It’s an actor on top of an actor.
The 2026 SAG Actor Awards aired on Sunday, March 1st. The awards ceremony was streamed live on Netflix (8 p.m.) and was hosted by Kristen Bell at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles.
It was a star-studded night, with performances from Ethan Hawke, Michael B. Jordan, Patricia Arquette, Kate Hudson, Jacob Elordi, Chase Infinity, Patrick Schwarzenegger and more. Harrison Ford, 83, also received a lifetime achievement award.
There were also some surprises. Michael B. Jordan won the Best Actor award over Timothée Chalamet, who was expected to win.
In film, “One Battle After Another” (seven nominations) and “Sinners” (five nominations) competed, while in television, “The Studio,” “Adolescent” and “The White Lotus” all received nominations.
Here are all the best and worst moments of the night.
Best Film – Opener Michael J. Fox
The ceremony began with the camera panning to various actors in the audience, including Kate Hudson and Teyana Taylor, who talked about the beginnings of their careers.
The real crowd-pleasing moment occurred when the camera stopped on Michael J. Fox, and the audience erupted in applause. The “Back to the Future” star, 64, hasn’t attended many award ceremonies since his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis (he first announced the diagnosis in 1998) and candidly said his battle with his health has become increasingly difficult. Foxx talked about the beginning of his career, recalling how he met his wife, actress Tracy Pollan, on “Family Ties,” where she gave him their four children as a “gift”: Skyler, 31, Aquina, 31, Esme, 24, and Sam, 36.
“Sometimes I like to remind them that if it wasn’t for acting, they wouldn’t be here,” he said. He concluded by proudly declaring, “I’m Michael J. Fox. I’m a father and I’m an actor.”
Worst – Sterling K. Brown’s gaffe
The “Paradise” star appeared alongside Janelle James to present the award. The “Abbott Elementary School” actress did a little bit where she pretended to act out a scene in order to prove that she can act not only in comedies, but also in dramas.
“I gave you 11 years of my life and you left me for a white woman?” she cried in her own made-up story. Brown stumbled on his scripted response to the fake drama, saying, “Wouldn’t it have been better if she were white…I mean, what if she was black?”
After failing, he pretended to walk off the stage. “The funny thing is, even if I end up ruining that joke, I can actually be funny!” he said.
Best – Catherine O’Hara receives a standing ovation that brought tears to her eyes
When O’Hara, who died in January at the age of 71, won the award for best female actor in a comedy series for her role on “The Studio,” Apple show creator and co-star Seth Rogen accepted the award on her behalf. There was a standing ovation at the venue.
“I was asked to take on the very sad honor of accepting this award on her behalf,” Rogen said, adding that he was “amazed” by her ability to be “generous, kind and courteous” as he reflected on the “fortunate” time he had with her.
Cameras caught several celebrities crying in the crowd, including Kathryn Hahn, Jenna Ortega, Sam Rockwell, Rose Byrne and Keri Russell.
Worst – Kristen Bell’s “table tennis” joke
In one of his remarks during the ceremony, Bell said, “We’ll start with a table tennis match and escalate the competition!” The camera cuts to Ted Danson playing ping pong with Jackie Torn. “The winner… gets this,” Bell announced triumphantly, unveiling a comically bizarre-looking clay figurine that apparently resembled Timothée Chalamet, an homage to “Marty Supreme.”
It was a bit of fun, but it became pointless and a waste of time as Bell kept going back to ping pong all night.
Best Award – Amy Madigan continues award season momentum
The race for Best Supporting Actress at this year’s Academy Awards is in turmoil, but Amy Madigan continues to solidify her Oscar momentum by winning Best Actor for her supporting role in Weapons (and the Critics’ Choice Award).
“I’ve been doing this job so long and I’ve never been nominated!” she exclaimed in her speech.
It’s nice to see a career actress finally win some awards at the age of 75, and it’s also nice to see her creepy roles in horror movies being praised. That’s because the horror movie genre often doesn’t get any love from awards. In a rambling speech, an excited Madigan pointed out how the Actor Award statuette looked when kids were playing with Barbie and Ken, saying, “And you smashed his drawer and Ken had nothing!” The surprised crowd laughed.
Worst – Woody Harrelson’s Tough Audience
Harrelson presented Ford with a lifetime achievement award. In a rambling, chaotic monologue, the “True Detective” actor pointed out that most of the audience would be missing out on the award. “Tonight, 80% of you are going to learn humility!” The audience seemed unimpressed.
Harrelson then jokingly called out “The Fugitive” star Leonardo DiCaprio.
“Sorry, Harrison Ford,” he corrected. “Harrison, where are you, Harrison?” He couldn’t seem to spot the “Indiana Jones” star in the audience. As Harrelson continued to ramble, the audience laughed at some of his jokes, but when they didn’t laugh at all, Harrelson reprimanded them. “You guys are tough, come on. I’ll write these jokes for the king!”
Harrelson concluded by seeming to acknowledge that his speech was a deliberate failure. He also wanted to pay tribute to Ford, but said, “I want to prevent other friends from asking me to do the same thing again!”
Grand Prize – Harrison Ford’s Speech
In a surprising speech, the “Star Wars” actor said he was “humbled” and joked that he was in the room with the actors who were there because “they’ve done a great job and been nominated to receive an award, and I’m here to accept an award for being alive.”
The famously bored actor became emotional and serious about his love for acting. “It’s a little strange to receive a lifetime achievement award half way through your career,” he said. “We share the privilege of working in a world of ideas, empathy, and imagination. Sometimes we make entertainment, sometimes we make art, and sometimes we are lucky to be able to make both at the same time.”
He added: “I’m definitely a lucky guy. I’m lucky to have found my friends, I’m lucky to have a challenging job, and I’m lucky to still be doing it. I don’t take any of that for granted.”
Best – Michael B. Jordan wins upset
Timothée Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio were both expected to be front-runners in the Best Actor race. Jordan played the twins brilliantly in The Sinners, but no one expected him to win. Neither did he. In his speech, Jordan said, “I never expected anything like this!”
His win is well-deserved, and it’s the moment that makes award shows the most exciting.
In an emotional speech, the “Sinners” star thanked his mother for taking him to auditions when he was young and referenced his long career. “Oh, just being in this room right now with so many people who have watched me grow up in front of the camera…I feel so much love and support. Oh, this is pretty cool.”
