Smith was ecstatic about his win, jumping out of his seat and embracing his costars Aunjanue Ellis and Saniyya Sidney. Smith beat out his fellow nominees Javier Bardem (Being the Ricardos), Benedict Cumberbatch (The Power of the Dog), Andrew Garfield (Tick, Tick … Boom!) and Denzel Washington (The Tragedy of Macbeth).

He called the award one of his greatest moments, saying in his awards speech, “That may have been one of the greatest moments of my career just now because my name was called for King Richard sitting next to Venus Williams.”

He went on to say of Richard Williams, “Richard Williams is a dreamer like no one has ever known. He has a power of belief that borders on insanity and sometimes tips over the border, which is absolutely necessary to take something from impossible to possible.”

As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Smith reflected backstage on his past year, commenting, “It’s been a time of deep personal reflection, and it is resulting in an artistic comprehension and growth as a man and growth as an artist… I’ve never had this kind of growth spurt in my life.”

Smith also praised his young costars in a heartwarming shout saying, “to walk you around this room tonight, to parent you on this film, to deliver you into this business has been one of the greatest pleasures of my life.”

The win is Smith’s first SAG Award after three nominations, and the award sets the stage for him as the favorite heading into the Academy Awards.

squid game