SAG Predictions: Male Actor in a Leading Role – Andrew Garfield and Will Smith Are the Two Frontrunners

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Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars and Emmys ceremonies from film awards editor Clayton Davis. Following history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Oscar and Emmy predictions are updated regularly with the current year's list of contenders in all categories. Variety's Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year long: Draft, Pre-Season, Regular Season and Post Season. The eligibility calendar and dates of awards will determine how long each phase lasts and is subject to change.

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2022 SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS PREDICTIONS:
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

UPDATED: Nov 25, 2021

AWARDS PREDICTION COMMENTARY: More to come…

Oscar nominations voting begins on Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, and will end on Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022. The official Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, with the ceremony taking place on Sunday, Mar. 27, 2022.

Awards Season Calendar (2021-2022)


ALL AWARDS CONTENDERS AND RANKINGS:

TICK, TICK…BOOM! Andrew Garfield as Jonathan Larson, in TICK, TICK…BOOM! Photo Credit: Macall Polay/NETFLIX ©2021 - Credit: Courtesy of Macall Polay/NETFLIX
TICK, TICK…BOOM! Andrew Garfield as Jonathan Larson, in TICK, TICK…BOOM! Photo Credit: Macall Polay/NETFLIX ©2021 - Credit: Courtesy of Macall Polay/NETFLIX

Courtesy of Macall Polay/NETFLIX

AND THE PREDICTED NOMINEES ARE:

RANK

ACTOR

FILM

ROLE

STUDIO

1

Will Smith

“King Richard”

Richard Williams

Warner Bros

2

Andrew Garfield

“Tick, Tick … Boom!”

Jonathan Larson

Netflix

3

Benedict Cumberbatch

“The Power of the Dog”

Phil Burbank

Netflix

4

Denzel Washington

“The Tragedy of Macbeth”

Lord Macbeth

Apple Original Films/A24

5

Peter Dinklage

“Cyrano”

Cyrano de Bergerac

MGM/United Artists Releasing

NEXT IN LINE

6

Leonardo DiCaprio

“Don’t Look Up”

Dr. Randall Mindy

Netflix

7

Clifton Collins, Jr.

“Jockey”

Jackson Silva

Sony Pictures Classics

8

Joaquin Phoenix

“C’mon C’mon”

Johnny

A24

9

Oscar Isaac

“The Card Counter”

William “Tell” Tillich

Focus Features

10

Simon Rex

“Red Rocket”

Mikey Saber

A24

OTHER TOP-TIER CONTENDERS

11

Javier Bardem

“Being the Ricardos”

Desi Arnaz

Amazon Studios

12

Mahershala Ali

“Swan Song”

Cameron Turner

Apple Original Films

13

Adam Driver

“House of Gucci”

Maurizio Gucci

MGM/United Artists Releading

14

Jude Hill

“Belfast”

Buddy

Focus Features

15

Bradley Cooper

“Nightmare Alley”

Stanton “Stan” Carlisle

Searchlight Pictures

16

Matt Damon

“Stillwater”

Bill Baker

Focus Features

17

Jake Gyllenhaal

“The Guilty”

Joe Baylor

Netflix

18

Nicolas Cage

“Pig”

Robin “Rob” Feld

Neon

19

Riz Ahmed

“Encounter”

Malik Khan

Amazon Studios

20

Cooper Hoffman

“Licorice Pizza”

Gary Valentine

MGM/United Artists Releading

UNRANKED LISTING

Adam Driver

“Annette”

Adam Driver

“The Last Duel”

Alessandro Nivola

“The Many Saints of Newark”

Amir Jadidi

“A Hero”

Ansel Elgort

“West Side Story”

Anthony Ramos

“In the Heights”

Benedict Cumberbatch

“The Electrical Life of Louis Wain”

Clint Eastwood

“Cry Macho”

Daniel Craig

“No Time to Die”

Dev Patel

“The Green Knight”

Don Cheadle

“No Sudden Move”

Eddie Murphy

“Coming 2 America”

Eric Bana

“The Dry”

Filippo Scotti

“The Hand of God”

Harvey Keitel

“Lansky”

Jonathan Majors

“The Harder They Fall”

Justin Chon

“Blue Bayou”

Matt Damon

“The Last Duel”

Michael B. Jordan

“A Journal for Jordan”

Michael Keaton

“Worth”

Tim Blake Nelson

“Old Henry”

Tim Roth

“Bergman Island”

Timothée Chalamet

“Dune”

Tom Hanks

“Finch”

Udo Kier

“Swan Song”

Winston Duke

“Nine Days”

2022 SAG Awards Predictions (Film)

2022 Academy Awards Predictions

2021 Oscars predictions are here.

About the SAG Awards

The Screen Actors Guild Awards, hosted by SAG-AFTRA, is an annual award show that has become one of the most important and key indicators for the Oscars. Four films have won the most SAG awards with three: 1999’s “American Beauty,” 2002’s “Chicago,” 2011’s “The Help” and 2017’s “Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri.” Three movies have been nominated for the most SAG awards with five: 1998’s “Shakespeare in Love,” “Chicago” and 2008’s “Doubt.”

  • The 28th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®, presented by SAG-AFTRA with Screen Actors Guild Awards, LLC will be simulcast live on TNT and TBS on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022, at 8 PM ET / 5 PM.

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