Bridges, Bullock win SAG awards

LOS ANGELES – Jeff Bridges of “Crazy Heart” and Sandra Bullock of “The Blind Side” claimed top acting honors at Saturday’s Screen Actors Guild Awards, building momentum for possible Academy Awards glory for the two stars.

“I love being an actor – pretending to be other people and getting into the shoes of other folks,” said Bridges, who plays a hard-luck, hard-living country singer in the drama.

Although respected by his peers, Bridges has largely been bypassed for major awards. Bullock also got a rare chance to bask in the awards spotlight, winning for her portrayal of a tenacious real-life mom, Leigh Anne Tuohy, who helped a youth in need, future NFL player Michael Oher.

Both Bridges and Bullock had picked up Golden Globes trophies for their roles less than a week ago. Backstage, Bullock refused to speculate on her Oscar chances in March.

“Shhhhh. Shhhh. Shhhh,” she said, repeatedly, to a reporter asking the question.

The cast of “Inglourious Basterds,” an off-kilter World War II revenge saga from Quentin Tarantino, won the award for best ensemble performance, a possible sign of the film’s Oscar chances for a best-movie nomination and nod for Tarantino.