The most unpredictable Oscar race in years is finally coming into focus.
Jesse Buckley (“Hamnet”), Amy Madigan (“Weapons”) and Sean Penn (“One Battle After Another”) solidified their status as front-runners in their respective categories at the acting awards on Sunday, March 1, while the surprise win of Michael B. Jordan (“The Sinners”) added a welcome shake to the ultra-competitive Best Actor lineup.
The Actors Award, newly renamed from the Screen Actors Guild Awards, is often one of the most reliable bellwethers for future Oscar glory. (The trophy is decided by a vote of the Academy’s largest group of actors.)
The ceremony, hosted by Kristen Bell, had a running time well over two hours, due in part to constant movie montages and boring repeats featuring celebrity attendees playing ping pong backstage.
But there were some bright spots, including heartfelt and surprising speeches from honorees Keri Russell (The Diplomat) and Michelle Williams (Dying for Sex) and absurdly funny gags from Hux co-stars Meg Stalter and Paul W. Downs.
Here are the biggest moments from the 2026 Actors Awards streamed on Netflix.
Harrison Ford jokes it’s ‘weird’ to receive lifetime achievement award at 83 years old
Mr. Ford, 83, has long been known for his unusually public personality. But after a rambling and comical introduction by his friend Woody Harrelson, the Star Wars icon was visibly overwhelmed as he took to the stage to accept his Lifetime Achievement Award.
Mr. Ford gave a painful but heartfelt speech on stage, saying, “I am extremely grateful for such warm consideration.” “But let me be clear: I’m also very humbled. I’m in a room of actors, many of whom are here because they’re nominated to win awards for great work, but I’m here to accept awards for being alive.”
“It’s a little strange to receive a lifetime achievement award half way through your career,” Ford deadpanned. “It’s a bit early, isn’t it? I’m still a working actor.”
Ford went on to explain that he was not an “overnight success” and that “none of this happened on my own.” He thanked George Lucas and Steven Spielberg for giving us Star Wars and Indiana Jones.
“My junior year of college, I was a little lost,” Ford recalls. “I was a failure at school. I felt alone and isolated. Then I found a tribe of people who put on theater. People I thought were sociopaths and nerds turned out to be my tribe.”
He ended his speech by tearfully thanking his “extraordinary” wife, Calista Flockhart, and the Screen Actors Guild. “This is very encouraging,” Ford quipped.
Michael J. Fox makes rare public appearance on “I Am an Actor” segment
Fox, who guest-starred on Season 3 of Shrinking earlier this year, appeared at the beginning of the acting awards ceremony as stars including Teyana Taylor, Kristen Wiig, Delroy Lindo and Kate Hudson talked about their origins in acting.
“Before I left school and moved from Canada to Los Angeles, my teacher said to me, ‘Fox, you’re not going to be unpretty forever,'” Fox explained. “So I said, ‘Maybe that’s enough, Doctor.'”
After several years of “dumpster diving,” Fox landed the lead role in the sitcom “Family Ties,” where he received “the greatest gift of my life.” It was his wife Tracy Pollan, who co-starred in the series.
“And she gave me four presents: Skylar, Aquina, Esme and Sam,” Fox said of her children. “Sometimes I like to remind them, ‘If it wasn’t for acting, you wouldn’t be here.'”
Seth Rogen praises ‘genius’ Catherine O’Hara after posthumous victory
Stars including Sarah Paulson, Rose Byrne and Jenna Ortega shed tears over Catherine O’Hara’s posthumous win for Best Actress in a Comedy Series for “The Studio.” The actress, who died Jan. 30 from a pulmonary embolism, was memorialized on stage by her “Studio” co-star Seth Rogen, who spoke at length about her kindness and generosity.
“She really showed us that people can be genius and kind. One doesn’t have to come at the expense of the other in any way,” Rogen said, imploring the audience to share O’Hara’s work with their loved ones.
“I want people to laugh and say, ‘This is Catherine O’Hara, and we’re lucky to live in a world where she shares her talent with us,'” Rogen concluded.
Teyana Taylor and daughter Ru win cutest red carpet duo award
Teyana Taylor lost out on Best Supporting Actress, but won on the red carpet. Now, she and her 5-year-old daughter Lou Rose Shumpert.
While Taylor posed for the cameras on the carpet, Lou secured the train of her dress to make sure her mom was in the right position. Afterwards, she showed off adorable and cheeky poses on the red carpet with her mother, and the two further won the hearts of the audience by hugging and kissing.
Lou, along with her 10-year-old sister Junie, was one of Taylor’s “co-stylists” and did her job well. The “One Battle After Another” star was one of the best-dressed at the awards ceremony, wearing a strapless silver and gray trompe l’oeil dress with what appeared to be a corset with faux nipples.
Amy Madigan compares acting statue to Barbie and Ken
Madigan won Best Supporting Actress for her role as the witchy Aunt Gladys in the horror mystery “Weapons,” and gave one of the night’s most captivating speeches. She began by trotting to the podium with arms outstretched and reenacting the film’s memorable opening scene.
“I’m very honored to be here. I’ve been doing this job for a long time and I’ve never been nominated by a SAG committee,” said Madigan, 75, best known for classic 1980s films such as “Field of Dreams,” “Uncle Buck” and “Twice in a Lifetime.”
She began to thank her fellow actors, but was momentarily distracted by the impressive physique of the Best Actor statue.
“Let’s see, what does he have here?” said Mr. Madigan, examining the statuette. “It’s like when you were little and you had Barbie, and then Ken was born, you pulled out a drawer and said, ‘There’s nothing for Ken!'” I never understood that. Anyway, I really got off track. sorry! ”
