Yahoo Lifestyle I Ranked All of 'Variety's 2024 Actors on Actors Pairings—See Who Won
When it comes to Variety's Actors on Actors series, the outlet rarely misses—but of course, every pairing brings something different to the table. As usual, the season 21 lineup included the biggest stars from this year's awards season, kicking things off with Andrew Garfield and Ryan Reynolds and concluding the series with Adrien Brody and Tilda Swinton. Over the course of 12 days, fans were gifted quotable lines, memeable moments, and plenty of fodder for discussion. But the question still begs: Which pairing reigns supreme?
To help you decide which videos are worth your time (they each have a runtime of about 30 minutes, which isn't insignificant!), I watched and ranked this year's Actors on Actors installments so you don't have to. (You're welcome!) Ahead, find my honest review of all 12 conversations, including the best (and the cringiest) quotes from each video. Enjoy!
Kate Winslet & Zoe Saldaña
Generally speaking, I like it better when Variety pairs up actors who are unfamiliar with each other rather than actors who frequently work together, like Avatar costars Kate and Zoe. Hearing two old friends catch up can be entertaining, but I didn't feel this conversation surfaced as much new insight 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."
Cringiest Moment: When Kate makes this statement about the film industry, which some fans in the comments found to be a little dated: "We’re so lucky that we are living in a time where perhaps things are changing, in terms of the culture shifting towards our industry and audiences wanting to hear female stories more than ever before."
Funniest Moment: When Zoe did her impression of director James Cameron. ("He’s like, 'Well, Kate can hold her breath for seven minutes.' And he goes, 'Sigourney came in second with almost six minutes. Zoe allegedly says that she did it for five.' And I’m like, 'I did it for five!'")
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Pamela Anderson & Mikey Madison
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 and nudity and sex in the film. I just wanted to grab you out of there and hug you."
Cringiest Moment: When Pamela asks Mikey if she had an intimacy coordinator on set and Mikey explains that she opted not to use one. "Mark Eydelshteyn, who plays Ivan, and I decided it would be best to just keep it small," she says. "My character is a sex worker, and I had seen Sean’s films and know his dedication to authenticity. I was ready for it. As an actress, I approached it as a job."
Funniest Moment: Every time Pamela mentions her passion for growing pickles.
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Saoirse Ronan & Selena Gomez
This was a bit of a mismatch, IMO. And while I enjoyed their discussion about child stardom and being motivated by their inner child, these two don't have a ton in common. Side note: Saoirse has definitely never watched OMITB.
Cutest Moment: When Saoirse expresses her hope for the future of the entertainment industry, saying, "By the time our daughters come around, hopefully we won’t have to have the discussion of, ‘Yeah, there’s women in this movie, and one of them directed, and good for 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."
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Andrew Garfield & Ryan Reynolds
TBH, this ended up being a nice exploration of grief and loss (with plenty of silliness thrown in, ofc). 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...that resonated with me in so many ways that I can't even count."
Cringiest Moment: When Andrew describes his awkward first rehearsal with Tony Kushner for their play Angels in America.
Funniest Moment: When Ryan and Andrew recount the story behind their viral kiss at the 2017 Golden Globes.
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Ariana Grande & Paul Mescal
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 of Ariana and her Wicked costar, Cynthia Erivo, "I’m watching you guys in the press tour. You’re obviously in love with each other," to which Ari responds, "Insufferable. Yes. We’re horrible. It’s bad."
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Amy Adams & Demi Moore
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 whether Amy actually turns into a dog in Nightbitch and Amy says, "I believe that she believes."
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Drew Starkey & Harris Dickinson
Up until this conversation, I thought these two actors were the same person. (Kidding.) (But not really.) That said, hearing Drew and Harris talk about their experiences playing the love interests of older (and much more seasoned) A-list actors was pretty juicy.
Cutest Moment: When Drew discusses the ayahuasca scene in Queer and confesses that he's not a great dancer...and Harris then replies, "I love to dance, quite frankly, 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 gets distracted by a piece of gum left on the table and Harris notes that it's probably from "someone very famous" and that Drew should sell it.
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Angelina Jolie & Cynthia Erivo
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 really isn't a single lol moment in the interview...but honestly, I was okay with that!
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Daniel Craig & Josh O'Connor
Was it the most enlightening convo? No—it was mostly just the Knives Out 3 costars bantering and discussing their experiences working with director Luca Guadagnino. But no one can deny that they're entertaining as hell together.
Cutest Moment: When Josh calls Daniel a "staple of the movie industry," to which Daniel dryly replies, "What, I'm like Weetabix?"
Cringiest Moment: When Josh confesses he and Mike Faist "got the giggles" while filming their threesome scene with Zendaya.
Funniest Moment: When Daniel says what everyone is thinking about 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."
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Adrien Brody & Tilda Swinton
What could be better than two notorious weirdos getting existential and talking about the frailty of life together? These two perfectly matched each other's energy, and the result was *chef's kiss.*
Cutest Moment: When Adrien reflects on how fleeting life is, saying, "As we get older, I think not about death but about life—what I want to do with my time here and who I want to spend that time with."
Cringiest Moment: When Tilda and Adrien spend several minutes trying to remember how and when they first met..and fail to come up with an answer.
Funniest Moment: Right off the bat, when Tilda tells Adrien that he's referred to as her "tiny child" in her household because of their roles in The Grand Budapest Hotel, to which Adrian replies, "You did bring me to life."
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Nicole Kidman & Zendaya
This may have been the most viral installment of the season, and for good reason: It's SO entertaining. These two somehow manage to keep things light and fun while touching on trauma, vulnerability, and feelings of self-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 replies, "Shoutout to your kids. Your mom’s cool. Do your homework."
Cringiest Moment: When Zendaya confesses how emotionally and physically draining it is to film Euphoria. ("We’re supposed to do another season. I’ve only done two, but it feels like five. One season of Euphoria is like, 'Phew!'")
Funniest Moment: When Nicole says, "As soon as I heard it was called Babygirl, I’m like, 'Yeah. I want to be the babygirl.'" Also, when Nicole refers to herself as a "Dunie."
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Colman Domingo & Kieran Culkin
These two <333. It's clear the wildly charismatic Colman and Kieran have very little in common (and very different approaches to their craft), but that's what made their banter so damn good. And the chemistry? 10/10, no 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."
Cringiest Moment: When Kieran calls out his Succession costar Jeremy Strong. ("I object to when actors call themselves 'storytellers.' I don’t really 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."
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