If She Were A Bell She’d Be Ringing – Kristen kills as host
– 3 min read
When you’re great at something, it looks easy – which is kind of a double-negative where hosting awards shows is concerned. If it goes bad? You’ll hear about it more than you ever feared. Goes well? People nod and it almost escapes comment… ironic, especially for the newly-named Actor Awards – probably more if I did the math right.
Because the Formerly-Known-As-SAG Awards have had a host just 5 times ever, starting in 2018 when the host was… Kristen Bell. Since then, Megan Mullaly hosted once, Idris Elba once… and Bell the other two times, including last night. So a show that’s ably proven they don’t need a host keeps coming back to the one person who doesn’t break a sweat while doing it.
If Lainey were here, she’d say Kristen Bell’s capability hosting a live event is due to being a theatre kid, and I believe it in theory – but it’s worth noting that, while I’m sure she’d like to, Kristen Bell hasn’t done a live theatre role in decades. Instead, she hosts with a spirit of slightly arch enthusiasm, like “this is gonna go well, but even if it doesn’t, won’t we have fun?"
I think it’s down to two things – first of all, she fully commits – to hosting, to her persona, to outfits (this velvet ringmaster look was my favourite, and that’s before we get to the gag where the whole thing was about names: )
@netflix Kristen Bell opens the #ActorAwards with musical tribute to stage names!
♬ original sound - Netflix
She also commits to bits, and while I think some of them were tiresome – mainly the ping pong, I have to say – there were also a lot that worked, mainly because she’s all the way in them. Think of the number of hosts who would have over- or under-played this moment:
@samiigirllll Kristen bell is an amazing host 🤩 the level of confidence she has aspires me. #fyp #netflix #kristenbell #viral #tv
♬ original sound - 𝒮𝒶𝓂✨💕🌸🌞
Good, right? I think her other secret weapon is one hiding in plain sight – she knows she’s good with friends, so she makes sure they’re there whenever she can manage it.
She made a joke of it in the Ted Danson/Jackie Tohn bit, a la “Best Friend is a tier”, but also did a bit with Adam Scott that worked way better than it should have because… they like each other. Then in this bit with Rhea Seehorn, the ‘Pluribus chorus’ boasts not just Timothy Simons and The Diplomat Star Ali Ahn, but her longtime pal William Jackson Harper.
Even Noah Wyle, who’s shtick in the ‘medical jargon’ bit was to be unimpressed, can’t be totally immune to her fully-committed charms:
It makes sense! Surround yourself with people who love you, want to uplift you, and make you look great – you have a ball and win the night! Simple but effective, right?
Which means, if there’s anyone in your personal sphere, for example, who is suspected of not wishing you well or not being proud of your success? Maybe someone who’s jealous of it and wants it for themselves? Well, they’re nowhere to be seen or heard, and that’s just the way everyone likes it.
Kristen Bell (with Noah Wylie, Adam Scott, Ted Danson, and Rhea Seehorn) hosts the 32nd Annual Actor Awards on March 1, 2026
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