Best moments from SAG Actor Awards, from Harrison Ford to Michael J. Fox

The most unpredictable Oscar race in years is finally coming into focus.

At theActor AwardsonSunday, March 1,Jessie Buckley("Hamnet"),Amy Madigan("Weapons") and Sean Penn ("One Battle After Another") solidified their front-runner status in their respective categories, while a surprise win fromMichael B. Jordan("Sinners") offered a welcome shake-up to the ultra-competitive best actor lineup.

The Actor Awards, newly renamed from the Screen Actors Guild Awards, are often one of the most reliable bellwethers for future Oscar glory. (The trophies are voted on by actors, who make up the largest swath of the Academy.)

The ceremony, hosted by Kristen Bell, ran well over its two-hour runtime in part because of incessant movie montages and a lame recurring bit featuring celebrity attendees playing ping-pong backstage.

But there were also some bright spots, with genuinely surprised speeches from winners Keri Russell ("The Diplomat") and Michelle Williams ("Dying for Sex"), and an absurdly hilarious gag by"Hacks" co-stars Meg Stalter and Paul W. Downs, who sarcastically claimed to be cut from "Hamnet."

Here arethe biggest momentsfrom the 2026 Actor Awards, which streamed on Netflix.

Hollywood's biggest celebrities donned their most striking looks for the Actor Awards on March 1 in Los Angeles. We've got all the night's standout fashions, starting with Kate Hudson.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Host Kristen Bell

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Rue Rose Shumpert (left) and Teyana Taylor

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Teyana Taylor (left) and Rue Rose Shumpert

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ryan Coogler (left) and Zinzi Coogler

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Chloe Zhao

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Eiza Gonzalez

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ted Danson and Kate Danson

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

See all the stunning celebrity looks from SAG Actor Awards red carpet

Hollywood's biggest celebrities donned their most striking looks forthe Actor Awardson March 1 in Los Angeles. We've got allthe night's standout fashions, starting with Kate Hudson.

Harrison Fordjokes it's 'weird' to win life achievement award at 83

Ford, 83, has long been known for his ornery public persona. But after a comically rambling introduction by friendWoody Harrelson, the "Star Wars" iconwas visibly overwhelmed as he walked to the stageto accept the Actor Awards' life achievement award.

"I feel incredibly grateful for this kind attention," Ford said at the podium, delivering a speech that was both wry and heartfelt. "But to be clear, I also am quite humbled. I'm in a room of actors, many of whom are here because they are nominated to receive a prize for their amazing work, while I'm here to receive a prize for being alive.

"It's a little weird to be getting a lifetime achievement award at the half point of my career," Ford deadpanned. "It's a little early, isn't it? I'm still a working actor."

Ford starred as Deckard in the 1982 cult classic "Blade Runner," based on the 1968 novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick. He's tasked with terminating four replicants who stole an important spaceship in the sci-fi thriller.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Searching for his vanished wife, Dr. Richard Walker (Ford) meets a mysterious and provocative young girl (Emmanuelle Seigner) in an apartment where a man lies murdered in the mystery thriller "Frantic."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ford hasn't always played the good guy. He took a darker turn in the 2000 horror film "What Lies Beneath," which also stars Michelle Pfeiffer.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> On another adventure, Ford helps criminals steal $100 million in the 2006 thriller "Firewall."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ford collaborated with Daniel Craig in a Western-themed movie where the duo play cowboys who take on ... aliens?

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Harrison Ford plays Dr. Paul Rhoades, a psychiatrist with Parkinson's disease, in "Shrinking" on Apple TV.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

Relive Harrison Ford's most memorable roles

Ford went on to explain that he was not an "overnight success," and that "none of this would've happened on my own." He thanked George Lucas and Steven Spielberg for giving him "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones."

Looking back, "in my third year of college, I was a little lost," Ford recalled. "I was failing at school. I felt isolated and alone. And then I found the company of people putting on plays. People I once thought were misfits and geeks turned out to be my people."

He tearfully ended his speech by thankinghis "extraordinary" wife, Calista Flockhart,as well as the Screen Actors Guild. "This is very encouraging," Ford quipped.

