Claire Danes Wins Top Female TV Actor at 2011 SAG Awards

The 17th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG) aired Sunday January 30, 2011. Once again the nominated actors dressed in their best and gathered for the award ceremony to see who would go home with the awards in their categories.

This year's SAG Awards seemed pretty low key compared to some other years. There was quite a bit of red carpet talk and checking out the amazing evening wear the actors show up in. But the time came for everyone to settle in at their tables and wait for the show to begin.

This year Claire Danes took home the award for outstanding performance by a female actor in a television series in the show "Temple Grandin." The other nominees she was up against were Catherine O'Hara, also for "Temple Grandin," Julia Ormond another up for her performance in "Temple Grandin," Winona Rider in "When Love Is Not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story," and finally Susan Sarandon for "You don't know Jack."

While the clips for the nominees were playing Winona Rider scrunched up her face as it she thought they could have at least picked a better clip of her. Other nominees smiled or laughed after their clips were shown.

When Claires name was announced, her fellow nominees all looked very proud. She stood to make her way up to the stage, giving everyone a good look at her unusual but extremely elegant, Louis Vuitton flowery gown. Once on stage she was so excited and emotional she actually shook a little bit.

She spoke very quickly, obviously wanting to have time to say everything she wanted to say and give out her thanks to the appropriate people. She expressed how it was difficult for her because these were here friends she was up against, the people she has known forever like Susan Sarandon and Winona Rider who were in the movie "Little Women" with her.

Claire told a quick story about how Catherine helped her through nervousness when she began the show "Temple Grandin," To which Catherine O'Hara appeared humbled by her acknowledgment. Then she wrapped up her acceptance speech with a very enthusiastic thank you to her husband.

This was Claire Danes first nomination and her first win for the category of outstanding performance by a female actor in a television series.

Sources:

SAG Awards live on TNT
Internet Movie Data Base: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110367/
Style Frizz: http://stylefrizz.com/201101/claire-danes-in-louis-vuitton-flowery-dress-for-2011-sag-awards/