NGL, did not expect this duo to emerge victorious.
When it comes to Variety’s Actors on Actors series, there’s rarely a lack of promotion point, but of course, the pairing brings something else to the table. As usual, the Season 21 lineup included the biggest stars of this year’s awards season, starting with Andrew Garfield and Ryan Reynolds and concluding the series with Adrien Brody and Tilda Swinton. Over the course of 12 days, enthusiasts were treated to quotable lines, memorable moments and plenty of material for discussion. But the question remains: which couple reigns supreme?
To help you know which videos are worth your time (each one is about 30 minutes long, which is rarely very insignificant!), I’ve watched and rated this year’s Actors on Actors episodes so you don’t have to. (You’re welcome!) Below, check out my unbiased review of the 12 conversations, aggregating the most productive (and most embarrassing) quotes from each of the videos. Thank!
Generally speaking, I like it better when Variety pairs actors who don’t know each other rather than actors who work together, like Avatar co-stars Kate and Zoe. Listening to two old friends catch up can be entertaining, but I didn’t feel like this verbal exchange brought up as many new concepts as some of the others.
Cutest Moment: When Kate expresses genuine delight to be chatting with Zoe, saying, “When I was told that I was going to be speaking with you today, my heart just jumped for joy. Not only because I’m so excited to talk to you about your movie, but because you are just radiance and light, and it’s such a joy to have proper time with you.”
Creepier moment: When Kate does this about the film industry, which some enthusiasts in the comments found a bit dated: “We’re so fortunate to live in a time where maybe things are changing, in terms of culture, we’re turning to our industry and our audience who need to hear women’s stories more than ever.
Funniest moment: When Zoe did her impression of director James Cameron. (“He says, ‘Well, Kate can hold her breath for seven minutes. ‘ And he says, ‘Sigourney got here in moment with almost six minutes. Zoe would have said she did it for minutes. ‘ And I’m like, ‘I did it for !'”)
WATCH IT HERE
Here’s the thing: I love Pam. I love Mikey. And I wanted to love this conversation…but the implication that intimacy coordinators create inauthenticity on set didn’t sit well with me (or fans). Even so, I did appreciate how protective Pamela (someone who’s been objectified and hyper-sexualized her whole life) seemed of Mikey, who is just getting started in her own career. Plus, they had *so* many poignant moments in this interview.
Cutest moment: When Pamela tells Mikey, “When I saw Anora, there was so much sexuality, nudity and sex in the movie. I was just trying to get you out of there and hug you. “
Most Embarrassing Moment: When Pamela asks Mikey if he had an intimacy coordinator on set and Mikey explains that he decided not to use one. “Mark Eydelshteyn, who plays Ivan, and I would be more productive to stay modest. ” “My character is a sex worker, I had seen Sean’s films and knew his attachment to authenticity. I was in a position to do it. As an actress, I approached it like a job. “
Funniest moment: Every time Pamela mentions her hobby of making pickles.
WATCH IT HERE
It’s a little uneven, in my opinion. And while I enjoyed their discussion of child stardom and motivation through the inner child, those two don’t have much in common. Note: Saoirse definitely never watched OMITB.
Cutest moment: When Saoirse expresses her hope for the long term of the entertainment industry, saying, “By the time our women come back, I hope we don’t have to talk about ‘Yes, there are women in this movie, and one. ‘” . They were all directed and intelligent to her.
Cringiest Moment: When Saoirse accidentally reveals she had no idea that Meryl Streep made more than just a cameo appearance in Only Murders in the Building. But she plays down her slip-up by saying, “She was in two seasons? She’s such a baller. That’s so cool.”
Funniest Moment: When Selena opens with, “This is my first time, everybody,” and Saoirse replies, “I can tell, because you’ve got all your notes.”
WATCH IT HERE
TBH, this ended up being a great exploration of grief and loss (with silliness, of course). Deadpool and Spider-Man crossover movie when?
Cutest Moment: When Ryan tells Andrew, “I recently lost one of my closest friends in the world, and what you said about grief. . . It touched me in so many ways that I can’t even count. “
Most Embarrassing Moment: When Andrew describes his awkward first practice session with Tony Kushner for their play Angels in America.
Funniest moment: when Ryan and Andrew tell the story of their viral kiss at the 2017 Golden Globes.
WATCH IT HERE
This unusual pairing ended up being so delightfully awkward, with very little eye contact and lots of nervous energy…and I was weirdly living for it. Glicked may not have been a thing, but I’m still glad Variety put these two together (and that Ariana introduced me to Paul’s Les Mis performance).
Cutest Moment: When Paul reveals that his parents first met onstage during a performance of Pirates of Penzance.
Cringiest Moment: When Ari tells Paul she’s seen him sing on YouTube, to which he replies, “We’re starting there?”
Funniest moment: When Paul says about Ariana and her Wicked co-star Cynthia Erivo, “I’m seeing you guys on the press tour. You two are obviously in love with each other,” to which Ari replies, “Unbearable. Yeah. ” We are horrible. It’s bad.
WATCH IT HERE
I am always here for a rousing discussion on body horror and feminine rage, and this one didn’t disappoint. The only reason it’s not ranked higher: It was a bit forgettable for me. I would have loved to see them dig even deeper.
Cutest Moment: When Amy explains the profound effect Demi’s performance in The Substance had on her, saying, “I remember watching you and thinking, ‘That’s what it is to be a woman.'”
