`CHICAGO' SINGS OSCAR'S TUNE SAG TAPS MUSICAL FOR THREE AWARDS.

Byline: Valerie Kuklenski Staff Writer

Hollywood loves ``Chicago,'' judging from the three awards the musical picked up Sunday at the ninth annual Screen Actors Guild Awards - motion picture ensemble, best actress (Renee Zellweger) and supporting actress (Catherine Zeta-Jones).

Daniel Day-Lewis was named best actor in a motion picture as the grisly Bill the Butcher in ``Gangs of New York,'' while Christopher Walken of ``Catch Me If You Can'' walked off with the best supporting actor award. With less than two weeks before the Academy Awards, all four actors - plus ``Chicago'' - have to be considered front-runners.

``Thank you to my 'Chicago' family - the naughty kids in church over there,'' said Zellweger, who played a husband killer whose trial turns into a media circus. ``Richard Gere: not a bad day at work to see your smiling face every day,'' she told the crowd at the Shrine Auditorium.

Then, like so many others Sunday night, she addressed the struggling performers in the television audience, telling them ``to scrape together your SAG dues, because it's a great life.''

Gere, speaking for the ensemble, said he had been acting for a living since he was 19 years old. ``I have never, ever had so much fun until I did this, and I didn't know what it was to be an actor until I did this.''

Zeta-Jones claimed the evening's first prize for her portrayal of Velma Kelly, which showcased her as a triple threat - singer, dancer and actress. She expressed her thanks ``to my wonderful actors, who I've had the privilege of hanging out with for six months, and getting bruised and iced with,'' adding, ``If I wasn't pregnant I'd do it all over again - I promise you!''

Day-Lewis talked about his beginning as an actor. ``When I was starting out, we were led to believe quite clearly that our futures, if we were lucky enough to work, were going to be in the theater,'' he said.

``I had a guilty secret, because I'd seen 'A Place in the Sun,''' he continued, rattling off a string of American-made classics. ``My secret hope was that I wanted to make a contribution to this tradition.''

Walken beat out Chris Cooper of ``Adaptation,'' Ed Harris of ``The Hours,'' Dennis Quaid of ``Far From Heaven'' and Alfred Molina of ``Frida'' for the best supporting actor.

``You know how heavy this is?'' Walken asked backstage as he hefted the award. ``It's great, but it's heavy.''

HBO's ``Six Feet Under,'' a darkly humorous family drama set in a funeral home, won the drama series ensemble award.

James Gandolfini, winner of the drama series actor honor, praised his fellow performers in HBO's ``The Sopranos.''

``I've just been lost the entire time, and they've dragged me through it, kicking and screaming.

``Maybe there's been some stuff lately that makes me seem ungrateful,'' he said, referring to his recent breach-of-contract suit against the network. ``But to HBO, I just want to say I am very grateful for what you've done, and it's a wonderful place to work.''

Backstage, the bearded Gandolfini said about the lawsuit, ``I think it will all work out. I hope it will.''

Edie Falco also won for her role in the series as Tony Soprano's long- suffering wife, Carmela. It was her third SAG award, having won twice in 2000. Backstage she said, ``I don't want to be there without him,'' referring to Gandolfini. ``That's all I can say.''

The cast of CBS' ``Everybody Loves Raymond'' won the comedy ensemble award. Brad Garrett was designated to speak for the group. ``This is a big win for me,'' the comic said. ``I'm going to be auditioning for the lead in 'The Sopranos' next week, and I'm very excited. Melissa Gilbert - wow,'' he said, referring to the guild president's plunging-neck dress. ``It's nice to see where my dues are going.''

``Will & Grace's'' Megan Mullally and Sean Hayes won the best actor and actress in a comedy series awards for the second straight year.

``I am so busted,'' Mullally gushed. ``I was trying to tell Meryl Streep that I love her - which is so queer - and I literally tripped on the stairs.''

