara (“Carol”), Alicia Vikander (“The Danish Girl”), Kate Winslet (“Steve Jobs”) and Rachel McAdams (“Spotlight”). The cast of Modern Family, the comedy series in which acts the Colombian star Sofia Vergara, was also nominated.

Idris bagged a second SAG nomination as he landed a nod for his role in crime drama Luther.