A long shot amid the sure things

The top honor at the 13th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday night went to the little indie that could. In something of a surprise win over such favorites as “Babel,” “The Departed” and “Dreamgirls,” the outstanding ensemble in a motion picture award went to the cast of the dark comedy “Little Miss Sunshine.” The movie received several Oscar nominations last week, including best picture, but had been considered a long shot for most awards.

Many performers who won at the recent Golden Globes also won Sunday. Helen Mirren received two SAG Awards, one for outstanding female actor in a leading role as the stalwart British monarch Elizabeth II in “The Queen” and another as lead female actor in a TV movie or miniseries as the Virgin Queen in HBO’s “Elizabeth I.”

“Be still my beating heart. It’s been an incredible night for me personally,” Mirren said in accepting for “The Queen.” “I learned to love a person without vanity,” she said of the monarch she portrays.

Forest Whitaker picked up outstanding lead male actor for playing the Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in “The Last King of Scotland.” Whitaker, like Mirren, is nominated for an Oscar and has received the lion’s share of critics’ awards.

Four of the 10 individual awards handed out at the Shrine Auditorium went to black performers. Jennifer Hudson, who was voted off “American Idol” three years ago, won outstanding female actor in a supporting role for portraying an R&B; singer in “Dreamgirls.”

Her cast mate Eddie Murphy won outstanding male actor in a supporting role for his performance in “Dreamgirls” as a struggling R&B; singer.

The award for best female actor in a drama series went to another African American, Chandra Wilson, for her performance as the no-nonsense Dr. Miranda Bailey on ABC’s popular medical show “Grey’s Anatomy.” “It’s about those 10 cast members sitting over there and that other one in rehab,” Wilson said, referring to Isaiah Washington, who has been embroiled in a controversy over anti-gay slurs against cast mate T.R. Knight and is seeking treatment. “Thank you Screen Actors Guild for taking me as I am,” Wilson also said.

The show also won for ensemble cast in a drama series.

America Ferrera, whose parents are Honduran, won for outstanding female actor in a comedy series for her role as Betty Suarez on ABC’s breakout hit “Ugly Betty.”

“I look out and see faces that inspired me my whole life,” she said.

The British had an early run during Sunday night’s ceremony. Besides Mirren’s double win, her “Elizabeth I” costar Jeremy Irons won outstanding male actor in a TV movie or miniseries.

Their countryman Hugh Laurie won outstanding male actor in a drama series for his role as acerbic Dr. Gregory House on Fox’s medical show “House.”

Outstanding male actor in a comedy series went to Alec Baldwin, who plays a bombastic network executive in NBC’s sitcom “30 Rock.”

After an extended standing ovation, the stars of the legendary CBS sitcom “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” handed out the award for outstanding ensemble cast in a comedy series to the cast of NBC’s mockumentary, “The Office.”

susan.king@latimes.com

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The winners

Movies

Male actor in a leading role

Forest Whitaker, “The Last King of Scotland”

Female actor in a leading role

Helen Mirren, “The Queen”

Male actor in a supporting role

Eddie Murphy, “Dreamgirls”

Female actor in a supporting role

Jennifer Hudson, “Dreamgirls”

Cast in a motion picture

“Little Miss Sunshine”

Television

Male actor in a TV movie or miniseries

Jeremy Irons, “Elizabeth I” (HBO)

Female actor in a TV movie or miniseries

Helen Mirren, “Elizabeth I” (HBO)

Male actor in a drama series

Hugh Laurie, “House” (Fox)

Female actor in a drama series

Chandra Wilson, “Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC)

Male actor in a comedy series

Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock” (NBC)

Female actor in a comedy series

America Ferrera, “Ugly Betty” (ABC)

Ensemble in a drama series

“Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC)

Ensemble in a comedy series

“The Office” (NBC)