Portman, Firth, 'Speech' win SAG Awards
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 31 (UPI) -- The stars of "The King's Speech" were honored with the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble in a Film Sunday night at a ceremony in Los Angeles.
The movie about how Britain's King George VI overcame a debilitating stammer on the eve of World War II has a cast that includes Guy Pearce, Helena Bonham-Carter, Michael Gambon and Geoffrey Rush.
Colin Firth, who played the speech-impaired monarch, also picked up the SAG prize for Best Male Actor in a Leading Role in a Film.
"This is really something," Firth said. "Until today, I would say, probably, if ever I had a trophy that told me something's really happening for me it was my SAG card, to be a part of this extraordinary collective.
"Growing up in England, it's not something you expect to see in your wallet and so it has this glow. I used to flash it around, hoping it would get me female attention, and entry into nightclubs and top-level government departments and it didn't.
"Now I've got this (award,) I'd like to thank -- looking at who's here -- I'd like to thank security for letting me into the building."
Natalie Portman won the SAG prize for Best Female Actor in a Leading Role in a Film for her work in the ballet drama "Black Swan."
"I've been working since I was 11 years old and SAG has taken care of me. They made sure that I wasn't working too long and that I got my education while I was working and I'm so grateful to have this union protecting me every day," Portman said.
"The Fighter" co-stars Melissa Leo and Christian Bale won the SAG Awards for Best Female and Male Actor in a Supporting Role.
'Boardwalk' wins big at SAG Awards
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 31 (UPI) -- The cast of "Boardwalk Empire" won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble in a Drama Series in Los Angeles Sunday night.
The stars of the HBO crime drama include Michael Pitt, Kelly Macdonald, Michael Shannon, Michael Stuhlbarg and Dabney Coleman.
The show's male lead, Steve Buscemi, was also separately recognized with the SAG Award for Male Actor in a Drama Series.
"I want to thank my Mom and Dad for just letting me be me. I love you; I love all of you. I love actors. Thank you so much," Buscemi said in his acceptance speech after expressing his gratitude to his show's creative team, his co-stars and his wife Jo.
Julianna Margulies won the SAG Award for Female Actor in a Drama Series for her work in "The Good Wife"
"What an honor this is. I can't even tell you. I'm incredibly moved," Margulies said upon collecting her statuette. "I love my job so much."
The 17th annual SAG Awards recognize the best in film and television acting for 2010.
Henry Cavill will be latest movie Superman
HOLLYWOOD, Jan. 31 (UPI) -- Warner Bros. announced that British actor Henry Cavill will have the title role when the next Superman film comes out in 2012.
Cavill, 27, appeared in the Showtime series "The Tudors," but is otherwise relatively unknown in the United States, the Los Angeles Times said Sunday.
Cavill is also starring in "Immortals," which comes out in November.
The Times said Cavill came close to landing the lead in "Superman Returns" in 2006, but lost out to Brandon Routh after a change of directors.
Zack Snyder will direct Cavill's Superman, which is slated to hit theaters during the Christmas 2012 season.
Brittany Murphy's old home goes to auction
HOLLYWOOD, Jan. 31 (UPI) -- Court documents say the Hollywood Hills home where actress Brittany Murphy and her husband both died will be auctioned off.
TMZ.com said Sunday the 8,000-square-foot home was put on the market unsuccessfully with an asking price of $7.25 million and an unpaid mortgage of more than $4 million.
Murphy died in 2009. Her husband, Simon Monjack, was found dead in the residence last year, about seven weeks after Murphy's mother had put it up for sale.
It is to hit the auction block Monday, TMZ.com said.
