Squid Game’s Jung Ho-yeon is moved to tears as she wins outstanding actress at 2022 SAG Awards

Squid Game star Jung Ho-yeon was one of the most high-profile winners Sunday at the 2022 Screen Actors Guild Awards, which were held at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California.

The 27-year-old actress was overcome with emotion and shed some tears as she took home the award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series for the Netflix show.

Her costar Lee Jung-jae won his own acting prize for Male Actor in a Drama series just minutes before she took the stage, though the show lost out to HBO’s dramedy Succession for the outstanding ensemble in a drama series award. It also won Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series, bringing its total to three gongs.

The shocking thriller series takes place in a dystopian near-future in which South Koreans suffering from crippling debt enter a contest to play children’s games for money prizes.

But the contestants soon realize that the game is more sinister than they imagined, as the losers are executed by armed guards, while each death adds more money to the eventual jackpot.

Jung appears on the capitalism critique as a North Korean defector Kang Sae-byeok, who hopes to win the game so that she can use the money to rescue her parents.

Her win was clearly an emotional moment for her, as her eyes weld up with tears at the podium. 

Moving: ‘I have sat many a times watching you on the big screen, dreaming of one day becoming an actor,’ she said via a translator while wiping her tears. ‘I just want to say thank you so much.’

Dark: Netflix’s Squid Game takes place in a dystopian future in which South Koreans suffering from crippling debt enter a contest to play children’s games for money. But they soon learn that the losers are killed, with each death increasing the jackpot

Speaking through a translator, she said: ‘First and foremost, thank you so much. I have sat many a times watching you on the big screen, dreaming of one day becoming an actor. I just want to say thank you so much.’

She then switched to English to tell the show’s crew: ‘I love you!’

Jung won out against an impressive field including The Morning Show’s Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale) and Succession actress Sarah Snook. 

Shoutout: Jung switched to English to tell the show’s crew: ‘I love you!’

Selfless: Jung appears on the capitalism critique as a North Korean defector Kang Sae-byeok, who hopes to win the game so that she can use the money to rescue her parents

Her costar Lee Jung-jae declared his victory over Succession stars Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong and Kieran Culkin, and The Morning Show’s Billy Crudup to be ‘truly huge.’

‘Oh my, thank you so much!’ he said on stage via a translator. ‘This is truly huge that it’s happened to me. 

‘I did write something but I don’t think I’ll get to reading it,’ he added while seemingly overwhelmed by his win.

‘Thank you so much SAG-AFTRA awards and thank you to the global audience for all of your love for Squid Game. And thank you Squid Game team,’ he concluded.

He stars as Seong Gi-hun, also known as Player 456, a gambling addict who hopes to win to help pay off his debts and to regain custody of his daughter, who is set to move to the United States with her mother.

Big night: Her costar Lee Jung-jae won for outstanding male actor and called it ‘truly huge.’

Off the cuff: ‘I did write something but I don’t think I’ll get to reading it,’ he added while seemingly overwhelmed. He plays a gambling addict trying to pay off his debts

Before the live broadcast, the Korean show also scooped the prize for Outstanding Action Performance as a Stunt Ensemble, an award that goes out to stunt performers.

The Netflix series made history as the first Korean TV show and first foreign-language series to triumph at the annual event. 

The series wasn’t as successful when it came to its only other nomination, for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, which was scooped up by HBO’s Succession, with Brian Cox delivering the acceptance speech for the cast.  

This evening’s show only had a rotation group of speakers and no official host, and there hasn’t been one since 2020 when Schitt’s Creek stars Eugene Levy and Dan Levy opened and closed the show.  

Fran Drescher, the newly-appointed SAG-AFTRA president, said last month: ‘After such a long time apart, we’re excited to be together again this year at the 28th annual Screen Actor’s Guild Awards.’ 

Rosario Dawson and Vanessa Hudgens named the nominees in a presentation via Instagram Live last month. 

Honored: Before the broadcast, the Korean show also scooped the prize for Outstanding Action Performance as a Stunt Ensemble, an award that goes out to stunt performers; (L–R) Lee, Jung, Kim Joo-ryeong, Anupam Tripathi and Park Hae-soo

Helen Mirren — who has received a total of five SAG Awards from 13 nominations — received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement honor.  

The accolades are given out by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. 

Founded in 1952, the awards recognize outstanding performances in movie and prime time television. 