Last stop before Oscars! SAG's Actor Awards are packed with A-list celebrities, and these were the very best photos captured at the March 1 show.

Let's start with host Kristen Bell kicking the night off at the 32nd annual Actor Awards, formerly known as the SAG Awards, at the Los Angeles Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Angela Kinsey, Jenna Fischer, Mindy Kaling and Ellie Kemper

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> From left: Seth Rogen, Ike Barinholtz, Chase Sui Wonders and Kathryn Hahn accept the award for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a comedy series for "The Studio."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Megan Stalter and Paul W. Downs

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Noah Wyle

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lisa Kudrow

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Seth Rogen pays tribute to Catherine O'Hara.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Seth Rogen

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sterling K. Brown and Janelle James

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Michelle Williams

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth and Christoph Waltz

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Jenna Ortega

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Seth Rogen

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Connor Storrie and Kathryn Hahn

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Connor Storrie and Kathryn Hahn

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Keri Russell

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Kristen Bell

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Chase Infiniti and Teyana Taylor

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Gwyneth Paltrow and Timothée Chalamet

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

The best celebrity photos from the 2026 SAG Actor Awards

Last stop before Oscars! SAG's Actor Awards are packed with A-list celebrities, and these were the very best photos captured at the March 1 show.Let's start with host Kristen Bell kicking the night off at the 32nd annual Actor Awards, formerly known as the SAG Awards, at the Los Angeles Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall.

Michael J. Fox makes rare public appearance in 'I Am an Actor' segment

Fox,who guest-starred in Season 3 of "Shrinking"earlier this year, appeared during the opening segment of the Actor Awards, as stars including Teyana Taylor, Kristen Wiig, Delroy Lindo and Kate Hudson recounted their acting origin stories.

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"Before I left school and moved from Canada to LA, a teacher of mine told me, 'Fox, you're not going to be cute forever,' " Fox explained. "So I said, 'Maybe just long enough, sir.' "

After a few years of "dumpster diving," Fox landed a starring role in sitcom "Family Ties," where he received "the biggest gift of my life": his wife, Tracy Pollan, who co-starred in the series.

"And she gave me four gifts: Schuyler, Aquinnah, Esmé and Sam," Fox said of his kids. "Sometimes I like to remind them, 'If it wasn't for acting, you wouldn't be here.' "

Seth Rogen honors 'genius' Catherine O'Hara after posthumous win

Stars including Sarah Paulson, Rose Byrne and Jenna Ortega were brought to tears bythe posthumous win of Catherine O'Hara, who earned the prize for best actress in a comedy series for "The Studio." The actress,who died Jan. 30of apulmonary embolism, was memorialized onstage by her "Studio" co-star Seth Rogen, who spoke at length about her graciousness and generosity.

"She really showed that you can be a genius and be kind, and one of those things does not have to come at the expense of the other in any way, shape, or form," Rogen said, imploring the audience to introduce their loved ones to O'Hara's work.

"Tell the people as they are laughing, 'That's Catherine O'Hara, and we were lucky that we got to live in a world where she so generally shared her talents with us,' " Rogen concluded.

Teyana Taylor, daughter Rue win for cutest duo on the red carpet

Teyana Taylor missed out on a supporting actress Actor Award but she did win the red carpet. Well, she and 5-year-old daughter Rue Rose Shumpert.

As Taylor was posing on the carpet for cameras,Rue made sure Mom was on pointby fixing the train on her dress. Later, she joined her mother in delivering some adorable poses and sass on the red carpet, and the two won over the crowd more by exchanging hugs and kisses.

Rue did her job wellas one of Taylor's "co-stylists" alongside big sister Junie, 10. The "One Battle After Another" star was one ofthe best dressed at the awards show, rocking a strapless silver and gray trompe l'oeil dress featuring a corset of sorts with faux nipples.

Amy Madigan compares Actor Awards statue to Barbie and Ken

Madigan delivered far and away the most charming speech of the night, as she picked up best supporting actress for playingthe witchy Aunt Gladys in horror mystery "Weapons."She began by trotting to the podium with her arms outstretched,recreating the movie's memorable opening sequence.

