LOS ANGELES – “The King’s Speech” won the best-actor trophy Sunday for Colin Firth and a second honor for its overall cast at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

The two prizes capped a weeklong surge of Hollywood honors for the British monarchy saga, which is building momentum for the Feb. 27 Academy Awards, where the Facebook drama “The Social Network” previously had looked like the favorite.

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Colin Firth, left, and Geoffrey Rush arrive at the 17th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday. The Associated Press

Natalie Portman earned the best-actress award at the Screen Actors ceremony for “Black Swan,” while “The Fighter” co-stars Christian Bale and Melissa Leo swept the supporting-acting honors, boosting their own prospects come Oscar night.

“The King’s Speech” leads Oscar contenders with 12 nominations, among them best picture and actor for Firth, who has been the awards favorite virtually since the film premiered at festivals half a year ago.

“Until today, I would say probably, if ever I felt that I had a trophy which has told me that something’s really happening for me, it was my SAG card,” said Firth, who plays Queen Elizabeth’s father, George VI, as he takes the throne in the 1930s while struggling to overcome a debilitating stammer.

“I’ve been working since I was 11 years old, and SAG has taken care of me,” said Portman, who won for her role as a ballerina losing her grip on reality.

“They made sure I wasn’t working too long and made sure I got an education while I was working.”

– From news service reports

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