'Oppenheimer' steamrolls towards Oscars with SAG Award wins

Historical epic "Oppenheimer" picked up more prizes on Saturday at Hollywood's Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, bolstering the movie's chances to score the best picture trophy at next month's Oscars.

The film about the race to build the first atomic bomb took the top honour - best movie cast - handed out by members of the SAG-AFTRA actors union at a red-carpet ceremony in Los Angeles.

Cillian Murphy, who played scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer, won best movie actor and co-star Robert Downey Jr. best supporting actor.

SAG-AFTRA's choices are closely watched because actors form the largest group of voters for the Academy Awards, the film industry's top prizes.

At the moment Oppenheimer appears unstoppable. Director Christopher Nolan's drama already has claimed trophies at the Golden Globes, the British Academy Film Awards and other ceremonies. Honours from Producers Guild of America, another key predictor of Oscars success, will be announced on Sunday.

In other SAG accolades, the best actress trophy went to Lily Gladstone, star of Killers of the Flower Moon. Gladstone played a member of the Osage Native American community that suffered a string of murders in 1920s Oklahoma over their oil-rich land.

In television categories, restaurant dramedy The Bear claimed best cast in a TV comedy and acting honours for stars Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri. Succession secured best TV drama cast for its final season about the battle for control of a family's media dynasty.

Elizabeth Debicki, who played Princess Diana in The Crown, won best TV drama actress, while The Last of Us star Pedro Pascal was named best actor in a TV drama..

SAG-AFTRA also handed out a lifetime achievement honour to Barbra Streisand, the award-winning actor, producer, director, singer and writer.