Kristen Bell leaves A-listers baffled as her opening monologue devolves into ‘cringe’ musical number at Actor Awards 2026

Kristen Bell‘s opening monologue at the 2026 Actor Awards left A-listers baffled as it quickly transformed into a ‘cringe’ musical number.

The actress, 45, returned as host of the annual ceremony, formerly known as the SAG Awards, for the third time on Sunday night.

Clad in a bedazzled black tuxedo, Bell greeted the star-studded audience before addressing the Actor Awards’s controversial ‘rebrand.’

‘This year the show got a little bit of a facelift. Like many people in this room can understand,’ explained Bell, while taking a dig at plastic surgery obsessed Hollywood.

‘And we nipped the SAG and now it’s just the Actor Awards.’  

After all the talk of rebranding, Bell said she ‘got to thinking’ about all the major stars who have ditched their real names for stage names over the years.

This is when Bell suddenly burst into song as she exposed Marilyn Monroe, Emma Stone, Vin Diesel and more for their fake monikers.

Accompanied by a trio of backup singers and a band, Bell sang, ‘I feel like the people in this room could be doing so much more with their stage names.

‘For instance, Emily Stone chose Emma Stone but don’t worry Emma you’re not alone. Like to Britt [Lower] or to Ted [Danson] or Billy Bob [Thornton] instead.’

The camera flashed to Stone, Lower, Danson, Bell’s former The Good Place co-star, and Thornton as their names were shouted out by Bell.

While both Stone and Lower offered polite smiles, Danson and Thornton looked on awkwardly from their seats as Bell called out more celebrity names at rapid fire. 

Noah Wyle, star of The Pitt, appeared totally caught off guard as Bell pitched him the stage name ‘Indoctrinate Me.’ while Bugonia star Jesse Plemons awkwardly nodded at Bell’s bizarre suggestion ‘Jesse Plimes.’ 

Other celebrities to be picked on by Bell were One Battle After Another stars Teyana Taylor, who she suggested be referred to be the mononymn ‘TeyTay,’ and Chase Infiniti, whose name was unique enough in Bell’s opinion.

Bell also spotlighted Kristen Wiig and Kirsten Dunst as she jokingly voiced her regret about not going by ‘Krinsten Bell,’ which was a misprint of her name on an old headshot from 2005. 

Many of Bell’s name pitches, such as ‘Tim Tam Chalaman’ for Marty Supreme star Timothee Chalamet, failed to get big laughs from the audience, seemingly due to their nonsensical nature. 

To close out her monologue-turned-musical, Bell paraded across the stage in her sky-high heels and rattled off her final messages to the celebrity audience, including how much they’re ‘adored’ and how their ‘speeches won’t be timed.’

She then belted out ‘at the SAG Awards’ before exclaiming ‘F**k!’ and correcting it to ‘Actor Awards!’

Viewers flocked to social media to share their reactions to Bell’s opener, which many called ‘cringe.’

However, many fans came to Bell’s defense as they praised her singing abilities and the overall ‘fun’ vibe of the opener. 

Bell had kicked off the ceremony by promising attendees and viewers a night of ‘fun’ amid growing political unrest in the USA and the recent strikes in Iran.

‘I think the world can use some levity right now, so we’re gonna keep things fun tonight,’ she said.

The 32nd Annual Actor Awards, formerly known as the SAG Awards, are set to roll out the red carpet at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall in Los Angeles on Sunday.

The ceremony officially rebranded as The Actor Awards this year, a move designed to align the show with its iconic statuette ‘The Actor’, sharpen its global identity and keep the spotlight squarely on performers honoring their peers.

And there’s a familiar face steering the ship. Kristen Bell returned as host for the third time, having previously emceed in 2018 and 2025.

‘Having Kristen return to host feels like welcoming back a member of the family. One you actually want to hang out with,’ show-runner and executive producer Jon Brockett said in a statement.

Streaming live on Netflix, the ceremony will hand out honors across 28 categories spanning film, television and limited series, with six nominees in each race except Cinematic and Box Office Achievement, which features eight contenders.