"It's such an honor to be here. I've been doing this a long-ass time, and I've never been nominated by the SAG committee," said Madigan, 75, who is best known for classic 1980s films including "Field of Dreams," "Uncle Buck" and "Twice in a Lifetime."

She proceeded to thank her fellow actors, before getting momentarily distracted by the striking physique of the Actor Awards statue.

"Let's see, what does he have here?" Madigan said, examining the statuette. "It's like when you were little and you had Barbie and then you had Ken, and you whipped off those drawers and you said, 'Ken has nothing!' I never quite understood that. Anyway, I really am digressing. I apologize!"

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Best (and worst) SAG Actor Awards moments you missed

byDonna Devi

in

March 01, 2026

Best moments from SAG Actor Awards, from Harrison Ford to Michael J. Fox

The most unpredictable Oscar race in years is finally coming into focus. At theActor AwardsonSunday, March 1,...

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'SNL' takes on BAFTAs incident, mocks J.K. Rowling's trans 'obsession'

In a sketch that didn't make it to air, "Saturday Night Live" tackled the controversy surroundinglast week's BAFTAs, while also mockingJ.K. Rowlingand other controversial figures.

The sketch show on Sunday, March 1 posted a sketch to its YouTube channel that was cut for time on this weekend's episode, hosted byConnor Storrie. The sketch addressed anincident at the Feb. 22 British Academy Film Awardswhere Tourette Syndrome advocate John Davidson involuntarily shouted a racial slur while two Black actors, Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo from "Sinners," were on stage.

The premise of the "SNL" sketch was that the BAFTAs incident inspired a series of scandal-ridden celebrities to reveal that they, too, suffer from Tourette's and that it was the reason for controversial things they have said and done. First up was Mel Gibson (Andrew Dismukes), who declared that Tourette's "explains a lot of the things I've said or yelled through the years."

Other celebrities depicted as claiming to have Tourette's included Jill Zarin, Louis C.K., Bill Cosby, Ye and Armie Hammer. Storrie portrayed Hammer, who in the sketch claimed that cannibalism is a side effect of Tourette's. "Since it's Tourette's, I guess I have to be forgiven, if not celebrated," he said.

Delroy Lindoaddresses racial slur aimed at him and Michael B. Jordan

Ashley Padilla also played "Harry Potter" authorJ.K. Rowling, who has drawn controversy in recent years for heroutspoken views against the transgender community.

"Tourette's isn't just blurting out an offensive word," Padilla as Rowling said. "It can be yearslong obsession with something like trans rights, and a deep anger that someone who is born with a wand in their pants would want that wand removed and replaced with a Horcrux. But now you know, it was all the Tourette's fault, and not a bet I made with Bill Belichick to see who could destroy their legacy faster."

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Host Alan Cumming explained during the BAFTAs that guests may notice "some strong language in the background" while Davidson was in attendance for "I Swear," a movie about his life that received multiple BAFTA nominations. But the BBC and the BAFTAs received criticism for not removing the racial slur, which Davidson shouted while Jordan and Lindo were presenting, from the broadcast, even though the ceremony aired on a two-hour delay.

Lindoaddressed the incidenton Feb. 28 at the NAACP Image Awards, saying he appreciates "all the support and love we have been shown in the aftermath of what happened last weekend," and calling it a "classic case of something that could be very negative becoming very positive." Davidsonpreviously told Varietyhe "felt a wave of shame and embarrassment" over the involuntary tic but stressed there was "zero" intent behind it. "What you're hearing is a symptom — not my character, not my thought, not my belief," he told Variety.

'SNL' takeson Iran attacks and Khamenei killing in cold open

Davidson has Tourette's with Coprolalia, which involves involuntary outbursts of obscene words or socially inappropriate and derogatory remarks, according to theTourette Association of America. The majority of people with Tourette syndrome do not have Coprolalia, with a prevalence of 10-33% of people, according to the National Library of Medicine.

"SNL" also addressed the BAFTAs incident during "Weekend Update," with anchor Michael Che joking, "Today is the last day of Black History Month, sponsored by Tourette's."

