What’s Up, Doc? Reader, can you hear us? The legendary American singer, actress, director — and most recently, author — Barbra Streisand is the 59th recipient of SAG-AFTRA's highest tribute: the SAG Life Achievement Award. 

Every year, the SAG Life Achievement Award is given to an actor who fosters the “finest ideals of the acting profession.” And Streisand has surely accomplished a lot throughout her formidable career, with accolades including the Kennedy Center Honors, Cecil B. DeMille Award, and the American Film Institute Life Achievement Award. She is also one of few entertainers to have received an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony (EGOT). 

Streisand first made her name with the Broadway musical I Can Get It for You Wholesale in 1962, continuing to perform in theater, film, TV, and music for six decades. Her numerous honors include two Academy Awards, 10 Grammys (including the Grammy Legend and Lifetime Achievement Awards), five Emmy Awards, three Peabody Awards, and a Tony Award. With the release of Yentl in 1983, Streisand became the first woman to direct, produce, write, and star in a major studio film — and she earned five Academy Award nominations. Her second directorial feature, The Prince of Tides, was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Her third directorial feature, The Mirror Has Two Faces, received two Oscar nominations.

Streisand is also the first woman to receive an Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Evergreen,” which she wrote for the 1977 film A Star Is Born. Over the years she’s proven her cinematic range, portraying unforgettable characters in films including Funny Girl, Nuts, Hello, Dolly!, and The Way We Were. 

With this latest accolade, Streisand joins the ranks of some of the most renowned performers of the last six decades — the SAG Life Achievement honor was first awarded in 1962, to actor and comedian Eddie Cantor. Other winners over the years include Debbie Reynolds, Audrey Hepburn, Betty White, James Earl Jones, Robert Redford, and Morgan Freeman. Most recently, Sally Field was the 2022 recipient. 

“Ever since I was a young girl sitting in the Loew’s Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, I dreamed of being one of those actresses I saw on the screen,” Streisand said. “The movies were a portal to a world I could only imagine. Even though I was an unlikely candidate, somehow my dream came true. This award is especially meaningful to me because it comes from my fellow actors, whom I so admire.”

SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher calls Streisand an “unparalleled talent,” sharing her enthusiasm for this year’s award recipient. “Her enduring career is a testament to her genuine performances, connecting with audiences on a profound level,” Drescher said. “She is a colossal icon with a relentless work ethic, evolving with each stage of her remarkable journey. We celebrate Barbra Streisand not just for her achievements but for the enduring legacy she has carved.”

You can stream the 2024 Screen Actors Guild Awards live on Netflix Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT from the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall. Until then, get your Barbra fix by streaming Barbra: The Music...The Mem'ries...The Magic! on Netflix now.