Boring was certainly not the vibe at the 2026 Actor Awards. But too much, too little, and too “bedroom ready” seemed to be the prevailing theme on the red carpet.
This year’s award show saw some historical changes, starting with its very name and the introduction of a dress code.
Formerly known as the Screen Actors Guild Awards or SAG Awards, this year marked a rebranding with the new name: the Actor Awards
Held on Sunday, March 1, the 32nd annual ceremony was hosted by Kristen Bell and expected attendees to follow a new dress code for the first time in its three-decade history.
Elle, the fashion publication that partnered with the award show, announced that the official dress code for the red carpet was “Reimagining Hollywood Glamour from the ’20s and ’30s.”
But some red carpet looks made us fans wonder if the celebrities even read the announcement for the dress, which was meant to draw inspiration “from an era defined by cinematic elegance and bold expression.”
Scroll on for the 2026 Actor Awards red carpet looks that the internet couldn’t stop talking about.
#1 Jenna Ortega
Bringing what appeared to be sleepwear chic on the red carpet, Jenna Ortega wore a torn ivory slip designed by Christian Cowan to the award show.
The actress attended the show as a nominee in the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series category for her role in Wednesday.
Her bedroom-ready outfit had a lace strap hanging off her shoulder and a tattered, raw-hemmed skirt.
“Bedroom ready?” one asked in the comments section, while another wrote, “ANOTHER RIPPED DRESS.”
“Corpse bride live action coming soon…?” asked a third commenter.
“I’m pretty sure I have that night. Gown, just not torn up,” another quipped.
“I don’t like this trend,” one said, and another agreed saying, “This is not a cute trend.”
Image source: Amy Sussman/Getty Images
#2 Mindy Kaling
Strongly advocating for the skin-is-in look, Mindy Kaling stepped onto the red carpet in a semi-velvet and semi-sheer black dress.
The Yara Shoemaker design featured a strapless neckline and a lace cutout panel at the bust, while the floor-sweeping skirt was see-through with sequins and lace florals.
Image source: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images
#3 Kate Hudson
After an eight-year hiatus, Kate Hudson walked the 2026 Actor Awards red carpet with her brother Oliver as her “last minute” date.
Nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role for her role in Song Sung Blue, the actress showed up in a Valentino dress that featured a flowing cape and a long train that trail.
The look, put together by her longtime stylist Sophie Lopez, also included a total of 76.73 carats of diamonds, in the form of rings, drop earrings, and a wraparound necklace designed.
The jewelry pieces were designed by Emily P. Wheeler, who said a red carpet event of “this magnitude calls for truly impressive stones.”
“We designed and produced several different options for Kate, so I didn’t actually know which jewels she would choose until I saw her step onto the red carpet,” Wheeler told InStyle.
“That element of surprise made the moment even more exhilarating—seeing her reveal the final look in real time was incredibly special,” she added.
Image source: Amy Sussman/Getty Images
#4 Teyana Taylor
Teyana Taylor didn’t play it safe. But sometimes safe exists for a reason.
The actress, who was nominated for the Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role for her performance in One Battle After Another, posed for the cameras in a Thom Browne dress.
The gray and white form-fitting gown had a bodice that looked like an abstract painting of a woman wearing no clothes. More than 160 pattern pieces went into making the anatomical torso, while 400,000 sequins and 175,000 beads made up the floor-sweeping skirt.
The dress may have crossed the thin line between high-concept and high-confusion, but netizens agreed that she had the most adorable accessory with her on the red carpet: her 5-year-old daughter, Rue Rose Shumpert.
Little Rue was captured helping her mama fix her dress and lay out the train for her on the red carpet.
Image source: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images
#5 Ethan Hawke
Ethan Hawke looked quite theatrical, almost like he got lost on the way to a marching band performance.
The actor was dressed in Dior while attending the show as an Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role nominee for his role in Blue Moon.
“The man is vibing like a pirate tonight,” read one comment online, while another wrote, “Ethan looks like quite the swashbuckler.”
Image source: JC Olivera/Variety via Getty Images
#6 Kathryn Hahn
Kathryn Hahn hit the red carpet in a Viktor & Rolf gown that featured a huge tulle skirt and a hot pink peplum.
Her work in The Studio landed her a nomination in the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series category.
When she joined Heated Rivalry star Connor Storrie to present the prize for Female Actor in a Drama Series onstage, she admitted it was SNL alum Bowen Yang who was supposed to be in her place.
“Before we present this award, we have a confession that we’d like to make,” Hahn addressed the audience. “First of all, I wasn’t even supposed to be presenting this award.”
“Right now I am Bowen Yang, because he is casually stuck in Antarctica. Yeah, no, that’s for real,” she said while a picture of Yang bundled up in an icy background appeared.