Hayes addressed his rivals - Ray Romano, Matt LeBlanc, Tony Shalhoub and Bernie Mac: ``I watch every one of those shows, and you guys are freakin' hilarious.'' Hayes said he feels blessed. ``It was not so long ago that I could not pay my rent, and now I can pay all your rent.''

William H. Macy claimed the actor award for a movie or miniseries for playing disabled salesman Bill Porter in TNT's ``Door to Door.'' The announcement was one of several times the audience rose to its feet. At the podium, Macy quickly pulled out his SAG membership card and declared, ``Been a member for 30 years.''

Stockard Channing won for playing the mother in NBC's ``The Matthew Shepard Story,'' adding to the Emmy she won for the role last fall.

Backstage, Channing defended ``West Wing'' co-star Martin Sheen's public opposition to a possible war with Iraq. ``I think he takes issue with how our president is handling things, and he has every right to do that,'' Channing said of Sheen. Gilbert led a tribute to the troops during the ceremony, but politics were at a minimum during the evening.

Backstage, Day-Lewis was asked what it would be like to go to the Oscars if the U.S. were at war with Iraq. ``Even at this stage now, it's not without a certain ambivalence that you come to an evening that's about pure celebration. It's not that easy to do that.''

Clint Eastwood, accepting the lifetime achievement award, spoke of the thrill he felt in joining the guild in the early '50s, when Walter Pidgeon was president and its membership included Barbara Stanwyck, Bette Davis, James Cagney and Gary Cooper. ``And I thought I was hot stuff, until I started knocking on doors and getting the turndowns. So I appreciate everything that all of you have had to go through at some time in your life.''

The Screen Actors Guild is made up of 98,000-plus members, who are eligible to vote on the awards.

Staff writer Evan Henerson contributed to this report.

THE WINNERS

FILM

Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, ``Gangs of New York''

Actress: Renee Zellweger, ``Chicago''

Supporting Actor: Christopher Walken, ``Catch Me If You Can''

Supporting Actress: Catherine Zeta-Jones, ``Chicago''

Cast performance: ``Chicago''

TELEVISION

Actor in a TV movie orminiseries: William H. Macy, ``Door to Door''

Actress in a TV movie orminiseries: Stockard Channing, ``The Matthew Shepard Story''

Actor in a drama series: James Gandolfini, ``The Sopranos''

Actress in a drama series: Edie Falco, ``The Sopranos''

Actor in a comedy series: Sean Hayes, ``Will & Grace''

Actress in a comedy series: Megan Mullally, ``Will & Grace''

Ensemble in a drama series: ``Six Feet Under'', HBO

Ensemble in a comedy series: ``Everybody Loves Raymond'', CBS 

Lifetime Achievement Award: Clint Eastwood

CAPTION(S):

11 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- 3 -- color) Richard Gere kisses the award won by ``Chicago'' for best ensemble acting at Sunday night's Screen Actors Guild Awards. His co-star Renee Zellweger, top right, was given the best actress honor. Daniel Day-Lewis, above right, was named best actor for ``Gangs of New York.''

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer and Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer

(4 -- color) Award-winning actress Halle Berry marches down the red carpet in style for the Ninth annual SAG Awards on Sunday night at the Shrine Auditorium.

(5 -- color) no caption (cast form ``The Sopranos'')

(6) The cast of HBO's ``Six Feet Under'' accepts the award for dramatic ensemble acting on TV.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer

(7 -- 9) The cast of CBS' ``Everybody Loves Raymond,'' left, accepts the ensemble award for TV comedy; Christopher Walken, center, won honors for his supporting work in ``Catch Me If You Can''; Catherine Zeta-Jones reacts to being named best supporting actress for ``Chicago.''

(10) Megan Mullally repeated her win for NBC's ``Will and Grace.''

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer and Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer

(11) Actor-director Clint Eastwood arrives to receive a lifetime achievement award from the Screen Actors Guild.

Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer

Box:

THE WINNERS (see text)