From whiffed punchlines to tearjerking speeches — and at least one accidental Arctic detour — there was plenty to talk about at the Actor Awards
The Actor Awards (formerly known as the SAG Awards) had a lot to offer on Sunday night — including big wins for the Sinners crew, some very glam Old Hollywood-inspired fashion, an ongoing table tennis bit and quite a few diamonds, in some very unexpected places.
There were some high highs (the overjoyed reactions for those Sinners wins) and low lows (how could they do Meg Stelter dirty like that?) as well as some tearjerking moments from legendary stars such as Harrison Ford and the late Catherine O'Hara.
Read on for the most memorable moments (both good and bad) of the 2026 Actor Awards.
Related: See All the Stars Arriving on the 2026 Actor Awards Red Carpet
01 of 16
Most Festive: Showgirl Style!
There was an official dress code for the evening, for the first time ever: Reimagining Hollywood Glamour from the ’20s and ’30s. And Sheryl Lee Ralph, Fran Drescher and Demi Moore took the assignment seriously, showing up in feathers, top hats and a full tulle train.
02 of 16
Most Sure, Okay! Kevin O'Leary's Tiffany & Co. Basketball Card
Those Shark Tank investments must be paying off, because Kevin O'Leary (who has a part in Marty Supreme — he wasn't just there for his own amusement) commissioned a … well, we'll just let him tell it: A Tiffany & Co. "1/1 bespoke 101.32ct diamond necklace with another 10 ct. of perfectly color matched rubies set in white gold to highlight the beauty and prestige of this Exquisite Kobe/Jordan Gold Logoman Auto 1/1." So, there's that!
03 of 16
Worst FOMO: Not Being at This Table
In her "I Am an Actor" intro, Kate Hudson told funny stories about her childhood while Ethan Hawke (in pirate attire) gazed at her adoringly and swirled the ice in his glass. Who left us off the seating chart?! We want in on these conversations!
04 of 16
Best Proud Dad Moment: Michael J. Fox
The crowd went wild for Michael J. Fox's appearance during the "I Am an Actor" intros, but the star (who appears on the latest season of Shrinking playing a character that, like him, has Parkinson's Disease) put the spotlight squarely on his son Sam instead.
"By the way, he's not an actor, he's just my date," Fox said, after stating that acting had led him to meet his wife Tracy Pollan, with whom he has four kids. "I'm Michael J. Fox. I'm a dad, and I'm an actor."
05 of 16
Oops! Sterling K. Brown Whiffs His Punchline
Janelle James was prepared to show off her dramatic chops — if only her co-presenter Sterling K. Brown would tee her up appropriately. "I give you 11 f—– years of my life and you're telling me you're leaving me for a white woman?" she said, quoting Waiting to Exhale. "Would it help if she was white?" Brown asked — decidedly not quoting Waiting to Exhale. James ribbed him appropriately, and he came back sheepish but ready to take another stab at the joke.
06 of 16
Worst Cold Shoulder (Literally)
Was Bowen Yang really stuck in Antarctica, leaving Connor Storrie and Kathryn Hahn to present on his behalf? Or did he just fake it in some polar expedition-esque gear in front of the giant piles of snow in New York City?
07 of 16
Best Bling: The Big Ol' Necklaces of the Night
Ali Larter (in Repossi), Teyana Taylor (in Tiffany & Co.) and Viola Davis were just a few of the stars who picked monster necklaces to offset their Actor Awards gowns, in keeping with the night's Old Hollywood glamour theme.
08 of 16
Just the Worst: Catherine O'Hara Not Being Here to Accept Her Award
The In Memoriam montage reminded us, as one person said in our Slack channel, that everyone died in the past year. So many truly iconic and wonderful actors' absence was truly missed in the room, and nothing underscored that quite like Catherine O'Hara winning her category for her work on The Studio — just a month after her death from a pulmonary embolism related to her rectal cancer diagnosis.
09 of 16
Oops, Did She Escape a Saloon Fight?
Jenna Ortega's sense of style is pretty much always on point … but something about the intentionally torn holes in the bodice of this lingerie-inspired Christian Cowan gown, paired with the gray thigh-highs and ribbon choker, made us feel it could have walked right off the set of an Old Western.
10 of 16
Worst Stab in the Heart to Art: Not Including These Two in 'Hamnet'
Hacks stars Meg Stalter and Paul Downs’ extended bit about being cut from Hamnet included a song, a meltdown and the admission that “nobody cares about comedy. It’s all about the drama … nobody wants to laugh.” (Proving him wrong, we did laugh, especially when Stalter declared that Adam Sandler — not nominated — was “so good in Spanglish.”)
11 of 16
Worst Night for Red Carpet Photographers
The paparazzi audibly groaned as Connor Storrie slipped on his Terminator-style shades, so we can only imagine how miz they were when other stars including Sam Rockwell, Amy Madigan and Adam Brody (not pictured) donned theirs for photos.
12 of 16
Best Nostalgia Plays: The Cast Reunions That Made Us Recall Our Youth
We're always happy to see casts from the past reunite, and that included the ladies of The Office (pictured: Angela Kinsey, Jenna Fischer, Mindy Kaling and Ellie Kemper), the nemeses-turned-friends of Bridesmaids (Kristin Wiig and Rose Byrne) and the nemeses-turned-lovers of Homeland (Claire Danes and Damian Lewis). The Homeland crew even took their time onstage to demand a recount from their nominated years. "We made you, Timothée. Just saying. And we're ready for a recount!" they declared.
13 of 16
Oops, Is Someone Cutting Onions? Harrison Ford's Whole Speech
It turns out Harrison Ford's 50-year reputation as one of Hollywood's great curmudgeons was all a facade. His acceptance speech for his Life Achievement Award was heartfelt, reflective, funny ("This is very encouraging!" he said before walking off with the statue) and extremely, extremely moving. The camera caught many teary reactions in the audience, including wife Calista Flockhart. "I want to say thank you, truly, from the bottom of my heart, to my peers, to my extraordinary beautiful wife Calista and my family, who have given me love and courage through all of it, and thank you to SAG-AFTRA for honoring me with this prize," he concluded.
14 of 16
Oops, Goop!
It's rare to see Gwyneth Paltrow without a hair out of place. To see her onstage with the Marty Supreme cast missing a whole earring? Unthinkable! Don't worry, though: She found it and it was visible throughout the rest of the broadcast.
15 of 16
Best Digression: Amy Madigan Considers the the Actor's Anatomy
While accepting her award for her role in Weapons, Amy Madigan had some important thoughts to share, and not a few of them were related to the nude — but not terribly impressive, apparently — actor statue.
"Oh, let’s see. What does he have here? Okay, anyway, sorry, I digressed," she mused. Actually: "It was like when you were little, and you had the Barbie and then you got Ken, and you whipped down his drawers, and you went, ‘Ken has nothing’. I never quite understood that. Anyway, I really am digressing. I apologize."
16 of 16
Most Exuberant Reactions: The Envelope Openers for the 'Sinners' Wins
We may be changing our alarm tone to Viola Davis' reaction to Michael B. Jordan's win for his turn in Sinners — "You are shining!" — or perhaps Samuel L. Jackson's gleeful cackle, when he awarded the film's ensemble the top honors of the night. It would be tough to top this level of pride and joy. (Mom? Are you listening? This is the level of enthusiasm we're looking for when we call home and you pick up.)
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