Contributing: Taijuan Moorman, Pamela Avila and KiMi Robinson

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:'SNL' Tourette's sketch addresses BAFTAs racial slur incident

byDonna Devi

in

March 01, 2026

'SNL' takes on BAFTAs incident, mocks J.K. Rowling's trans 'obsession'

In a sketch that didn't make it to air, "Saturday Night Live" tackled the controversy surroundinglast week...

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Connor Storrie welcomes Olympic hockey players on ‘SNL’ – from both the US men’s and women’s teams

US women's hockey team gold medalists Megan Keller and Hilary Knight skated by some ongoing drama related to the US men's hockey team when they appeared on the latest episode of "Saturday Night Live."

The episode, hosted by "Heated Rivalry" star Connor Storrie, took place days after theUS men's hockey team won goldat the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games, going on to draw ire for partying with FBI director Kash Patel and subsequently facing backlash for laughing during a call with President Trump after hejokedhe would be "impeached" for not inviting the US women's hockey team,who also won gold, to the White House.

The women's team later declined Trump's invitation to attend the State of the Union, citing scheduling conflicts, while the men's team did show up.

Storrie welcomed brothers Jack and Quinn Hughes on the stage first during hisopening monologueon Saturday, with the pair donning their gold medals and some missing teeth.

"We've been so busy playing, we haven't had time to see your show yet," Jack Hughes said, before his brother chimed in to joke, "It's about hockey, right?"

Keller and Knight, also donning their gold medals, then walked out on stage after Storrie said he hoped "somehockey players" watched "Rivalry," winking at the fact that much of the show'saudiencehas been women drawn to the gay romance aspect.

"Don't worry," said Keller. "We saw your show."

Keller and Knight went on to poke fun at the Hughes about how the women were originally supposed to appear on "SNL" alone, but "we thought we'd invite the guys too," and reminded the audience that the women's hockey team won gold just "two whole Olympics ago," after the men mentioned their team last won gold over 40 years ago.

The appearance by the athletes all appeared to be in good fun, with no mention of the controversy surrounding the men's team's reaction to Trump's remarks.

"My show speaks to people who are not always represented in hockey," Storrie said at the end of his monologue. "So this is really great to have actual hockey legends here tonight."

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Reaching a 'goal'

Storrie's debut appearance on "SNL" was akin to a decisive slap shot on the ice, a milestone he celebrated alongside his "Rivalry" costar Hudson Williams, who made a surprise appearance during a sketch that took place… at the Rockefeller Center ice rink.

The episode featured moments where Storrie exercised his considerate foreign accent skills, which fans of "Rivalry" — theromantic hockey-set seriesthat has turned Storrie and Williams into the hottest male screen sirens of the moment — already knew quite well. The actor, who portrays surly Russian hockey captain Ilya Rozanov in the show, is in no way, shape or form Russian, and learned to speak the language rather flawlessly in justthree weeks before filming.(This tweetsums up just how much of a quick study he is.)

"Selfishly, I just love Russian language. I love any opportunity to do an accent, learn a new skill, and this had all of it," he toldOutin November of the role.

Amere nine months ago, Storrie was working as a server at aCulver City, Los Angeles restaurant, and almost got fired the day he found out he landed one of the leads in "Heated Rivalry."

It's a part of Storrie's story that he touched on during his opening monologue on Saturday, saying that since he was plucked from that restaurant to star on "Rivalry," his life has "totally changed."

"I've only technically been a professional actor for like, six months now, but on the other hand, I've been preparing for this my entire life," he said. "On one hand, I'm totally surprised and humbled that this is happening to me, and on the other hand, this was my destiny," he added dramatically.

Aside from blowing the lid off of what was previously thought of as permissible with what can be shown onscreen when it comes to gay sex, "Rivalry" has changed the cultural conversation in relation to portrayals of masculinity, consent and the potential for the romance genre in the streaming age.

Before "Heated Rivalry," which (of course) has been renewed for a second season, Storrie was probably best known for a small but pivotal role in 2024's "Joker: Folie a Deux."

Along with Williams and their "Heated" costar François Arnaud, he has been just about everywhere recently, from theGrammystoannouncing the Actor Award nominationstoParis Fashion Weektohobnobbing with acclaimed Hollywood directors. And no one is tired yet.

