Stop us if you’ve heard this one: a logger, a revolutionary, a comedy writer, a Hoodoo healer, a studio exec, a CIA agent, a nurse, and a witch walk into awards season…
Oh, that’s no joke. This year, dynamic screen actors brought a particularly complex, compelling crop of characters to life across film and TV. As the 2026 Actor Awards (formerly the SAG Awards) season heats up, the conversation’s overflowing with possible nominees.
Backstage chatted with 11 of this year’s standout performers to dig into their characters, craft, and career-defining lessons. (Click on any name below to read their full interview.) Voting for Actor Award nominations runs from Dec. 15 to Jan. 4, ending at 5 p.m PT. Nominees will be announced Jan. 7; the 32nd annual ceremony will be held March 1.
Your favorite actors' favorite performances of the year
“It was a real joy to watch Sean Penn’s performance in ‘One Battle After Another.’ The character was written with vulnerability that Sean showed so well. It actually amplified how dangerous he was as a character, because you feared even more what he was capable of doing.” —Joel Edgerton, “Train Dreams”
“I really loved ‘Sinners.’ That last scene, where Michael B. Jordan as Smoke is holding his baby. As a friend, as a fan, I was just so proud.” —Teyana Taylor, “One Battle After Another”
“I’m in awe of what Leonardo DiCaprio has accomplished. He’s used his success in a way that almost nobody does. It’s so difficult to be as successful as he’s been and keep growing and keep caring about acting. Ever since I saw ‘One Battle After Another,’ I’ve been thinking about what his career is amounting into, just a massive career in sustained excellence that is unparalleled in my generation.” —Ethan Hawke, “Blue Moon” and “The Lowdown”
“Delroy Lindo in ‘Sinners’. He’s an actual master of the craft. The way he laughs as Delta Slim is so different from the way he laughs as Delroy.” —Wunmi Mosaku, “Sinners”
“I saw ‘Bugonia’ in Telluride, and Jesse Plemons is phenomenal. From an actor’s perspective, sometimes when people are so good, they make it look effortless. And people sometimes want to see the effort that’s put into it, but that’s acting—it should be effortless. He just was that character. I felt for him; he added so much empathy. God, he was good.” —Elle Fanning, “Sentimental Value”
“Benicio Del Toro all day, all day, all the time, every time. I love ‘One Battle After Another,’ and I’m constantly blown away and fascinated by the choices he makes. He has this ability—he’s not really doing that much—but he’s so present, so commanding. This was kind of a different part for him. That’s the first one that pops into my head, but this is a crazy year. There’s a lot of amazing work.” —Jesse Plemons, “Bugonia”
“I’m a very big fan of Tim Robinson. He is one of the funniest people on the planet. My kids love ‘I Think You Should Leave.’ I let them watch it, which is questionable because they’re really young. But I love ‘The Chair Company.’ I’m very hypnotized by it.” —Ike Barinholtz, “The Studio”
“Jen Tullock as Devon Scout-Hale in ‘Severance.’ It’s a smaller part, but I feel like every time I see her onscreen, she’s so grounded. Maybe I feel an affinity to that role because I’ve had to do a lot of those kinds of parts, where you come in as a secondary contextual character. You’re fleshing out the world, and you have very little real estate. I think she’s doing such a beautiful job of feeling completely formed, like she has a full life off-camera.” —Ali Ahn, “The Diplomat”
“Jesse Plemons in ‘Bugonia.’ He is one of our finest strawberry blond actors. He’s just a master to me.” —Hannah Einbinder, “Hacks”
“It’s ‘One Battle After Another.’ Regina Hall as Deandra has such an intense positioning in the group. And her silence—there’s somebody who had to listen. Her silence and her eyes. When she says, ‘You have to listen to me,’ you listen to her. I’ve always been a fan of her work.” —Amy Madigan, “Weapons”
“Mia Threapleton as Sister Liesl in ‘The Phoenician Scheme.’ That was brilliant. Just a subtle change from nun to whore. She was incredible.” —Katherine LaNasa, “The Pitt”
These quotes have been edited for length and clarity.