Variety Honors Ten Actors at Newport

Ten emerging film actors gathered in Newport Beach, California, on October 18 to discuss their craft and recent projects. The panel, hosted by Variety in partnership with the Newport Beach Film Festival, took place at the Balboa Bay Resort. The event brought together the 2026 class of honorees who are expected to gain prominence as the awards season progresses.

The group includes Jaafar Jackson for "Michael," Inde Navarrette for "Obsession," Ray Nicholson for "The Mosquito Bowl," and Esmé Creed-Miles for "Sense and Sensibility." Also named were Mariana Di Girólamo for "Wild Horse Nine," Rosalind Eleazar for "Misty Green," Guitarricadelafuente for "La Bola Negra," and Summer H. Howell for "Carrie." Ruth Madeley for "Being Heumann" and Joseph Zada for "The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping" completed the list.

Inde Navarrette addressed the difficulty of portraying Nikki in "Obsession." She noted that the film offers limited material regarding the character's real life. Navarrette described the project as her first experience with a degree of creative freedom in a leading role. "It was really just my first opportunity where I kind of had the freedom, to a certain extent, to do whatever I could," she said. She characterized the character's complications as the most beautiful aspect of Nikki.

Navarrette reported that audience members, particularly women, have approached her to express identification with the character. She observed that while people may enjoy laughter, most individuals possess a complexity composed of multiple selves. She stated that this multifaceted nature is beautiful.

Jaafar Jackson spoke about portraying his uncle, Michael Jackson, in the biographical film "Michael." He explained that the challenge extended beyond replicating the singer's performance skills to capturing his personal confidence. Jackson aimed to project the presence of an experienced actor rather than a first-time performer. He sought the awareness to adapt when scenes deviated from the script or plan.

Jackson described his need to remain in the mindset of the character even when unexpected events occurred on set. "Something can happen the day of, and I was experiencing that, and I was glad I was able to prep for that and just to be in that space where Michael would do it, just to continue to be in the mind of Michael," he said. The discussion focused on the practical aspects of building confidence and maintaining consistency in challenging roles.