SAG AWARD WINNERS 2022

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series

Murray Bartlett (‘The White Lotus’)

Oscar Isaac (‘Scenes From a Marriage’)

Michael Keaton (‘Dopesick’) – WINNER

Ewan McGregor (‘Halston’)

Evan Peters (‘Mare of Easttown’)

Emotional: Michael Keaton got tearful as he won Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series for Dopesick

 

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series

Jennifer Coolidge (‘The White Lotus’)

Cynthia Erivo (‘Genius: Aretha’)

Margaret Qualley (‘Maid’)

Jean Smart (‘Mare of Easttown’)

Kate Winslet (‘Mare of Easttown’) – WINNER

 

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series

Michael Douglas (‘The Kominsky Method’)

Brett Goldstein (‘Ted Lasso’)

Steve Martin (‘Only Murders in the Building’)

Martin Short (‘Only Murders in the Building’)

Jason Sudeikis (‘Ted Lasso’) – WINNER

Mind of a goldfish: Jason Sudeikis won Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series for Ted Lasso

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series

Elle Fanning (‘The Great’)

Sandra Oh (‘The Chair’)

Jean Smart (‘Hacks’) – WINNER

Juno Temple (‘Ted Lasso’)

Hannah Waddingham (‘Ted Lasso’)

 

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

‘The Great’ (Hulu)

‘Hacks’ (HBO Max)

‘The Kominsky Method’ (Netflix)

‘Only Murders in the Building’ (Hulu)

‘Ted Lasso’ (Apple TV Plus) – WINNER

 

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series

Brian Cox (‘Succession’)

Billy Crudup (‘The Morning Show’)

Kieran Culkin (‘Succession’)

Lee Jung-Jae (‘Squid Game’) – WINNER

Jeremy Strong (‘Succession’)

Epic: Lee Jung-Jae beat out three actors from Succession to earn Actor in a Drama Series for Squid Game

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series

Jennifer Aniston (‘The Morning Show’)

Jung Ho-yeon (‘Squid Game’) – WINNER

Elizabeth Moss (‘The Handmaid’s Tale’)

Sarah Snook (‘Succession’)

Reese Witherspoon (‘The Morning Show’)

Stunner: Jung Ho-yeon also won for Squid Game

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ (Hulu)

‘The Morning Show’ (Apple TV Plus)

‘Squid Game’ (Netflix)

‘Succession’ (HBO) – WINNER

‘Yellowstone’ (Paramount Network)

Icon: Brian Cox accepted the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series on behalf of the Succession cast

 

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role

Caitríona Balfe (‘Belfast’)

Cate Blanchett (‘Nightmare Alley’)

Ariana DeBose (‘West Side Story’) – WINNER

Kirsten Dunst (‘The Power of the Dog’)

Ruth Negga (‘Passing)

 

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role

Ben Affleck (‘The Tender Bar’)

Bradley Cooper (‘Licorice Pizza’)

Troy Kotsur (‘CODA’) – WINNER

Jared Leto (‘House of Gucci’)

Kodi Smit-McPhee (‘The Power of the Dog’)

History: Troy Kotsur became the first ever deaf individual to win a SAG Award for his role in CODA

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role

Jessica Chastain (‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye’) – WINNER

Olivia Colman (‘The Lost Daughter’)

Lady Gaga (‘House of Gucci’)

Jennifer Hudson (‘Respect’)

Nicole Kidman (‘Being the Ricardos’)

Can’t believe it: Jessica Chastain was shocked as she won Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role for The Eyes Of Tammy Faye

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role

Javier Bardem (‘Being the Ricardos’)

Benedict Cumberbatch (‘The Power of the Dog’)

Andrew Garfield (‘Tick, Tick … Boom!’)

Will Smith (‘King Richard’) – WINNER

Denzel Washington (‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’)

Ace: Will Smith won Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role for King Richard

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

‘Belfast’ (Focus Features)

‘CODA’ (Apple Original Films) – WINNER

‘Don’t Look Up’ (Netflix)

‘House of Gucci’ (MGM/United Artists Releasing)

‘King Richard’ (Warner Bros) 

 

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture 

‘Black Widow’

‘Dune’

‘The Matrix Resurrections’

‘No Time to Die’ – WINNER

‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’

 

 Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series

‘Cobra Kai’

‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’

‘Loki’

‘Mare of Easttown’

‘Squid Game’ – WINNER