Gwyneth Paltrow, left, and Michael B. Jordan arrive at the 32nd Annual Actor Awards on Sunday, March 1, 2026, at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles. Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP If you didn’t spy Page Six Hollywood on the red carpet at the newly named Actor Awards, you’re not alone — several outlets, including local mainstays KTLA, Fox11 and ABC, plus about a dozen others, were placed near the exit, missing most nominees as they cruised into the ceremony.
The predominant rumor among the bullpen was that news-focused outlets were shoved to the carpet’s end due to organizers’ alleged fear that celebs would be asked about the conflict in Iran. “I don’t ask political questions anyway, I don’t get it,” one news reporter said. “I’d like a word with whoever made this decision,” a veteran LA TV personality groaned. After an hour with no talent in sight, one longtime Hollywood reporter took matters into his own hands, walking down the carpet to pitch publicists on making their way to our neck of the woods.
Thankfully, P6H was ultimately able to land some key interviews, picking the brains of a few carpet-walkers — from the president of SAG-AFTRA to a “Shark Tank” dealmaker — about another conflict closer to home: Paramount Skydance’s impending Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition.
Actor Sean Astin at the SAG-AFTRA Actor Awards. REUTERS While the actors’ union has been quiet since last week’s shocker, SAG-AFTRA president Sean Astin weighed in: “I think we’re feeling very skeptical. We want to see exactly what the deal ends up being, and we really want to know whether or not an acquisition of that size is going to end up actually creating more jobs, or if it’s going to reduce the total amount of jobs that we have. So for us, it’s a very simple calculus: we want our people to work.”
But it could be quite some time before the deal is actually done, considering it will have to pass through regulatory approval — an ordeal that will likely take between 6 to 12 months and draw significant political opposition.
Astin said he’s hopeful that the approval process is less about politics, and more about the well-being of industry workers. “Politics aside, I really hope that the government accepts its responsibility to look carefully into this sort of potentially monopolistic action and protect the community as citizens. So if it’s ultimately OK, then that’s business, and let’s get to work,” he said, adding the union can’t exactly turn away from a merged company that will undoubtedly be a source of significant employment opportunity for its members in the future.
“We’re going to have a very critical eye, and I think that’s appropriate, but we also always want to make sure that we’re respectful of our employers. That organization now is going to stand to employ more of us than anybody else, so we need to work well with them.”
Timothée Chalamet and Kevin O’Leary at the 32nd Annual Actor Awards. John Salangsang/Shutterstock for The Actor Awards While many have raised alarm about President Trump’s potential involvement with Paramount’s business, “Marty Supreme” actor and “Shark Tank” businessman Kevin O’Leary isn’t too worried.
“Do you know what’s going to happen? A lot of people think, ‘Oh, does it go to the left? Does it go to the right?’ It’s going to go right down the middle,” he told us. “And here’s why: Most advertisers want to be right down the middle. And that’s what the sweet spot is for revenue. Ellison didn’t get to where he is today by doing stupid deals. So I think he’s going to do quite well with this. There’ll be a lot of cost cutting, obviously, but I think it’s going to take this massive network right down the middle, where the most revenue can be found.”
As for Netflix and Ted Sarandos’ position as the jilted offer-that-was, he adds, “Ted’s a pretty smart guy. They’re going to do just fine. They are so powerful internationally, I think everybody that is an actor is going to work with them eventually. There’s no question about it. And I think, looking forward, these massive platforms are going to start producing movies again, because that’s what people want to watch. So during all this consolidation, there’s been trauma, but we’re back to movie making – which is good for me, because I’m looking for another role!”
