'Parasite' Makes History at the 2020 SAG Awards
One of the biggest continuous snubs throughout the 2020 awards season has been the overlooked cast of Parasite.
The stars of director Bong Joon-ho's lauded dark comedy-thriller lent their talents to a film that received six nominations at the upcoming Academy Awards -- as well as a slew of nods at other major awards shows -- however, none of the performers have been recognized for their work in the stunning South Korean movie, which explores themes of family, class and identity.
That all changed at Sunday's Screen Actors Guild Awards, where Parasite became the first-ever foreign language film to win the night's biggest award -- Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.
Song Kang-ho, Park So-dam, Choi Woo-shik, Lee Jung-eun, and Lee Sun-kyung took the stage to accept the award -- which they won along with co-stars Cho Yeo-jeong, Chang Hyae-jin, Jung Hyeon-jun, Jung Ziso, and Park Myung-hoon.
"Although the title is Parasite, I think the story is about co-existence and how we can all live together," Song said, via translator, as the group joyfully accepted their award. "I am so honored to receive this award in front of such amazing actors that I admire. I will never forget this beautiful night."
The cast got another moment to shine earlier in the evening, as they took the SAG stage to introduce the film's nomination. The performers received a two-minute standing ovation from the crowd before they began speaking, and soaked in the applause from their peers as director Bong proudly filmed them on his cell phone.
Standing ovation for the cast of PARASITE @SAGawards
Song Kang Ho, So Dam Park, Choi Woo Shik, Lee Jung Eun, and Lee Sun Kyun. #RESPECT#SAGAwardspic.twitter.com/zyx4yN5vPc— NEON (@neonrated) January 20, 2020
"The film Parasite is a dark comedy, a thriller and a powerful metaphor," Song told the crowd, speaking in Korean.
"It depicts a class struggle taking place, all under one roof, where some aren't even aware that a struggle exists," Park added.
"We are so honored to be nominated tonight for Cast in a Motion Picture," Choi concluded in English, introducing the film to the crowd.
Backstage, Bong, Park and Song also posed with a page from the Los Angeles Times headlining their "Overlooked Great Acting," a dig at the Academy Awards that cuts even deeper following their win on Sunday.
So Dam Park, Bong Joon Ho, Song Kang Ho, and all the news that's fit to print. #SAGAwardspic.twitter.com/9HkH5j5Xzn
— NEON (@neonrated) January 20, 2020
Director Bong has become an awards season sensation already this year, winning his first major American awards following Parasite's groundbreaking win of the Palme d'Or at last year's Cannes Film Festival -- the first Korean film to do so.
When he took home the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film earlier this month, the director had a few wise words for the crowd, delivered via his translator: "Once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films."
See more from the director, including details on the recently-announced Parasite television series, in the video below.
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