Variety & CNN Actors on Actors

What do Ariana Grande ('Wicked: For Good') & Adam Sandler ('Jay Kelly') have to talk about? Quite a lot, it turns out, as these two comic performers share charmingly earnest chemistry.

Oscar winners Julia Roberts & Sean Penn are longtime friends and neighbors - yet neither one recognized each other in their transformative 2025 performances. Now, they're opening up about their career trajectories and most famous roles.

2025's defining heartthrobs Jonathan Bailey ('Wicked: For Good') & David Corenswet ('Superman') reflect on playing Oz's and Krypton's most celebrated charmers and get real about ambition, auditions, and the roles ahead.

Years after meeting on set of 'The Mummy Returns,' Hollywood leading man Dwayne Johnson & Oscar winner Brendan Fraser reflect on their careers thus far, showing that their bond is as strong as ever.

As Gwyneth Paltrow makes a return to theaters, she shares her enthusiasm for the craft of movie-making with an admiring Jacob Elordi, who opens up about becoming Frankenstein's monster for Guillermo del Toro.

Theater veterans and defining voices in Hollywood Cynthia Erivo & Hugh Jackman discuss the joys of performing and their new movies - a blockbuster sequel for Erivo and a heartfelt Neil Diamond musical for Jackman.

Sydney Sweeney & Ethan Hawke both played real-life figures in 2025 - Sweeney the boxer Christy Martin, Hawke the songwriter Lorenz Hart. They share their enthusiasm for transformation in a freewheeling conversation.

Stellan Skarsgård plays a complicated artist father in 'Sentimental Value.' In real life, he's the patriarch to a family of actors, including eldest son Alexander. The pair speak about family legacy and their awards-season rivalry.

Since working together on 'Friday Night Lights,' Michael B. Jordan & Jesse Plemons have become two of movies' most exciting talents. They discuss their transformations in this year's chilling big-screen horrors, 'Sinners' and 'Bugonia.'

Kate Hudson & Jeremy Allen White both had to master the modern American songbook - Hudson to play a Neil Diamond cover artist, and White to play The Boss himself. What does it take for an actor to become a singer? They explain it all.

Oscar Isaac & Teyana Taylor are both starstruck, sharing admiration for each other's work, from Isaac's performances in 'Star Wars' and 'Dune', to Taylor's breakout role in 'One Battle After Another'.

Colin Farrell & Jessie Buckley would be the first to tell you the Irish have a tradition of storytelling. They share tales of transforming into a gambling addict for 'Ballad of a Small Player' and Shakespeare's grieving wife in 'Hamnet.'

Jennifer Lawrence's favorite movie of the year was 'One Battle After Another.' So it was only fair to give her the opportunity to interrogate its star, Leonardo DiCaprio, in her classic uninhibited and boundaryless style.

The first time Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow sat down for Actors on Actors, it was over Zoom at the height of the pandemic. Now, reunited in person, the ‘Friends’ stars sit down to reminisce about their time spent on the legendary sitcom. They discuss the ways that Kudrow’s ‘The Comeback’ hints at the ‘Friends’ legacy, Aniston’s role in ‘The Morning Show’ and the ‘Friends’ lines that still crack them up.

Keke Palmer and Sharon Stone become instant friends as they sit down in the Actors on Actors chairs. Stone raves about ‘Euphoria’ and her pride in joining the cast as an intense studio executive, while Palmer breaks down her curious and suspicious character in ‘The ‘Burbs.’ By the end of their talk, the two are exchanging phone numbers and planning a team up on a future TV series.

Kit Harrington and Peter Dinklage haven’t seen each other since the final season of ‘Game of Thrones’ aired. They reunite in the Actors on Actors chairs to catch up on everything they’ve been up to since. Harrington discusses his return to TV in ‘Industry’ and his period of personal growth since ‘Thrones’ ended. Meanwhile, Dinklage talks acting alongside his long time friend Ethan Hawke in ‘The Lowdown.’ The two also bond over their love of theater and why Harrington seems to be taking a lot of roles that require nudity lately.