Mumford & Sons served as the musical guest during Storrie's episode of "Saturday Night Live," with a special appearance by Hozier.

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byDonna Devi

in

March 01, 2026

Connor Storrie welcomes Olympic hockey players on ‘SNL’ – from both the US men’s and women’s teams

US women's hockey team gold medalists Megan Keller and Hilary Knight skated by some ongoing drama related to the US ...

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Shia LaBeouf says 'gay people are scary to me' while claiming homophobia led to arrest

Shia LaBeouf is attributing his arrest in New Orleans last week to his fear of "big gay people."

In aninterview with YouTuber Andrew Callaghanreleased on Saturday, the 39-year-old actor shared what he said led to hisarrest amid the city's Mardi Gras celebrations.

"When I'm standing by myself and three gays are next to me touching my leg, I get scared," he said. "I'm sorry. If that's homophobic, then I'm that. Yeah."

"I'll be honest with you, big gay people are scary to me," LaBeouf added.

A representative for LaBeouf did not immediately return a request for comment.

The actor, best known for his starring role in "Transformers" and the Disney Channel's "Even Stevens," was arrested in New Orleans last week and accused of hitting two people outside of a Royal Street business amid the celebrations, according to police.

"LaBeouf then reportedly assaulted another person — punching him in the nose," police said in a statement last week. "LaBeouf was again held down until police arrived."

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It is unclear what exactly led to the incident.

But in the interview with Callaghan, the actor appeared to suggest he had an altercation with a gay person or was annoyed by gay people's presence near him.

"I'm good with gay — be gay over there, though," he said. "Don't be gay in my lap."

"That's why. I was drunk and it's Mardi Gras. So everything I'm saying is nonsense," he added.

LaBeouf was arrested upon his release from the hospital that day for treatment "of unknown injuries." He was charged with two counts of simple battery, according authorities.

Last week's was not his first run-in with the law, nor were his latest comments his first bigoted remarks.

LaBeouf was arrested in 2017 on suspicion of public drunkenness,The Associated Press reported. LaBeouf made racist remarks to police upon his arrest, the AP reported. The actor later apologized, citing his addiction as a struggle, and the public drunkenness allegations were dropped.

He was sued in 2020 by his ex-partner, British singer FKA Twigs, who accused him choking her and knowingly giving her a sexually transmitted disease. The case was settled out of court last year.

byDonna Devi

in

March 01, 2026

Shia LaBeouf says 'gay people are scary to me' while claiming homophobia led to arrest

Shia LaBeouf is attributing his arrest in New Orleans last week to his fear of "big gay people." I...

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Susan Sarandon says she's been blacklisted from Hollywood for recent Gaza remarks

Susan Sarandon says she hasn't been working in America because her agents "fired" her "for marching and speaking out about Gaza."

Key Points

• The actress explained that she "couldn't do any major film" or "anything connected with Hollywood."

• The Thelma & Louise star has primarily been working in Europe for the past few years.

Susan Sarandonsays that advocating for the people of Gaza has drastically impacted her career trajectory.

TheThelma & Louiseactress spoke candidly about struggling to find work in the American film industry during apress conferencein Barcelona on Friday ahead of the 40th Goya Awards.

"I was fired by my agency specifically for marching and speaking out about Gaza — for asking for a ceasefire — and it became impossible for me to even be on television," Sarandon said. "I don't know lately if it's changed, [but] I couldn't do any major film, anything connected with Hollywood."

United Talent Agencydropped Sarandon as a clientin November 2023 after she spoke at a pro-Palestine rally and drew controversy for suggesting that Jewish Americans are "getting a taste of what it is like to be Muslim in this country, so often subjected to violence."

She laterapologized for the statement, writing, "I deeply regret diminishing this reality and hurting people with this comment. It was my intent to show solidarity in the struggle against bigotry of all kinds, and I am sorry I failed to do so."

Entertainment Weeklyhas reached out to UTA for comment.

