On “the only award show where every award goes to an actor,” the 18th AnnualScreen Actors Guild Awards gave top honors to the ensembles of “The Help,” “Boardwalk Empire,” and “Modern Family” at the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center on Sunday.

The night has its share of both comedy and drama. The nominated cast of “Bridesmaids” led an ongoing drinking game regarding the name “Scorsese,” which garnered many laughs. The presentation’s more dramatic elements were a surprise win by Jean Dujardin for lead male actor in “The Artist” and a statement by SAG president Ken Howard.

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — “The Help” has been served eight Image Award nominations.

The adaptation of Kathryn Stockett’s best-selling novel about black maids speaking out about their white employers during the civil rights movement led the 43rd annualNAACP Image Awards nominations Thursday. It’s competing for outstanding motion picture against “Jumping the Broom,” ”Pariah,” ”The First Grader” and “Tower Heist.”

The medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy” and football sitcom “The Game” ruled the TV categories with six nominations each.

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Etta James‘ performance of the enduring classic “At Last” was the embodiment of refined soul: Angelic-sounding strings harkened the arrival of her passionate yet measured vocals as she sang tenderly about a love finally realized after a long and patient wait.

In real life, little about James was as genteel as that song. The platinum blonde’s first hit was a saucy R&B number about sex, and she was known as a hell-raiser who had tempestuous relationships with her family, her men and the music industry. Then she spent years battling a drug addiction that she admitted sapped away at her great talents.

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Eddie Brill, the stand-up comedian who has booked comics for “The Late Show with David Letterman” for the past 11 years, has been fired, Laughspin.com and the newMirth Magazine reported on Tuesday.

In a “ New York Times” profile published last Thursday, Brill caused controversy among the comedy community when he revealed that honesty and vulnerability are two of the most important qualities that he looks for in a comic. He went on to say: “There are a lot less female comics who are authentic. I see a lot of female comics who to please an audience will act like men.” Karen Rontowski was the only female comedian booked on “Letterman” in 2011.

“Mirth” reports that Brill was fired “for speaking to the press without authorization,” and not directly as a result of his offensive comments. Brill will continue to warm up Letterman’s studio audiences before tapings, but after booking two more comics, he will be replaced as the booker by what he described to an anonymous source as “a small group of 25-year-olds.”

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This past August, David Oyelowo appeared in two movies that opened within the same week. On the surface, not a remarkable feat. Except when you consider that the two movies in question happened to be among 2011’s biggest films: The Help and Rise of the Planet of the Apes. They were supporting roles—Oyelowo played Preacher Green in the mammoth adaptation of Kathryn Stockett’s bestseller and the shark-suited, moneygrubbing villain in the Apes prequel—but different enough to show his flexibility across genres and charismatic, multi-quadrant appeal.

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here’s a lot about Edward Burns that’s just so likeable—he’s sharp, talented, and industrious, but also easygoing, and a generous ensemble player. Since breaking out with his acclaimed 1995 writing/directing/acting debut, the low-budget indie The Brothers McMullen (shot over weekends so as not to interfere with his then day job as an Entertainment Tonight gofer), he has worked as an actor for other directors, including Steven Spielberg (Saving Private Ryan), James Foley (Confidence), and Nancy Meyers (The Holiday), while enhancing his own profile as a filmmaker with art-house features like She’s the One and Sidewalks of New York.

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A fleet of freshman winners from cable flooded the 69th annual Golden Globe Awards, which would have shut out the Big Four entirely were it not for ABC’s “Modern Family” in the best comedy category.

The victors hailed mainly from HBO and Showtime, the latter having the only series to be recognized more than once: “Homeland” scored for best drama series and its star, Claire Danes, picked up best actress in a drama.

But Showtime’s third win may have been the night’s biggest upset: Matt LeBlanc took home best comedy actor honors for the relatively unheralded series “Episodes.”

The former “Friends” star acknowledged the show’s executive producers, Jeffrey Klarik and David Crane, in his acceptance speech for writing a fictional version of his actual self for the series.

“They write a Matt LeBlanc that is way more fun and interesting than the real thing,” joked LeBlanc. “I wish i was him.

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After nine days of meetings, the AFTRA and SAG Group for One Union have approved a merger package to send to the two unions’ boards for approval. The move was expected.

OUR EDITOR RECOMMENDS

SAG/AFTRA Merger Committee Shifts Into High(er) Gear; Sets Unprecedented Marathon Meeting to Work on Plan

SAG/AFTRA Merger Committee Meets Tomorrow

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•Labor

“What we have accomplished over the last year is tremendously gratifying,” said SAG president Ken Howard and AFTRA president Roberta Reardon in a joint statement. “We are confident our members will agree that we have created something we can all be proud of.”

The ABC Entertainment Group casting department, which casts projects for both the ABC television network and ABC Studios, has now been split into two separate teams, Deadline.com reported on Thursday. Keli Lee, executive vice president of casting for ABC Entertainment Television Group, will oversee both departments in the Burbank office.

Vice President Ayo Davis, Executive Director Randi Chugerman, and Vice President Sandi Logan will continue to handle casting for the network. Vice President Claudia Ramsumair will be in charge of casting for ABC Studios. The rest of the staff includes casting director John Villacorta, manager Marcello Bellisario, and casting coordinator Peachy Pascual.

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For actors, there’s something outright cruel about the timing of the holidays. Just when the exciting autumn weather that accompanies a busier casting season has been overpowered by the bleak coldness of winter signaling the end of that season, when all the Christmas stage productions have been cast and episodic television is winding down, leaving most of us behind, still jobless, here comes Thanksgiving—when we’re supposed to find reasons to be grateful. Fantastic.

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