On the film side, One Battle After Another leads the pack with seven nominations, followed closely by Sinners with five.

The race for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role is stacked with Leonardo DiCaprio for One Battle After Another, Timothée Chalamet for Marty Supreme, Michael B. Jordan for Sinners, Ethan Hawke for Blue Moon, and Jesse Plemons for Bugonia.

The Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role category is equally competitive, featuring Jessie Buckley for Hamnet, Rose Byrne for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Kate Hudson for Song Sung Blue and Emma Stone for Bugonia.

In supporting categories, Benicio Del Toro and Sean Penn both scored nominations for One Battle After Another, while Jacob Elordi earned recognition for Frankenstein, Paul Mescal for Hamnet, and Miles Caton for Sinners in the Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role race.

The Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role lineup includes Odessa A’Zion for Marty Supreme, Ariana Grande for Wicked: For Good, Amy Madigan for Weapons, Wunmi Mosaku for Sinners, and Teyana Taylor for One Battle After Another – a mix of seasoned veterans and exciting newcomers.

The Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture category brings ensemble firepower from Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another and Sinners, underscoring just how actor-driven this awards body remains.

Television, meanwhile, has its own battleground.

On the comedy front, The Studio dominated with five nominations, cementing its status as an actors’ favorite.

It will compete for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series alongside Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Hacks and Only Murders in the Building.

Individual comedy acting races feature names like Kathryn Hahn, Catherine O’Hara and Seth Rogen from The Studio, Jean Smart for Hacks, Jenna Ortega for Wednesday, Adam Brody for Nobody Wants This, Ted Danson for A Man on the Inside and Martin Short for Only Murders in the Building.

Drama is just as intense. The White Lotus, Severance, The Diplomat, The Pitt and Landman are all nominated for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.

Acting nods in the drama categories went to performers including Britt Lower, Parker Posey, Keri Russell, Rhea Seehorn, Aimee Lou Wood, Sterling K. Brown, Billy Crudup, Walton Goggins, Gary Oldman and Noah Wyle.

Limited series and television movies continue to prove their awards muscle.

Nominees for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series include Claire Danes for The Beast in Me, Erin Doherty and Christine Tremarco for Adolescence, Sarah Snook for All Her Fault and Michelle Williams for Dying for Sex.

On the male side, Jason Bateman for Black Rabbit, Owen Cooper and Stephen Graham for Adolescence, Charlie Hunnam for Monster: The Ed Gein Story and Matthew Rhys for The Beast in Me are all in contention.

Yet no awards season is complete without a little controversy.

One of the most talked-about snubs was Cynthia Erivo, who many expected to be nominated for Wicked: For Good but was left off the list.

Fans also pointed to the absence of Gwyneth Paltrow and Dwayne Johnson, while others questioned the limited international representation among acting nominees.

Additional omissions, including Sentimental Value on the film side and Death by Lightning in television, fueled further chatter.

Still, there were pleasant surprises that delighted fans, including supporting nominations for Odessa A’Zion (Marty Supreme) and Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners), highlighting the breadth of this year’s roster.

Adding gravitas to the evening, Hollywood legend Harrison Ford will receive the SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award.

Over a career spanning more than five decades, Ford has anchored some of the biggest franchises in film history, from Star Wars and Indiana Jones to Blade Runner and The Fugitive, cementing his status as one of Hollywood’s most bankable and enduring leading men.

‘I am deeply honored to be chosen as this year’s recipient of the SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award,’ Ford said.

‘To be acknowledged by my fellow actors means a great deal to me. I’ve spent most of my life on film sets, working alongside incredible actors and crews, and I’ve always felt grateful to be part of this community.’

And helping represent the next generation is Bridgerton breakout Yerin Ha, who has been tapped as this year’s Ambassador for The Actor Awards.

‘Being named The Actor Awards Ambassador is such an honor because this ceremony is about actors celebrating actors,’ Ha said.

‘There is something uniquely powerful about being recognized within your own community. As someone who cares so deeply about the craft and about collaboration, it means so much to represent the next generation of actors and be part of an event that uplifts storytelling.’