Image source: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
#7 Parker Posey
Gwyneth Paltrow chose a bold look for the March 1 awards show, wearing a plunging black Givenchy gown made with a sheer lace and beaded bodice.
Attending the award show for the first time since 2000, the actress was there to celebrate her recent movie Marty Supreme, which bagged a spot in the Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture category.
Viral videos captured Paltrow seemingly struggling to walk on the red carpet, with one commenting: “She can’t walk in those heels. Lmao.”
“Can’t walk in the shoes,” another said.
Prude netizens had an issue with the gown’s design and said, “Cover up.”
“Why can’t actresses wear more in the front. They will look just as beautiful,” commented another.
Image source: Amy Sussman/Getty Images
#8 Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow chose a bold look for the March 1 awards show, wearing a plunging black Givenchy gown made with a sheer lace and beaded bodice.
Attending the award show for the first time since 2000, the actress was there to celebrate her recent movie Marty Supreme, which bagged a spot in the Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture category.
Viral videos captured Paltrow seemingly struggling to walk on the red carpet, with one commenting: “She can’t walk in those heels. Lmao.”
“Can’t walk in the shoes,” another said.
Prude netizens had an issue with the gown’s design and said, “Cover up.”
“Why can’t actresses wear more in the front. They will look just as beautiful,” commented another.
Image source: Earl Gibson III/Deadline via Getty Images
#9 Sarah Pidgeon
“Sack her stylist!” the internet said after Sarah Pidgeon showed up to the 2026 Actor Awards wearing a dress that had an exaggerated silhouette from the front and back.
The 29-year-old has created quite a buzz with her style while promoting Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette, in which she plays the effortlessly fashionable Carolyn Bessette Kennedy.
For the award show over the weekend, she wore a Balenciaga Spring 2026 Double Maxi Balloon Dress that came in a dusty pink shade.
“Beautiful lady, but this dress is hideous!” one commented on her look, while another said, “Love her so much, but this dress is a no! She deserves better!!”
Image source: Tommaso Boddi/WWD via Getty Images
#10 Chase Infiniti
For her debut on the Actor Awards red carpet, Chase Infiniti wore a sequined nude mermaid gown with a matching headpiece.
The beaded gown was a Louis Vuitton design and was accessorized with jewelry by De Beers.
The 25-year-old actress was nominated in the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role category.
#11 Odessa A’zion
Odessa A’zion flaunted her big curls during the Marty Supreme press tour, and now they seem to be central to her brand, so much so that viewers felt she walked on the red carpet in a mountain of hair.
Choosing Giorgio Armani Privé for her look, the star was dressed in a shaggy jumpsuit covered in silk fringe in black, green, blue, and purple.
She was nominated for her breakout performance as Rachel Mizler in Marty Supreme.
“But I bet she could wash a car in less than 2 mins,” one commented online, while another asked, “How many muppets had to die for this outfit?”
“She really said, ‘what if my outfit looked like it was falling apart?’” wrote another.
“That’s a critter,” one quipped.
“It could just be this one photo but she looks extremely uncomfortable,” another said.
Image source: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images
#12 Timothée Chalamet
With a nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role for his performancein Marty Supreme, Timothée Chalamet showed up in a monochromatic look 2026 Actor Awards.
He was dressed in a white shirt, white blazer, and black pants.
Meanwhile, his mother and date for the night, Nicole Flender, proudly stood next to him in a contrasting bright pink dress.
Image source: Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images
#13 Snitchery
Snitchery managed to grab quite a bit of attention with her enormously fluffy dress to the award show. And some reports claimed some of the feathers fell on the red carpet as she posed for the cameras.
The internet star, whose real name is Eleanor Barnes, acknowledged how her dress was too big while sharing a video of herself posing for the GlamBOT, which is a high-speed, ultra-slow-motion camera system used to capture dramatic, viral-worthy moments on the red carpet.
“When your dress is too big to serve in the glambot so you have to rely on face card alone,” she wrote alongside her GlamBOT video.
Image source: Earl Gibson III/Deadline via Getty Images
#14 Fran Drescher
One can always count on Fran Drescher to commit. But sometimes she commits a little too hard, like she did during Sunday’s award show.
The Marty Supreme actress wore an overly-flashy outfit, composed of a black sequin column dress and a pink feathered shawl. And the look was topped off with a head-turning black top hat.
“On my way to The Actor Awards on Netflix this evening! And the cast of Marty Supreme is nominated Best Ensemble!” she wrote on Instagram ahead of the show.
“Wish me luck!” she added.
Image source: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images
#15 Adam Brody
Adam Brody’s bright and shiny sunflower-yellow shirt could be spotted from a mile away.
The actor snagged his second SAG-AFTRA nomination for his role of the “hot rabbi” in Nobody Wants This.
Nominated in the Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series category, he wore a black suit with silky lapels on top of his yellow shirt.
Image source: Frazer Harrison/WireImage
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