Sandra Bernhard was seen staring daggers at Actor Awards host Kristen Bell on the show’s red carpet – and now body language expert Judi James has now exclusively decoded the uncomfortable moment to the Daily Mail.
Bell, 45, is serving as mistress of ceremonies for the third time, after hosting the then-SAG Awards last year and then before that in 2018.
Meanwhile Bernhard, 70, was there because of her role in Marty Supreme, which was one of the nominees for Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture.
That night, Bell was impossible to ignore in a see-through gown that revealed she had no bra on underneath and was only wearing a barely-there piece of nude underwear, designed to give the impression she had on no undergarments at all.
While Bell mingled cheerfully with other guests, Bernhard could be seen some distance away giving her a withering sidelong glare in footage posted by DeuxMoi.
James explained: ‘In the tsunami of applied social and rictus smiles that is the Actors Awards red carpet there is a moment of withering truth from Sandra Bernhard as she is seen watching Kristen Bell who is in full-on preening, showboating celebrity mode.
Sandra Bernhard was seen staring daggers at Actor Awards host Kristen Bell on the show’s red carpet – and now body language expert Judi James has now exclusively explained the moment
While Bell mingled cheerfully with other guests, Bernhard could be seen some distance away giving her a withering sidelong glare in footage posted by DeuxMoi
‘As Kristen stands with her hand on a man’s shoulder in a flamboyant gesture aimed at nabbing and retaining the center of attention as well as flashing a huge diamond ring to the cameras to their left, she performs a series of preening gestures with her fingers running around her lips and her decolletage in her impeccably-styled outfit.
‘Kristen is giving off peak confidence star vibes here but there are signs that Sandra Berhard might not be the greatest fan of all this blatant red carpet preening.
‘Sandra stares at Kristen with a long side-eye, withering looking glance that travels up and down her body in what looks very similar to a gesture of disapproval. Her own pose is a preen-free zone and much more relatable to the average fan, with her body relaxed and her hands clasped across the front of her torso.’
Bernhard and Bell have not worked together on any movies or TV shows, nor are they known to have harbored any ill will towards each other in the past.
At Sunday’s fete, Leonardo DiCaprio and Timothee Chalamet are facing off in a hotly anticipated contest for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role, for their respective roles in One Battle After Another and Marty Supreme.
The category also features Michael B. Jordan for a dual role in Sinners, Ethan Hawke for the Broadway biopic Blue Moon and Jesse Plemons for the thriller Bugonia.
Meanwhile Hamnet star Jessie Buckley and If I Had Legs I’d Kick You actress Rose Byrne are facing off for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role, alongside Bugonia’s Emma Stone and Song Sung Blue’s Kate Hudson.
One Battle After Another has two of its cast vying to be named best supporting actor – Benicio Del Toro and Sean Penn – amid a field otherwise populated by Jacob Elordi for Frankenstein, Paul Mescal for Hamnet and Miles Caton for Sinners.
Join the debate
Did YOU notice Sandra Bernhard’s reaction to Kristen Bell?
Bell is serving as mistress of ceremonies for the third time, after hosting the then-SAG Awards last year and then before that in 2018
Meanwhile Bernhard was there because of her role in Marty Supreme, which was one of the nominees for Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture
As for female supporting performances, Ariana Grande has earned a nod for Wicked: For Good, as have Odessa A’Zion for Marty Supreme, Teyana Taylor for One Battle After Another, Wunmi Mosaku for Sinners and Amy Madigan for Sinners.
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture is a contest between Hamnet, Frankenstein, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another and Sinners.
Among the sitcom performances nominated that night are Rogen and the recently departed Catherine O’Hara for The Studio, Martin Short for Only Murders in the Building, Jenna Ortega for Wednesday and Jean Smart for Hacks.
Bell’s current co-star Adam Brody is nominated for Nobody Wants This, while her former The Good Place co-star Ted Danson for A Man on the Inside
The ensemble in a drama series category is a formidable race including The White Lotus, The Pitt, Severance, The Diplomat and Landman.
