SAG Award Nominations Include Surprises

Independent features such as “The English Patient,” “Marvin’s Room” and “Shine” and the box-office hits “Jerry Maguire”’ and “The Birdcage” were among the top finishers in the film portion of the Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations announced Thursday.

“Seinfeld,” “3rd Rock From the Sun,” “NYPD Blue,” “ER” and “The X-Files” received multiple nominations in the television field.

Miramax lead the movie nominations with 11 nods while NBC collected the most TV nominations with 16.

There were some surprises in the film categories. The little-seen “Sling Blade” earned two nominations: outstanding performance by a male actor in a motion picture (Billy Bob Thornton) and outstanding ensemble performance by a cast in a theatrical motion picture.

And Gena Rowlands and Marisa Tomei both received nominations for their work in the limited-release comedy-drama “Unhook the Stars.”

Noticeably absent from the list of nominees, though, were Madonna, who received a Golden Globe last Sunday for her performance in “Evita”; Edward Norton, another Golden Globe winner (“Primal Fear”), and Golden Globe nominees Courtney Love (“The People vs. Larry Flynt”) and Barbara Hershey (“The Portrait of a Lady”).

The 86,000-member Screen Actors Guild will vote on the nominees, and the winners will be announced Feb. 22 in an NBC broadcast from the Shrine Exposition Center.

Angela Lansbury will also be honored during the telecast with the Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award.

Here is a partial list of the nominees:

Outstanding performance by a male actor in a leading role: Tom Cruise (“Jerry Maguire”), Ralph Fiennes (“The English Patient”), Woody Harrelson (“The People vs. Larry Flynt”), Geoffrey Rush (“Shine”), Billy Bob Thornton (“Sling Blade”).

Outstanding performance by a female actor in a leading role: Brenda Blethyn (“Secrets & Lies”), Diane Keaton (“Marvin’s Room”), Frances McDormand (“Fargo”), Gena Rowlands (“Unhook the Stars”), Kristin Scott Thomas (“The English Patient”).

Outstanding performance by a male actor in a supporting role: Hank Azaria (“The Birdcage”), Cuba Gooding Jr. (“Jerry Maguire”), Nathan Lane (“The Birdcage”), William H. Macy (“Fargo”), Noah Taylor (“Shine”).

Outstanding performance by a female actor in a supporting role: Lauren Bacall (“The Mirror Has Two Faces”), Juliette Binoche (“The English Patient”), Marisa Tomei (“Unhook the Stars”), Gwen Verdon (“Marvin’s Room”), Renee Zellweger (“Jerry Maguire”).

Outstanding performance by a cast in a theatrical motion picture: “The Birdcage,” “The English Patient,” “Marvin’s Room,” “Shine,” “Sling Blade.”

Outstanding performance by a male actor in a television movie or miniseries: Armand Assante (“Gotti”), Beau Bridges (“Hidden in America”), Robert Duvall (“The Man Who Captured Eichmann”), Ed Harris (“Riders of the Purple Sage”), Alan Rickman (“Rasputin”).

Outstanding performance by a female actor in a television movie or miniseries: Anne Bancroft (“Homecoming”), Kathy Bates (“The Late Shift”), Stockard Channing (“An Unexpected Family”), Jena Malone (“Bastard Out of Carolina”), Cicely Tyson (“The Road to Galveston”).

Outstanding performance by a male actor in a drama series: George Clooney (“ER”), David Duchovny (“The X-Files”), Anthony Edwards (“ER”), Dennis Franz (“NYPD Blue”), Jimmy Smits (“NYPD Blue”).

Outstanding performance by a female actor in a drama series: Gillian Anderson (“The X-Files”), Kim Delaney (“NYPD Blue”), Christine Lahti (“Chicago Hope”), Della Reese (“Touched by an Angel”), Jane Seymour (“Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman”).

Outstanding performance by a male actor in a comedy series: Jason Alexander (“Seinfeld”), Kesley Grammer (“Frasier”), John Lithgow (“3rd Rock From the Sun”), David Hyde Pierce (“Frasier”), Michael Richards (“Seinfeld”).

Outstanding performance by a female actor in a comedy series: Christine Baranski (“Cybill”), Ellen DeGeneres (“Ellen”), Helen Hunt (“Mad About You”), Kristen Johnston (“3rd Rock From the Sun”), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“Seinfeld.”)

Outstanding ensemble performance in a drama series: “Chicago Hope,” “ER,” “Law & Order,” “NYPD Blue,” “The X-Files.”

Outstanding ensemble performance in a comedy series: “3rd Rock from the Sun,” “Frasier,” “Mad About You,” “Remember WENN” and “Seinfeld.”