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At the press conference, Sarandon said that since 2023 she has been able to act only in Europe. "I found agents ultimately in England and in Italy, and I have worked there," she said. "I just did a film in Italy, and I did a play at the Old Vic for a number of months."

TheRocky Horror Picture Showactress added that she has faced challenges getting cast in those countries, too. "This Italian director that just hired me, he was told not to hire me," she said. "So that's still recently. He didn't listen, but they had that conversation. So right now, I kind of specialize in tiny films with directors who have never directed and are independent films, and films that are in Europe or in Italy. So that's the main reason I haven't been working as much."

Sarandon also applauded Spain and its government for raisingobjections to Israel's actions in Gaza, noting how different the country's attitude has been compared to that of the United States.

"In a place where you feel repression and censorship, to see Spain and to see the president and what he says, and the support that he's giving about Gaza, and to have actors like Javier Bardem come forward with such a strong voice is so important to us in the United States," she said. "When you turn on the TV and you see how strong Spain is and how clear that you are morally about these issues, it makes you feel less alone, and it makes you feel that there is hope because of you all. You just don't hear that on television in the United States."

Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with ourEW Dispatch newsletter.

Sarandon has appeared in a handful of films released by major American studios since being dropped by her agents, including Netflix'sThe Six Triple EightandNonnas. However, those projects began production before November 2023.

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

byDonna Devi

in

March 01, 2026

Susan Sarandon says she's been blacklisted from Hollywood for recent Gaza remarks

Susan Sarandon says she hasn't been working in America because her agents "fired" her "for marching a...

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'Scream 7' star Isabel May reveals Neve Campbell's touching 'maternal act'

Taking on Ghostface is one thing, but with "Scream 7,"Isabel Maywas confronted by an even greater fear.

May, the 25-year-old "1883" breakout who plays the daughter ofNeve Campbell's Sidney Prescottin the slasher franchise's latest outing (now in theaters), tells USA TODAY she was "barely getting by" after coming down with a "horrible stomach flu and a sinus infection" during the shoot. She "panicked" over the notion that she might disrupt filming by being unable to work.

"The most horrifying thing to me is the prospect of slowing down a production in any capacity," she says.

One morning, it got so bad that she "literally couldn't get out of bed," she recalls. "I called our second [assistant director] and I told her, and I was kind of devastated." Her onscreen mother, though, stepped in to save the day. Campbell, who is also a producer on "Scream 7," immediately called May and told her, "Don't worry about it. I've got you." The schedule was quickly rearranged so Campbell would shoot some of her own coverage that day, and May wouldn't be needed.

"I always want to be an absolute professional and make sure everyone's happy with the work that I'm contributing," May says. "It's my greatest fear to be a problem. That she made me not feel like I was, and recognized that I was a human — it was very much a maternal act from Neve."

"Scream 7" is filled with such acts, as the meta horror franchise turns focus to the strained relationship between legendary "final girl" Sidney Prescott and her 17-year-old daughter, Tatum (May). After Sidney went into hiding and started a quiet life with her husband Mark (Joel McHale) and kids, her peace is disrupted when yet another killer donning the Ghostface mask arrives.

May, who was born four years after the first "Scream" came out, had never seen any of the films when director Kevin Williamson reached out to set up a Zoom meeting. Quickly, she "panicked" and binged the entire franchise. "I thought I'd be quizzed or something by him," she says.

She later did get a quiz in a sense: After May read a "Scream 7" script where the end was redacted, Williamson asked her to guess Ghostface's identity. "I guessed accurately," she notes.

Who is Isabel May? Meet the '1883' breakout going toe to toe with Ghostface

May traces her acting journey back to age 4, when she told adults that she wanted "to make movies" when she grew up. But her passion for storytelling initially manifested itself as a love for reading.

"It was my way of getting out of conversation because I didn't really like conversing with people too much," she says. When a teacher advised her parents to get her involved in something more social, it led her to acting.

The "Scream 7" cast showed out for the global premiere at Paramount Pictures Studios on Feb. 25, 2026, in Los Angeles.

