Variety and CNN Unveil 2026 Actors on Actors Pairings Featuring Emmy Contenders

The 2026 edition of Variety and CNN's celebrated Actors on Actors series has officially launched with its full slate of celebrity pairings announced Monday, June 1.

The annual collaboration brings together prominent Emmy contenders for intimate, wide-ranging conversations. Ramin Setoodeh, Variety's co-editor in chief and co-president, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership: "Following our town hall event with Timothée Chalamet last spring, Variety is thrilled to once again partner with CNN on the latest season of Actors on Actors. These interviews are sure to go viral in the days to come, and we can't wait for viewers to watch this year's Emmys contenders in insightful and electrifying conversations that include reunions with the stars of Friends, Game of Thrones, Scandal and The Hunger Games."

CNN's Amy Entelis highlighted the network's perspective on the collaboration: "This collaboration with Variety allows us to expand how we connect audiences with the talent and stories shaping the entertainment landscape. Actors on Actors continues to deliver distinctive, conversation-driving programming that resonates with CNN's subscribers and generates lasting cultural impact."

The Variety Actors on Actors TV issue hits newsstands June 3, with video conversations rolling out daily beginning that same date. Each interview premieres at 9 a.m. ET on CNN's streaming platform, followed by an 11:59 p.m. ET release on Variety's YouTube page.

This year's lineup spans two weeks of pairings:

June 3: Jennifer Aniston ("The Morning Show") & Lisa Kudrow ("The Comeback")

June 4: Keke Palmer ("The 'Burbs") & Sharon Stone ("Euphoria")

June 5: Kit Harington ("Industry") & Peter Dinklage ("The Lowdown")

June 6: Kerry Washington ("Imperfect Women") & Tony Goldwyn ("Hacks," "Law & Order")

June 7: Paul Anthony Kelly ("Love Story") & Patrick Ball ("The Pitt")

June 8: Bowen Yang ("Saturday Night Live") & Rachel Sennott ("I Love LA")

June 9: Rhea Seehorn ("Pluribus") & Bryan Cranston ("Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair")

June 10: Marcello Hernández ("Saturday Night Live") & Tracy Morgan ("The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins")

June 11: Josh Hutcherson ("I Love LA") & Elizabeth Banks ("The Miniature Wife")

June 12: Noah Wyle ("The Pitt") & Sally Field ("Remarkably Bright Creatures")

June 13: Claire Danes ("The Beast in Me") & Richard Gadd ("Half Man")

June 14: Colman Domingo ("Euphoria," "The Four Seasons") & Sarah Pidgeon ("Love Story")

June 15: Jamie Lee Curtis ("Scarpetta") & Mariska Hargitay ("Law & Order: SVU")