The road-trip drama "Into the Wild" led contenders Thursday for the Screen Actors Guild Awards with four nominations, among them honors for lead actor Emile Hirsch and supporting players Hal Holbrook and Catherine Keener.

Directed by Sean Penn, "Into the Wild" also was nominated for performance by its overall cast, along with the Western "3:10 to Yuma," the crime sagas "American Gangster" and "No Country for Old Men," and the musical "Hairspray."

Joining Hirsch in the lead actor race are George Clooney for "Michael Clayton," Daniel Day-Lewis for "There Will Be Blood," Ryan Gosling for "Lars and the Real Girl" and Viggo Mortensen for "Eastern Promises."

The nominees for the best female lead actor include Cate Blanchett for "Elizabeth: The Golden Age," Julie Christie for "Away From Her," Marion Cotillard for "La Vie En Rose," Angelina Jolie for "A Mighty Heart" and Ellen Page for "Juno."

The drama "Atonement," which scored three Golden Globe acting nominations including lead nods for Keira Knightley and James McAvoy, was completely shut out of the SAG nominations. Also absent from the nominations in both the lead and supporting categories was the musical "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street."

Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter received Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor and Best Actress (in the musical or comedy category) last week. Depp also was tapped for a Best Actor nomination by the BFCA.

SAG's nominations fell in line with the Broadcast Film Critics Association's Critics' Choice Award nominations, which honored "Into the Wild" with seven nominations last week.

The Golden Globes all but ignored "Into the Wild," however, only nominating it in two music categories.

Unlike the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes, which face turmoil caused by striking Hollywood writers, the guild awards look as though they can come off as planned. With actors showing strong solidarity on strike issues, SAG has reached an agreement with the Writers Guild of America for one of its members to write the ceremony.

If the strike that began last month lingers, though, the Globes on Jan. 13 and Oscars on Feb. 24 face possible protests by striking writers and stars who may stay away rather than cross picket lines.

The Writers Guild rejected a request from Globe organizers to allow striking writers to work on that show. Oscar organizers have not yet asked for a similar waiver but face the same prospect.

Along with the Golden Globes and other film honors, the guild picks help sort out favorites and other possible nominees for Hollywood's big prizes, the Oscars, whose nominations come out Jan. 22.

Actors guild winners often go on to win Oscars, including three from 2006: Lead performers Helen Mirren for "The Queen" and Forest Whitaker for "The Last King of Scotland" were the guild and Oscar winners, as was supporting-actress Jennifer Hudson for "DreamGirls."

Guild supporting-actor winner Eddie Murphy for "DreamGirls" lost at the Oscars to Alan Arkin for "Little Miss Sunshine."

"Little Miss Sunshine" won the guild prize for overall acting ensemble, SAG's equivalent of a Best Picture honor, while "The Departed" won Best Picture at the Oscars.

Film and television nominees were chosen by two groups of 2,100 people randomly chosen from the guild's 120,000 members. The guild's full membership is eligible to vote for winners.

The SAG awards will be presented Jan. 27 in Los Angeles.