See the stars on the black carpet, beginning here, from left, with Joel McHale, Skeet Ulrich, Celeste O'Connor, Ethan Embry, Jimmy Tatro, Mckenna Grace, Scott Foley, Anna Camp, Matthew Lillard, Sam Rechner, Timothy Simons, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Isabel May, Victor Turpin, Neve Campbell, Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Courteney Cox

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Matthew Lillard and Skeet Ulrich

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Neve Campbell

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Timothy Simons

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> David Arquette

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Scott Foley

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Celeste O'Connor

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Joel McHale

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Anna Camp

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Jasmin Savoy Brown

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Skeet Ulrich

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Courteney Cox, Neve Campbell, Isabel May, and Anna Camp

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

See Courteney Cox, Neve Campbell, David Arquette at 'Scream 7' premiere

The "Scream 7" cast showed out for the global premiere at Paramount Pictures Studios on Feb. 25, 2026, in Los Angeles.See the stars on the black carpet, beginning here, from left, with Joel McHale, Skeet Ulrich, Celeste O'Connor, Ethan Embry, Jimmy Tatro, Mckenna Grace, Scott Foley, Anna Camp, Matthew Lillard, Sam Rechner, Timothy Simons, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Isabel May, Victor Turpin, Neve Campbell, Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding.

After three years of auditions, at age 15, May told her parents she wanted to "commit to this thing that I love to do permanently," and they allowed her to leave school and transition to an online education. What followed was a "nerve-racking six months of complete and utter isolation," during which May had "no friends" and was singularly focused on getting her first job.

"My mother had all the faith in the world," May remembers. "My father was nervous for me, but didn't want to be. And I think I straddled between both of those feelings."

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But May "just kept working and had faith in myself," and it paid off when she booked that first gig: a starring role on the Netflix sitcom "Alexa & Katie," which ran from 2018 to 2020. Later, her performance as Elsa Dutton on the "Yellowstone" prequel "1883" put her on the map. But May says coming off the show, she went through a period where she "very much doubted" herself.

"After ['1883'], I thought the world was my oyster, and it wasn't. I didn't know how to navigate at all," she says, noting she got caught up in letting "other people tell me what was the right thing to do, rather than trust my intuition." Now, though, "All the decisions I'm making are very much my own."

Isabel May reveals best advice she got from Neve Campbell

It was "1883" that landed May on "Scream" creator Williamson's radar and made him think of her for Sidney's daughter. Before filming, May met Campbell for dinner, and as someone who knows well what May was about to go through, the "Party of Five" star had some helpful advice. First, she urged May to appreciate that horror fans are a uniquely devoted group.

"It wasn't a warning so much as just, 'Be prepared for that. It's a huge privilege,'" May says.

What was even more helpful, though, was Campbell's insight into why fans love horror so much.

Neve Campbellreflects on 'Scream' pay dispute, 'Scream 7' return

"A lot of folks that are in communities where they feel like they're disenfranchised or separate from society and are not embraced by the rest of the world, they found comfort in these films," May says.

"That's why Kevin Williamson wrote this as a young queer man. He wrote Sidney as a reflection of how he felt, being chased by something and trying to escape it. That's such a beautiful concept and idea, and I suddenly had a totally different approach to why I was doing it and who I was connecting with."

But the "Scream 7" shoot was no walk in the park. A creepy scene where Tatum hides from Ghostface in a cramped space behind a wall required May to get over some deep-seated claustrophobia. "I got stuck in an elevator one time. I've never been the same since," she says. May also still wound up working while ill; a chase sequence where Ghostface comes after Tatum was shot while May was feeling unwell, but she could at least manage to stand up.

"This is my positive spin: It helped me get into character," she says, laughing. "I felt terrible. I needed to feel terrible. It was great! It was very useful."

Next up from May are a series of movies featuring stars includingCynthia Erivo,David CorenswetandJennifer Lopez. After that, coming off a slate of roles in genres from Westerns to horror, May is "itching" to star in a good old-fashioned drama.

"Anything I haven't done, I want to do," she says. "Anything I haven't done in a while, I want to revisit, and just continue to seek out things that I'm definitely not the prototype for."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:'Scream 7' cast — Meet Isabel May, star behind Sidney's daughter Tatum

byDonna Devi

in

March 01, 2026

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