As attacks escalate in Ukraine from the Russian invasion, stars in Hollywood showed their support at Sunday's Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Jean Smart, accepting best lead actress in a TV comedy for HBO Max's "Hacks," called for "peace" during her speech, while Jessica Chastain, best lead actress winner for film "The Eyes of Tammy Faye," said her "heart is with our international family who is fighting for their safety and freedom."
Brian Cox saluted Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a former actor and comedian, while accepting the best ensemble award for HBO's hit "Succession" along with his castmates, calling the attacks "very, very awful."
"The thing that's really distressed me is what's happening in Russia to my fellow actors and actresses and performers and writers and critics," Cox said on stage. "They are told, under pain of high treason, that they cannot say a word about Ukraine and I think that is pretty awful."
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"The Kominsky Method" star Michael Douglas, nominated for best comedy actor for the Netflix show, walked the red carpet in Santa Monica, Calif. wearing a yellow-and-blue pocket square, representing the colors of the Ukrainian flag.
Andrew Garfield, who was nominated at the SAG Awards for best lead actor for Netflix musical "tick, tick...BOOM!", acknowledged the strange feeling of celebrating film and TV while Ukraine is under attack.
Those gathered at the awards show were "celebrating on a pretty tricky day to celebrate but keeping all of Ukraine in our hearts," Garfield told Laverne Cox, E!'s red carpet correspondent, before the show started. "It is odd to be dressing up here in this moment."
Lady Gaga shared her thoughts on the ongoing crisis moments later, touching on Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine that has killed hundreds and forced thousands more to evacuate.
"There's so much going on in the world and my heart goes out to Ukraine," said Gaga, who was nominated for best lead actress for "House of Gucci."
"Hamilton" alums Lin-Manuel Miranda, Daveed Diggs and Leslie Odom Jr. opened the show with a jovial montage of this year's acting nominees, briefly mentioning Ukraine before the awards got underway.
"While tonight is a celebration, we're all holding a place in our hearts for the people of Ukraine and sending our thoughts, prayers and hopes for impending peace," Odom said to applause.
Actress Shari Belafonte wore a ribbon in the colors of the Ukrainian flag as she walked the red carpet. "The Morning Show" star paired the ribbon with her fuchsia-and-silver ensemble.
Getting ready for the show, "(I thought), 'It's going to clash a little bit, but it's worth it,' " Belafonte told USA TODAY on the red carpet. "It's important that we show our solidarity with Ukraine, and I was just happy that I had yellow and blue ribbon (handy)."
Belafonte's "Morning Show" co-star, Italian actress Valeria Golino, also voiced her support for Ukraine before the ceremony.
"It's hard to talk about what's going on, it's so serious and severe," Golino told USA TODAY. "Let's hope that it's going to end sooner than later." In Italy, "we're worried for the Ukraine people, but we're also worried for us. It's closer to home than here."
"The Great" star Douglas Hodge similarly wore a blue-and-yellow ribbon pinned to his velvet suit. The actor plays fictional Russian General Velementov, a military general infatuated with Catherine the Great (Elle Fanning), in Hulu's historical dark comedy.
"We never want to forget what's happening in the other part of the world," Hodge told Variety on the red carpet, calling Zelenskyy "a hero."
Contributing: Ralphie Aversa
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