'Crash', Oh, Sutherland win acting honours

Ensemble drama Crash, the debut feature from Canadian filmmaker Paul Haggis, scored a significant victory Sunday night at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

The drama about racial tensionsin Los Angeles pulled off an upset, with its massive cast winning best film ensemble over the award season's front-runner, Brokeback Mountain.

"We believe that it really celebrates the definition of what an ensemble is all about. I mean there's 74 of us," actor Don Cheadle said of the film's huge cast.

In the best film actor and actress categories, the guild's "actor" trophies went to Philip Seymour Hoffman for the biopic Capote and Reese Witherspoon for Walk the Line, in which she plays country musiclegend June Carter Cash.

Canadians were also in the spotlight for two TV honours. Kiefer Sutherland won best actor in a drama series for his continuing role as a counter-terrorism agent on 24, while Sandra Oh was named best actress in a TV drama series for her portrayal of a surgical intern on Grey's Anatomy.

"This is unbelievable. I thank every single actor out there. I'm so grateful for having a job,"a visibly emotional Oh said in her acceptance speech. "To all my fellow Asian-American actors out there, I share this with you."

Mystical airplane-disaster series Lost and suburban satire Desperate Housewives were named best TV dramatic ensemble and best TV comedy ensemble, echoing similar wins at the recent Golden Globe Awards.

Other winners included:

• Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardener - best supporting actress, film
• Paul Giamatti, Cinderella Man - best supporting actor, film
• Felicity Huffman, Desperate Housewives - best actress in a TV comedy
• Sean Hayes, Will & Grace - best actor in a TV comedy
• Paul Newman, Empire Falls- best actor in a TV movie or miniseries
• S. Epatha Merkerson, Lackawanna Blues - best actress in a TV movie or miniseries

The evening also included the presentation of the life achievement award to screen legend Shirley Temple Black, who served in several diplomatic posts after her Hollywood career.

"I have one piece of advice for those of you who want to receive the lifetime achievement award. Start early," quipped the 77-year-old Temple Black.