Brendan Fraser encourages struggling actors in emotional SAG Awards win: 'I know how you feel'

For Brendan Fraser, victory isn't only sweet, it also tugs at the heartstrings.

On Sunday, Fraser emotionally clinched the Screen Actors Guild Award for best actor for his role in "The Whale," and it proved to be a sentimental triumph for the actor.

"I will treasure this (award), but never more than what I used to keep in my wallet, which was my SAG card that I earned in 1991," Fraser said. "It made me feel like I belonged. We're actors, we all want to belong to a tribe, and that's when I found where I belonged. And if you told that guy back then that I'd be standing right here right now, I would not have believed you."

He described his character Charlie as "the role of my life": "He's someone who is on a raft of regrets, but he's in a sea of hope, and I've been at that sea and I've rode that wave. ... All the actors out there who have gone through that or who are going through that, I know how you feel. But believe me, if you just stay in there and you put one foot in front of the other, you'll get to where you need to go."

Check out other top speeches from Sunday's ceremony:

Jamie Lee Curtis  talks love for acting, 'nepo baby' label: 'I totally get it'

Say what you will about Jamie Lee Curtis' showbiz pedigree, but she is one proud nepo baby.

Curtis won best supporting actress for her work in "Everything Everywhere All at Once." The actress began her speech with a shoutout to her actor parents, Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh.

"I’m wearing the wedding ring that my father gave my mother. They hated each other, by the way, at the end. But my sister Kelly and I were born from love," Curtis said. "My father was from Hungary and my mother was from Denmark, and they had nothing, and they became these monstrous stars in this industry that they loved so much."

Curtis went on to gush about her love for the craft of acting.

"My parents were actors, and I married an actor. I love actors. I love acting. I love the job we get to do," Curtis said. "I love being a part of a crew. I love being a part of a cast. I love what we do with each other. It's such a beautiful job."

Curtis, whose name has been thrown into the growing discourse on nepo babies in the entertainment industry, also playfully owned up to coming from an industry family.

"I know that so many people in our industry who are actors don't get to do this job, and you look at nights like this and think, 'Is that ever going to be possible for me?' And I know you look at me and think 'nepo baby,' that's why she's there, and I totally get it," Curtis said. "But the truth of the matter is I’m 64 years old, and this is just amazing."

'Nepo babies' in Hollywood: What do famous families say about industry equity?

James Hong of 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' celebrates progress for Asians in film

James Hong, one of the many stars of "Everything Everywhere All at Once," helped take home the award for best ensemble cast. The 94-year-old actor spoke about his journey in the industry in his acceptance speech.

"My first movie was with Clark Gable, but back in those days, the leading role was played by these guys with their eyes taped up, and they talked like this," said Hong, mocking the stereotypical accent of past Asian characters. "The producer said the Asians were not good enough and they (were) not box office, but look at us now."

He added: "I hope I will come back when I'm 100 years old."

Ke Huy Quan gets emotional with historic win for supporting actor

Ke Huy Quan, who stars alongside Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu and Jamie Lee Curtis in "Everything Everywhere All at Once," won the award for best supporting actor. The cultural significance of the win quickly became an "emotional moment" for Quan.

"I was told that if I were to win tonight I would become the very first Asian actor to win in this category,"  Quan said. "When I heard this, I quickly realized that this moment no longer belongs to just me. It also belongs to everyone who has asked for change.

"When I stepped away from acting, it was because they were so few opportunities. And now tonight here we are, celebrating James Hong, Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu. ... The landscape looks so different now than before. To all those at home who are watching, who are struggling and waiting to be seen, please keep on going, because the spotlight will one day find you."

Michelle Yeoh on her best actress win: 'For every little girl that looks like me'

"Everything Everywhere All at Once" star Michelle Yeoh won the award for best actress for her role in the Asian-led action comedy. A tearful Yeoh touched on the importance of authentic representation in cinema in her speech.

"This is not just for me. This is for every little girl that looks like me," Yeoh said. "Thank you for giving me a seat at the table, because so many of us need this. We want to be seen. We want to be heard, and tonight you have shown us that it is possible."

Catch up on the SAG Awards:

• Winners! 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' takes best cast at SAG Awards

• The 10 best-dressed stars on the SAG Awards red carpet: Zendaya, Jenna Ortega, more celebs

• SAG Awards 2023: Lisa Ann Walter brings 'Parent Trap' co-star Elaine Hendrix as date

• Relive the SAG Awards red carpet: See the 70 best dresses of all time

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brendan Fraser's emotional SAG Awards win and more best 2023 speeches