It has been 15 years since the pilot episode of ‘Scandal’ was shot in 2011. Here, cast members Kerry Washington and Tony Goldwyn reunite to reflect on the show’s legacy and where they think their characters of Olivia Pope and Fitzgerald Grant (or "Olitz" as fans know them) ended up after the finale. Washington also talks producing and starring opposite Elizabeth Moss and Kate Mara in ‘Imperfect Women’, while Goldwyn reflects on playing the cruel Bob Lipka in ‘Hacks’ and taking over for Sam Waterston in ‘Law & Order.’

Paul Anthony Kelly and Patrick Ball have had similar career paths in Hollywood. After struggling to find roles for over a decade, they both have found recent success on TV. Kelly discusses the challenges of portraying John F. Kennedy Jr. in ‘Love Story’ and the scrutiny that came along with it. Ball, meanwhile, has been gaining acclaim in the high pressured, but tight-knit set of ‘The Pitt.’

Bowen Yang and Rachel Sennott first met in the comedy scene in Brooklyn, putting on shows at venues like The Bell House. In the years since, they have found massive success in TV and film. Yang opens up about his decision to leave the cast of ‘Saturday Night Live’, shooting the show at the same time as the ‘Wicked’ movies and hosting the ‘Las Culturistas’ podcast with Matt Rogers. Sennott has created, directed and stars in the influencer-focused series ‘I Love LA.’

Though never sharing screen time together, Bryan Cranston and Rhea Seehorn both have history working on shows created by Vince Gilligan. They detail his meticulous process of filming ‘Pluribus,’ Cranston’s return to the world of ‘Malcolm in the Middle’ and how their ‘Breaking Bad’ and ‘Better Call Saul’ characters almost met.

The past and present of ‘Saturday Night Live’ collide as cast members Tracy Morgan and Marcello Hernández meet. Morgan gives Hernández advice about navigating the show’s difficult schedule, but endless opportunities. They also discuss ‘The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins’, Morgan’s latest team up with Tina Fey, Hernández's first stand-up special, and Morgan's harrowing accident that left him in a coma for several days.

Josh Hutcherson and Elizabeth Banks first worked together in ‘The Hunger Games’ series of movies. They reunite to reflect on making those films, the fan fervor around them and what’s next for the series’ future. Hutcherson also breaks down his nice guy/boyfriend character in Rachel Sennott’s ‘I Love LA,’ and Banks discusses the challenges of acting against green screens in ‘The Miniature Wife.’

Noah Wyle has received great praise for his portrayal of Dr. Robby in the critical- and crowd-favorite show ‘The Pitt.’ He sits down with Sally Field to praise her storied career, highlight her work in ‘Remarkably Bright Creatures’ and his decision to return to small screen hospital drama.

Claire Danes and Richard Gadd are no strangers to tackling difficult material on screen. They sit down to discuss Danes' turn as a grieving mother in the mystery ‘The Beast in Me,’ Gadd's complicated examination of masculinity in ‘Half Man’ and getting a character out of one's system after production wraps.

Colman Domingo and Sarah Pidgeon sit down to discuss their very busy years. Pidgeon reflects on portraying Carolyn Bessette in Ryan Murphy’s ‘Love Story’, a challenging role that has thrown her into the public eye. Domingo, meanwhile, has taken on very different characters in ‘Euphoria’ and ‘Four Seasons.’ The two discuss how nuances like wardrobe affects their acting choices, connect over their past theater experience and their acting inspirations.

Jamie Lee Curtis and Mariska Hargitay grew up next door to each other but didn’t become friends until a chance encounter much later in life. Here they recall their shared experience of being raised in Hollywood, why Curtis brought “the girls” out of retirement for ‘Scarpetta’ and Hargitay’s incomparable run as Olivia Benson in ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.’