Cringiest Moment: When Amy tries to keep herself from fan-girling over an iconic line from Demi’s movie Ghost. (“I literally almost said something to you, and then realized what I almost said to you, and then I was really embarrassed. I almost said, ‘Ditto,’ and then I was like, ‘Don’t say “ditto.”‘”)
Funniest moment: When Demi asks if Amy really turns into a dog in Nightbitch and Amy says, “I think she is. “
WATCH IT HERE
Until this conversation, I thought that these two actors were the same person. (Just kidding. ) (But not really. ) That said, listening to Drew and Harris talk about their reports betting on the love interests of older (and much more experienced) A-list actors is pretty juicy.
Cutest moment: when Drew talks about the ayahuasca scene in Queer and admits that he is not a wonderful dancer. . . and Harris then replies, “Frankly, I love to dance, Drew. “
Cringiest Moment: When Harris asks whether Daniel Craig opened up about James Bond at all, and Drew confesses that he didn’t even have to press his costar for details. (“He just started talking about it.”)
Funniest moment: When Drew is distracted by some gum left on the table and Harris notices that it is probably from “someone very famous” and that Drew sells it.
WATCH IT HERE
I wasn’t sure what to think going into this one considering how Cynthia is a professionally-trained singer who takes her craft very seriously…and Angelina said she learned to sing opera for Maria in a matter of months. However! These two were so kind and supportive of each other, and—as they expressed at the end—I really would love to see them in a project together.
Cutest Moment: When Angelina talks about the impact “Defying Gravity” had on her daughter, saying, “I felt that feeling of, ‘Oh, she needs this—she’s feeling this desire to know that there’s endless possibility and something within her she hasn’t discovered yet.'”
Cringiest Moment: When Angelina refers to a time that she lost her voice, saying it happened “maybe when someone hurt me”…and fans later theorize she may alluding to her ex, Brad Pitt.
Funniest moment: There is rarely a single LOL moment in the interview. . . but honestly, I’m okay with that!
WATCH IT HERE
Was this the most enlightening conversation? No, the most common thing is for the Knives Out 3 co-stars to joke and discuss their reports with director Luca Guadagnino. But no one can deny that they laugh together.
Cutest moment: When Josh describes Daniel as a “cinematic element,” to which Daniel curtly replies, “What, I’m like Weetabix?”
Most infuriating moment: When Josh confesses that he and Mike Faist “laughed” during the filming of his threesome scene with Zendaya.
Funniest moment: When Daniel says what everyone thinks of the Challengers and tells Josh, “The scene in the hotel room, where they don’t have sex with each other, is the biggest cock tease in movie history. “
WATCH IT HERE
What could be greater than two infamous weirdos sharing their existence and talking about the fragility of life together?These two perfectly combined each other’s power, and the result was *the chef’s kiss*.
Most beautiful moment: when Adrien reflects on how fleeting life is and says, “As I get older, I still don’t think about death, about life, about what I need to do with my time here and who I should spend this time with. “”.
Most embarrassing moment: when Tilda and Adrien spend several minutes investigating how and when they met. . . and they can’t find an answer.
Funniest moment: Right off the bat, when Tilda tells Adrien that in her space they call him her “little boy” because of his roles at the Grand Budapest Hotel, to which Adrian replies, “You gave me life.
WATCH IT HERE
This might be the most viral episode of the season, and for good reason: it’s VERY entertaining. These two manage to keep things gentle and fun while addressing trauma, vulnerability, and emotions of doubt, and I loved every minute of it.
Cutest moment: when Nicole talks about watching Zendaya on Disney Channel with her daughters when they were younger, to which Zendaya responds: “Thank you to your children. Your mother is great. Do your homework. “
Most embarrassing moment: when Zendaya admits how emotionally and physically exhausting it is to film Euphoria. (“We’re destined to make a season. I’ve only done two, but it looks like five. A season of Euphoria is like, ‘Ugh!'”)
Funniest moment: When Nicole says, “As soon as I heard her name was Babygirl, I was like, ‘Yeah. I need to be the girl. ‘” Also, when Nicole refers to herself as “Dunie. “
WATCH IT HERE
ItAnd chemistry?10/10, without notes.
Cutest Moment: When Colman asks Kieran about being a father and he says, “It feels like nothing else matters. I’m a dad now, and my only role in life is that. That’s real life. All this is lovely, but I’m just trying to get home.”
Most embarrassing moment: when Kieran calls his Succession co-star Jeremy Strong. (“I object to actors calling themselves “storytellers. “I don’t like that. Sorry, Jeremy. “)
Funniest Moment: When Kieran compliments Colman’s youthful appearance and asks, “Do you moisturize?” Colman’s deadpan response: “I’m Black.”
WATCH IT HERE
A Timeline of Taylor and Brittany’s Friendship
Prince Harry didn’t have the gravitas to write too much
Ben and Ashley I. react to Matt James’ breakup on IG
Meet ‘XO, Kitty’s New Heartthrob Joshua Hyunho Lee
Barack’s Birthday Message to Michelle = Everyone
How Taylor is doing amid the Los Angeles wildfires
Really thrilled with Alan Cumming’s courage.
Just Justin Bieber shirtless in his Calvins
Rachael “blinded” by Matt’s breakup sentence
Zac Efron’s performance in “The Traitors” criticized
Joe Alwyn Makes First Late-Night Appearance Ever
The timing of Matt’s breakup message leaves fans confused
Part of Hearst Digital Media
We may earn a commission from links on this page, but we only feature products we support.
©2025 Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.