Noah Wyle is nominated for his comeback turn on The Pitt, as are Walton Goggins and Aimee Lou Wood for The White Lotus, Keri Russell for The Diplomat, Gary Oldman for Slow Horses and Billy Crudup for The Morning Show.
The revered miniseries Adolescence has earned recognition in the limited series and TV movie categories, with nominations for actresses Erin Doherty and Christine Tremarco and actors Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper.
Other nominees in those categories include Michelle Williams in Dying for Sex, Sarah Snook in All Her Fault, Claire Danes and Matthew Rhys for The Beast in Me, Jason Bateman in Black Rabbit and Charlie Hunnam for Monster: The Ed Gein Story.
Sunday evening’s SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award is being presented to Harrison Ford, 83, after more than a half-century of stardom.
Actor Awards 2026 winners
FILM
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE
Frankenstein (Netflix)
Hamnet (Focus Features)
Marty Supreme (A24)
One Battle After Another (Warner Bros)
Sinners (Warner Bros) – WINNER
Michael B. Jordan led Sinners to two of the biggest wins of the night
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Jessie Buckley – Hamnet – WINNER
Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Kate Hudson – Song Sung Blue
Chase Infinity – One Battle After Another
Emma Stone – Bugonia
Jessie Buckley was recognized for her work in Hamnet
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon
Michael B. Jordan – Sinners – WINNER
Jesse Plemons – Bugonia
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Miles Caton – Sinners
Benicio Del Toro – One Battle After Another
Paul Mescal – Hamnet
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another – WINNER
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Odessa A’zion – Marty Supreme
Ariana Grande – Wicked: For Good
Amy Madigan – Weapons – WINNER
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another
Amy Madigan was honored for her work in thriller Weapons
OUTSTANDING STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
F1 (Apple Original Films)
Frankenstein (Netflix)
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (Paramount) – WINNER
One Battle After Another (Warner Bros)
Sinners (Warner Bros)
TELEVISION
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A DRAMA SERIES
Landman (Paramount+)
The Pitt (HBO Max) – WINNER
Severance (Apple TV)
The White Lotus (HBO)
Noah Wyle and The Pitt were massive winners on the television drama side
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Sterling K. Brown – Paradise
Billy Crudup – The Morning Show
Walton Goggins – The White Lotus
Gary Oldman – Slow Horses
Noah Wyle – The Pitt – WINNER
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Britt Lower – Severance
Parker Posey – The White Lotus
Keri Russell – The Diplomat – WINNER
Rhea Seehorn – Pluribus
Aimee Lou Wood – The White Lotus
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY SERIES
Abbott Elementary (ABC)
The Bear (FX/Hulu)
Hacks (HBO Max)
Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
The Studio (Apple TV) – WINNER
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Ike Barinholtz – The Studio
Adam Brody – Nobody Wants This
Ted Danson – Inside Man
Seth Rogen – The Studio – WINNER
Martin Short – Only Murders in the Building
Seth Rogen’s The Studio swept the television comedy portion
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Kathryn Hahn – The Studio
Catherine O’Hara – The Studio – WINNER
Jenna Ortega – Wednesday
Jean Smart – Hacks
Kristen Wiig – Palm Royale
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES
Jason Bateman – Black Rabbit
Owen Cooper – Adolescence – WINNER
Stephen Graham – Adolescence
Charlie Hunnam – Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Matthew Rhys – The Beast In Me
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES
Claire Danes – The Beast In Me
Erin Doherty – Adolescence
Sarah Snook – All Her Fault
Christine Tremarco – Adolescence
Michelle Williams – Dying For Sex – WINNER
OUTSTANDING STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A TELEVISION SERIES
Andor (Disney+)
Landman (Paramount+)
The Last of Us (HBO) – WINNER
Squid Game (Netflix)
Stranger Things (Netflix)
