SAG Actor Awards 2026: Best and worst moments, including Michael B. Jordan’s surprising win and more

It’s actors on actors. 

The 2026 SAG Actor Awards aired on Sunday, March 1. Live streaming on Netflix (8 p.m), the ceremony was held at LA’s Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall and hosted by Kristen Bell.

It was a star-studded night, featuring Ethan Hawke, Michael B. Jordan, Patricia Arquette, Kate Hudson, Jacob Elordi, Chase Infiniti, Patrick Schwarzenegger, and more. Harrison Ford, 83, also received the Life Achievement Award.

There were a few surprises — Michael B. Jordan won for “actor in a leading role,” beating out expected winner Timothee Chalamet.

In film, “One Battle After Another” (7 nominations) battled it out with “Sinners” (5 nods), and in TV, “The Studio,” “Adolescence,” and “The White Lotus” were all nominated. 

Here are all the best and worst moments of the night.

Best – Michael J. Fox in the opening

The ceremony began with the camera panning to various actors in the audience, talking about their career beginnings, such as Kate Hudson and Teyana Taylor.

The real crowd pleasing moment happened when the camera stopped on Michael J. Fox, and the room erupted into a huge applause. The “Back to the Future” star, 64, hasn’t attended many awards shows since his Parkinsons diagnosis (he initially announced it in 1998), and he’s been candid about his health battle getting harder. Fox talked about his own career beginnings, recalling how he met his wife, actress Tracy Pollan, on “Family Ties,” where she gave him the “gift” of their four kids, Schuyler, 31, Aquinnah, 31, Esmé, 24, and Sam, 36.

“Sometimes I like to remind them, if it weren’t for acting, they wouldn’t be here,” he said. He ended by proudly proclaiming, “I’m Michael J. Fox. I’m a dad, and I’m an actor.” 

Worst – Sterling K. Brown’s gaffe

The “Paradise” star came out with Janelle James to present an award together. The “Abbott Elementary” actress did a bit where she pretended to act out a scene, to prove that she could act in drama as well as comedy.

“I gave you 11 years of my life, and you left me for a white woman?” she exclaimed, in her faux-drama. Brown stumbled over his scripted reply to their fake drama, saying, “Would it be better if she was white…I mean, if she was black?”

After the mistake, he pretended to walk off stage. “Fun fact, even though I ruined that joke, I actually can be funny!” he said.

Best – Catherine O’Hara gets a standing ovation, and it’s a tearjerker

When O’Hara, who died at 71 in January, won the award for “female actor in a comedy series” for her role in “The Studio,” the Apple show’s creator and co-star Seth Rogen accepted it on her behalf. The room gave a standing ovation.

“I was asked to assume the very sad honor of accepting the award on her behalf,” Rogen said, adding that as he’s reflected on the time that he was “fortunate” to spend with her, he’s been “marveling” at her ability to be “generous and kind and gracious.”

The camera cut to several celebs in the crowd tearing up, including Kathryn Hahn, Jenna Ortega, Sam Rockwell, Rose Byrne, and Keri Russell.

Worst – Kristen Bell’s “table tennis” bit 

As one of her bits during the ceremony, Bell said, “I am escalating the competition, starting with a table tennis match!” The camera cut to Ted Danson playing ping pong with Jackie Tohn. Bell triumphantly announced, “The winner will get…this,” and unveiled a comically weird looking clay figure that was clearly supposed to resemble Timothee Chalamet, as a nod to “Marty Supreme.” 

It was mildly funny, but as Bell kept returning to the table tennis throughout the night, it became a pointless, time-wasting bit.

Best – Amy Madigan continues her awards season momentum 

The “best supporting actress” Oscar race is a toss up this year, but Amy Madigan won the Actor award for her supporting role in “Weapons,” continuing to solidify her momentum leading into the Academy Awards (after winning the Critics Choice Award, too).

“I’ve been doing this a long ass time, and I’ve never been nominated!” she exclaimed in her speech.

It’s nice to see a career actress finally getting some awards recognition at age 75, and it’s also nice to see such a campy horror movie role get lauded, since that genre often don’t get awards love. In her rambling speech, a thrilled Madigan pointed out how the Actor award statuette looks like when kids play with Barbie and Ken, “and you whipped down his drawers, and Ken has nothing!” The astonished crowd laughed.

Worst – Woody Harrelson’s tough crowd 

Harrelson presented Ford with the Life Achievement Award. In a rambling, chaotic monologue, the “True Detective” actor pointed out how most of the crowd will lose awards – “80 percent of you will get lessons in humility this evening!” The audience didn’t seem impressed.

Harrelson then jokingly called “The Fugitive” star Leonardo DiCaprio.

“Sorry, Harrison Ford,” he corrected himself. “Harrison, where are you, Harrison?” he said, seemingly unable to find the “Indiana Jones” star in the audience. As Harrelson rambled on, the crowd laughed at some of his jokes, but when they didn’t chuckle at everything, he berated them. “You guys are tough, man. I f–king write these jokes for you!”

Harrelson concluded by seemingly admitting his speech was a disaster on purpose. He also wanted to honor Ford, but “discourage any other friend of mine from asking me to do this again!”

Best – Harrison Ford’s speech 

In a showstopping speech, the “Star Wars” actor said he was “humbled” and joked that he was in a room of actors who were there because, “they’ve been nominated to receive a prize for their amazing work, while I’m here to receive a prize for being alive.” 

The famously droll actor got emotional and earnest about his love for acting. “It’s a little weird to be getting a lifetime achievement award at the half point of my career,” he said. “We share the privilege of working in the world of ideas, of empathy, of imagination. Sometimes we make entertainment. Sometimes we make art. Sometimes we’re lucky we make them both at the same time.”

He added: “I’m indeed a lucky guy, lucky to have found my people, lucky to have work that challenges me, lucky to still be doing it. I don’t take that for granted.”

Best – Michael B. Jordan wins in an upset

Timothee Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio were both the expected frontrunners in the “best actor” race. Jordan was magnificent playing twins in “Sinners,” but nobody thought he would win. Neither did he – in his speech, Jordan said, “I wasn’t expecting this at all!” 

His triumph was deserved, and it’s the type of moment that can make awards shows exciting, at their best.

In an emotional speech, the “Sinners” star thanked his mom for driving him to auditions when he was younger and referenced his long career. “Man, just being in this room right now with all these people who have seen me grow up in front of the camera….I feel the love and support. Yeah man, this is pretty cool.”