CNN and Variety Unveil the Star-Studded Line Up for Variety & CNN Actors on Actors

THE EMMY(R) AWARD-WINNING FRANCHISE RETURNS ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5 WITH ALL-NEW CONVERSATIONS, STREAMING EXCLUSIVELY ON CNN

Participants Include: Julia Roberts, Dwayne Johnson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Lawrence, Adam Sandler, Hugh Jackman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Colin Farrell, Sean Penn, Brendan Fraser, Michael B. Jordan, Ethan Hawke, Kate Hudson, Cynthia Erivo, Oscar Isaac, Sydney Sweeney, Jeremy Allen White, Teyana Taylor, Alexander Skarsgård, Stellan Skarsgård, Jesse Buckley, Jesse Plemons, Jacob Elordi, Jonathan Bailey and David Corenswet

NEW YORK - (December 3, 2025) - CNN and Variety revealed today the full lineup for Variety & CNN Actors on Actors, the Emmy(R) Award-winning interview franchise that pairs the year's most compelling performers for candid conversations about craft, process, and the work driving this awards season, beginning December 5.

This marks the first season under the recently announced collaboration between CNN and Variety, with all-new episodes debuting exclusively for subscribers of CNN's new streaming offering before premiering across Variety's digital platforms.

"With exclusive revelations from Leonardo DiCaprio, Julia Roberts, Sean Penn, Jennifer Lawrence, Dwayne Johnson, Michael B. Jordan, Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Ethan Hawke and more, this is our best season of Actors on Actors yet," said Ramin Setoodeh, Variety's co-editor in chief and co-president. "We can't wait for fans of this Emmy-winning series to savor every minute of these conversations on CNN and Variety."

Variety & CNN Actors on Actors will begin rolling out on Friday, December 5, with one conversation premiering each day for 13 consecutive days. Full episodes will debut on CNN at 9:00am ET, followed by a 3:00pm ET premiere on Variety's YouTube channel. Variety's annual Actors on Actors print issue will hit newsstands on December 17.

The Variety & CNN Actors on Actors pairings include:

Friday, December 5: Ariana Grande (Wicked: For Good) and Adam Sandler (Jay Kelly)

Saturday, December 6: Julia Roberts (After the Hunt) and Sean Penn (One Battle After Another)

Sunday, December 7: Jonathan Bailey (Wicked: For Good, Jurassic World Rebirth) and David Corenswet (Superman)

Monday, December 8: Dwayne Johnson (The Smashing Machine) and Brendan Fraser (Rental Family)

Tuesday, December 9: Gwyneth Paltrow (Marty Supreme) and Jacob Elordi (Frankenstein)

Wednesday, December 10: Cynthia Erivo (Wicked: For Good) and Hugh Jackman (Song Sung Blue)

Thursday, December 11: Sydney Sweeney (Christy) and Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon)

Friday, December 12: Stellan Skarsgård (Sentimental Value) and Alexander Skarsgård (Pillion)

Saturday, December 13: Michael B. Jordan (Sinners) and Jesse Plemons (Bugonia)

Sunday, December 14: Kate Hudson (Song Sung Blue) and Jeremy Allen White (Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere)

Monday, December 15: Oscar Isaac (Frankenstein) and Teyana Taylor (One Battle After Another)

Tuesday, December 16: Colin Farrell (Ballad of a Small Player) and Jessie Buckley (Hamnet)

Wednesday, December 17: Jennifer Lawrence (Die My Love) and Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another)

Throughout the season, CNN entertainment correspondent Elizabeth Wagmeister will present exclusive content across CNN's platforms, spotlighting the participants and the conversations that define Variety & CNN Actors on Actors.

For more exclusive content, follow @Variety and @StreamOnCNN across social platforms.

Variety & CNN Actors on Actors is executive produced by Ramin Setoodeh and Donna Pennestri for Variety along with Amy Entelis and Roxanna Sherwood for CNN Originals.

A selection of episodes from previous seasons of Actors on Actors are available to stream now for CNN's streaming subscribers on CNN.com and CNN's connected TV and mobile apps.

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About Variety

Variety is the #1 entertainment news brand. Established in 1905, Variety is now celebrating 120 years of award-winning breaking news reporting, insightful award-season coverage, must-read feature spotlights, and intelligent analysis of the industry's most prominent players, Variety remains the most trusted source for the business of global entertainment. Read by a highly engaged audience of industry insiders, executive level professionals and decision makers, Variety's multi-platform content coverage expands across digital, mobile, social, print, as well as podcasts, branded content, data, events and summits. Variety is the vital read in every entertainment capital. Variety is a subsidiary of PME TopCo., a joint venture between Penske Media Corporation and Eldridge. For more information, please visit www.variety.com.