Actor-turned-director Sean Penn's Into The Wild leads the Screen Actors Guild (sag) Awards with four nominations.

The drama - which is based on the book of the same name by Jon Krakauer, about the life of tragic adventurer Chris McCandless - was nominated in the Best Actor category for leading man Emile Hirsch's performance, while supporting stars Hal Holbrook and Catherine Keener have also received nods.

Into the Wild is also named in the Best Ensemble Cast category. Penn's movie will compete against Ridley Scott's American Gangster, Ethan and Joel Coen's No Country for Old Men, James Mangold's 3:10 to Yuma, and Adam Shankman's musical, Hairspray, for the award.

In the Best Actor group, Hirsh will be going up against George Clooney for his role in Michael Clayton; Ryan Gosling for Lars and the Real Girl; Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood, and Viggo Mortensen for Eastern Promises.

The leading females battling it out for the Best Actress gong are Angelina Jolie (for A Mighty Heart); Julie Christie (for Away From Her); Ellen Page (for Juno); Marion Cotillard (in La Vie En Rose), and Cate Blanchett (for Elizabeth: The Golden Age).