Aziz Ansari skips SAG Awards amid sexual misconduct claims

Los Angeles: Indian-origin actor Aziz Ansari skipped the SAG Awards ceremony amid the allegations of sexual misconduct levelled against him by a woman with whom he went on a date last year.

The 39-year-old actor, who was nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series for his role in "Master of None", did not receive any applause when his name was called out.

It was the first award of the evening.

The show was presented by Kristen Bell, making "The Good Place" actor the first female host in the history of the SAG Awards.

The honour, however, went to William H Macy for "Shameless". Other nominees in the category were - Anthony Anderson ("Black-ish"), Larry David ("Curb Your Enthusiasm"), Sean Hayes ("Will & Grace") and Marc Maron ("GLOW").

Interestingly, Ansari had won the Golden Globe in the same category, in which Macy was snubbed.

Actor James Franco, who has been accused of sexual harassment, attended the award ceremony, which marks his first public appearance since the allegations surfaced.

Franco's representative had confirmed his attendance at the event.

The actor, who recently won a Golden Globe and a Critic's Choice Award for his role in "The Disaster Artist", was nominated in the Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role category.

Franco had skipped the CCA awards after multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct in The Los Angeles Times article and on Twitter.

Gary Oldman won in the category, his first SAG Award, for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in "The Darkest Hour".