Darren Criss paid tribute to those affected by the "tragedy" depicted in ‘The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story’ as he picked up his Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award on Sunday (27.01.19).
The 31-year-old actor was honoured for his portrayal of killer Andrew Cunanan at the ceremony and admitted he hoped he’d been able to "create a positive change" with his performance by highlighting "social issues".
He said: "I find it appropriate that this statuette is sort of choosing between which masks to use.
"The character that I played, Andrew Cunanan, unfortunately used masks to destroy things. So as an actor, my goal was to hopefully create something positive; to use masks to create a positive change.
"So for any of the families and friends that are still affected by the destruction that he wrought.
"I hope that they know that our goal was not to make a spectacle of their tragedy, but to create a positive dialogue about social issues and bring to justice things that were in the shadows."
Darren – who beat out competition from Antonio Banderas in ‘Genius: Picasso’, Hugh Grant in ‘A Very English Scandal’, Sir Anthony Hopkins in ‘King Lear’, and Bill Pullman in ‘The Sinner’ to take the award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries – also thanked his co-stars in the FX series.
He added on stage at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles: "If there was a category — I hope there will be in the future — for ensemble in a miniseries, I know they would certainly be here.
"You lifted me up, on- and off-screen, and you made this an experience that I will cherish forever. This is a high that will last a lifetime."
Meanwhile, Patricia Arquette won the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries accolade and used her speech to call out production companies for not paying overtime or meal penalties.
The ‘Escape at Dannemora’ actress said: "I thought you were saying Patricia Clarkson so I was like, yeah!’
"Thank you to Ben Stiller for your incredible support, thank you for letting me explore the character of Tilly.
"Thank you to Benicio Del Toro and Paul Dano – you are an inspiration.
"Some production companies are not paying overtime or meal penalties, so start looking at your paperwork – actors depend on that money to survive
"Thank you Robert Mueller and everyone working to ensure we have sovereignty for the United States of America."
Patricia beat out Amy Adams and Patricia Clarkson from ‘Sharp Objects’, ‘Maniac’ star Emma Stone, and Penelope Cruz for ‘The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story’ to take the honour.
Darren Criss hopes SAG winning role created positive change
