Variety has unveiled its 2026 class of 10 Actors to Watch, and the list includes Jaafar Jackson, Inde Navarrette and Ray Nicholson among the breakout performers singled out for the coming year.
Since 1998, the franchise has tracked actors on the cusp of the industry’s front ranks. Past honorees include more than 35 Oscar winners and nominees, among them Mahershala Ali, Timothée Chalamet and Brie Larson. Last year’s class already made good on the honor: Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas landed a supporting actress Oscar nomination for the Norwegian drama “Sentimental Value,” Chase Infiniti earned an Emmy nomination for lead drama actress for Hulu’s “The Testaments,” and Miles Caton broke through in Ryan Coogler’s horror hit “Sinners.”
This year’s 10 were co-programmed by Clayton Davis, chief awards editor, and Emily Longeretta, director of features. They will be profiled in the Oct. 7 issue of Variety and celebrated at an Oct. 18 in-person brunch at the Newport Beach Film Festival Honors.
Newport Beach Hosts the Brunch
The Newport Beach Film Festival is hosting the honors brunch for the new class, and its CEO is enthusiastic about the group.
“Partnering with Variety to spotlight the 10 Actors to Watch is one of the highlights of our year,” says Gregg Schwenk, CEO and co-founder of the Newport Beach Film Festival. “This group is proof of what’s next — actors with the range, the instincts and the presence to define the next era of film and television. We couldn’t be more honored to be hosting this incredible group of emerging talent at the 27th Annual Newport Beach Film Festival Honors Brunch this year.”
The brunch is part of the festival’s 27th annual edition.
The Full List of Honorees
The list spans film, television and streaming, from a Michael Jackson biopic to a “Carrie” series and a Marvel superhero casting.
Esmé Creed-Miles plays Marianne Dashwood in Georgia Oakley’s “Sense and Sensibility” for Focus Features. Mariana Di Girólamo co-stars in Martin McDonagh’s dramedy “Wild Horse Nine” for Searchlight Pictures, opposite John Malkovich and Steve Buscemi. Rosalind Eleazar leads Chris Rock’s A24 industry dramedy “Misty Green” and returns as Louisa Guy in the sixth season of Apple TV’s espionage drama “Slow Horses.”
Guitarricadelafuente stars in the Netflix Spanish-language epic “La Bola Negra” and appears in Pedro Almodóvar’s “Bitter Christmas” for Sony Pictures Classics. Summer H. Howell takes on the title role in Prime Video’s horror series “Carrie” and appears in James Clayton’s “Runaway.”
Jaafar Jackson stars as Michael Jackson in Lionsgate’s billion-dollar blockbuster “Michael” and is filming David Gordon Green’s “Supermax” opposite Will Smith. Ruth Madeley plays disability rights activist Judy Heumann in Sian Heder’s biopic drama “Being Heumann” for Apple Original Films.
Inde Navarrette played Nikki in the Focus Features horror sensation “Obsession,” which led to her casting as the superhero Rogue in Marvel Studios’ upcoming “X-Men” film. Ray Nicholson plays a football player turned war hero in Peter Berg’s “The Mosquito Bowl,” following his role in the FX thriller series “The Beauty.” Joseph Zada takes on Haymitch Abernathy in Lionsgate’s “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” and plays Cal Trask in Netflix’s limited drama series “East of Eden.”
Jackson’s Two Current Productions
Jackson stars as Michael Jackson in “Michael” and is also filming “Supermax” with Will Smith, directed by David Gordon Green.
He is currently attached to both projects.
Navarrette’s Route to Marvel
Navarrette’s casting as Rogue is a significant step in her career.
Her path ran through “Obsession,” a Focus Features horror film described as a sensation. The role of Nikki led directly to the superhero casting.
Nicholson’s Two Roles
Nicholson plays a football player turned war hero in “The Mosquito Bowl,” a Peter Berg film. Before that, he appeared in “The Beauty,” an FX thriller series.
The combination gives him two distinct showcases.
Schedule for the Honors
The honorees will be profiled in the Oct. 7 issue of Variety, and the brunch follows on Oct. 18. The brunch is part of the 27th Annual Newport Beach Film Festival.
| Date | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 7 | Variety issue publication | Profiles of all 10 Actors to Watch |
| Oct. 18 | Newport Beach Film Festival Honors Brunch | In-person event honoring the class of 2026 |
Track Record Behind the List
The list’s history gives weight to the honor. Past honorees include more than 35 Oscar winners and nominees, and the 2025 class has already produced nominations.
Lilleaas’s Oscar nod for “Sentimental Value” came in the supporting actress category. Infiniti’s Emmy nomination for “The Testaments” followed her role in “One Battle After Another,” and Caton’s work in “Sinners” earned notice as both performer and songwriter.
All 10 actors have projects in the pipeline, and several are already filming or scheduled for release. The “Michael” biopic is a major event for Lionsgate, and the “X-Men” film is one of Marvel Studios’ upcoming titles. The “Hunger Games” film, “Sunrise on the Reaping,” is also a notable project, and the “East of Eden” limited series gives Zada a second major role.
The Newport Beach brunch will take place on Oct. 18. Until then, the Oct. 7 issue of Variety is the formal introduction of the class of 2026.
Source: variety.com
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