{"id":2297404,"date":"2026-02-24T13:18:49","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T13:18:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2297404"},"modified":"2026-02-24T13:18:49","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T13:18:49","slug":"kristen-bell-on-how-shes-preparing-to-host-the-2026-actor-awards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/kristen-bell-on-how-shes-preparing-to-host-the-2026-actor-awards\/","title":{"rendered":"Kristen Bell on How She\u2019s Preparing to Host the 2026 Actor Awards"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Last year, Kristen Bell hosted the SAG Awards. On Sunday, she\u2019ll host the Actor Awards. They\u2019re the same thing. The Screen Actors Guild wanted to change the name of the ceremony to give those outside of Hollywood a clearer sense of what they are. \u201cIt\u2019s going to change it toes to tits,\u201d Bell jokes of the new name. \u201cIt\u2019s going to be a completely different show and I\u2019m excited to bring that energy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bell, who will be hosting for the third time this year, promises nothing else about the evening will change. \u201cI have a shocking and hilarious lack of control in this job. What I do have complete control over is the hosting bits and the way that I\u2019m presenting myself as a welcoming host,\u201d she says. Bell addressed the rebrand in a recent promo<\/a> for the show, which showed her calling every single SAG member to let them know about the change. \u201cBut I will say for the record, I was not required or personally responsible for calling anyone and telling them,\u201d she clarifies in our interview.<\/p>\n

Before the show airs on Netflix this Sunday, Bell spoke with ELLE about being a veteran host, the name she suggested for the ceremony, and why she hopes she doesn\u2019t win an Actor Award while she\u2019s on the job.<\/p>\n

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Jay L. Clendenin\/Shutterstock for SAG<\/span><\/figcaption>

Bell at the 2025 SAG Awards.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

Why was the name changed from the SAG Awards to the Actor Awards?<\/h2>\n

The renaming provides the audience with a more specific entry point to what this experience is. It\u2019s very clear from Hollywood\u2019s point of view what the SAG Awards are, but I don\u2019t know what the name of a union in another state for another business is. So, of course, SAG is not the broadest title to attract people.<\/p>\n

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What does the change signify?<\/h2>\n

I think that by changing the name of the show, we\u2019re embracing a modern identity that reflects the growth of the show\u2019s audience. From SAG\u2019s perspective, and with Netflix being involved, the goal has always been to expand the audience globally. The name change makes it easier for folks domestically and around the world to just clearly understand what it is.<\/p>\n

What sets it apart is that it\u2019s a system where awards for actors are voted on by other actors. It\u2019s the equivalent of your high school yearbook. My pitch was, \u201cLet\u2019s call it, Most Likely To.\u201d Everyone\u2019s going to get that. They said, \u201cNo, that\u2019s not clear enough.\u201d <\/p>\n

Was your promo video based on any real conversations that you were having?<\/h2>\n

Amongst me and my producing partner, yes. Like, \u201cOh, when we do the SAG awards…\u201d \u201cSorry, it\u2019s Actor Awards now. We\u2019ve got to remember that.\u201d More than anything, that idea was born because wouldn\u2019t it be hilarious if\u2026 A lot of good jokes come out if you ask yourself that question. What if it really was my job to call each and every member? And then what does that look like? The bit kind of wrote itself.<\/p>\n

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Stewart Cook\/Shutterstock for SAG<\/span><\/figcaption>

Bell during the 2025 awards, wearing a Giorgio Armani Priv\u00e9 dress.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

What have you learned each time you\u2019ve hosted?<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s the same demographic I\u2019m trying to make giggle [each year]. That is my sole objective there. I\u2019m trying to make a room of my peers, some of whom I can barely call peers because I admire them so much, giggle. My objective is the same, but sometimes the temperature of the world changes. Certainly, last year, with the fires having affected people, the perspective of what we wrote and what goes into it changed because we\u2019re trying to be mindful, respectful, and conscientious of the world around us. But the through-line of what I\u2019m bringing to the table is truly just a love of having the opportunity to entertain people that I love and respect for an hour, get their attention for an hour, and do a little vaudeville act.<\/p>\n

How do you get ready in the run-up to the event?<\/h2>\n

I have a small team, which is my producing partner, Ana Ayala, and my writer, Monica Padman. The three of us work together the month beforehand, pitching ideas, going back and forth to see if SAG likes those ideas, and getting their input. \u201cWould it be funny if Kristen did this? Would it be funny if we could do a bit about this? We\u2019ve got ping-pong in the mix this year [with Marty Supreme<\/em>], so what could we do with that?\u201d<\/p>\n

The thinking pot [period] lasts for quite some time. Then the reality of prepping is hopefully within a week of the show. Everyone on the team has decided, \u201cYeah, this is a great version of entertainment. These are the best jokes we\u2019ve edited. Everyone\u2019s happy.\u201d The crew will rehearse on the week leading up, building the stage. I rehearse the run of the show on Friday during the day. I don\u2019t work on Saturdays because I like to be with my children. Previously they have said, \u201cWe\u2019ll do a run-through the day before.\u201d And I said, \u201cI would love to do that, but you\u2019re going to have to have a stand-in. I would be happy to be available all day Friday when they\u2019re at school.\u201d And they were like, \u201cWe get it.\u201d<\/p>\n

We rehearse all day Friday, walk through the beats. Practically, that looks like making sure I can walk in my heels. If I\u2019m changing, I\u2019m making sure I can change quickly enough, getting to the points where the bits happen. I like to be interactive and playful and incorporate people. I did a bit with Jason Segel in 2025, and it was at a bar at the far end of the auditorium. The assistant director team really had to make sure all the traveling would work and that we could fit this into a live show.<\/p>\n

Saturday, I completely decompress and don\u2019t think about anything. Sunday morning, I also decompress and don\u2019t think about anything. And around 11 A.M., I leave my house. The rest of the day is just a mad dash scramble to put on a live show.<\/p>\n

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David Fisher\/Shutterstock for SAG<\/span><\/figcaption>

Bell on the red carpet at the 2025 ceremony.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

Last year, you were nominated for an Actor Award in addition to hosting. Is it weird to be a host and a nominee, either logistically or in your head?<\/h2>\n

Not really, to be honest. In years that I have been nominated, I feel like my sole objective was to make sure everybody had a good time. The host is not just the person with the microphone. The host is required to ground your emotional experience with this hour of television.<\/p>\n

At home, that would look like having the dinner ready, having nice place mats, maybe asking people to take their shoes off at the door. In a TV hosting world, it looks like meeting people where they are or understanding the temperature of the city, the world, the business, trying to provide some fun glitz and glamour visuals, which means getting awesome dresses or having something fancy involved. And then being interactive and welcoming.<\/p>\n

In years that I was nominated as well, I don\u2019t even think about it. I suppose my stomach bottoms out right when I hear that award is up during a quick change backstage because I think, \u201cOh, good God. I don\u2019t want them to call my name because I\u2019m on hyperdrive right now. I\u2019m on a different wavelength right now. Give it to someone else. Godspeed, just let me clap because I don\u2019t want to make a speech.\u201d<\/p>\n

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. <\/em><\/p>\n

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