Dear Gossips,

Variety’s “Actors on Actors” conversation series returns on December 4, and they announced their full lineup for the year, and they went for it, going all-in on Barbenheimer and pairing Cillian Murphy with Margot Robbie.

 

Once again, let’s take a moment to acknowledge Margot’s excellent Barbie-inspired wardrobe. Those shoes and blazer paired with jeans is a perfect look for what is supposed to be a “casual” chat between peers. 

 

Other pairings include Robert Downey, Jr. and Mark Ruffalo (should be a fun one because they’re actually friends); Emily Blunt and Anne Hathaway for a Devil Wears Prada reunion; Halle Bailey and Rachel Zegler, who can commiserate over toxic Disney fans; Emma Stone and Bradley Cooper, who probably hope no one brings up Aloha; Carey Mulligan and Michael Fassbender for a Shame reunion; Jeffrey Wright and Taraji P. Henson; Greta Lee and Andrew Scott; Natalie Portman and Paul Mescal; the most left-field pairing of Alden Ehrenreich and Da’Vine Joy Randolph; and Euphoria co-stars Colman Domingo and Jacob Elordi—do you think they’ll talk about work ethic?

 

Obviously, there was an attempt made to leverage the pairings for maximum attention, with the number of former co-star reunions in the group, and, of course, the Barbenheimer pair. But there is a conspicuous absence: Lily Gladstone.

Can you imagine planning a series like “Actors on Actors” in the year that we are on the brink of the first Native American woman being nominated for Best Actress and you DON’T include her? There’s only so many episodes and so many pairings, but like, come ON! At least they got Greta Lee in there, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph who is a major contender for Best Supporting Actress for The Holdovers (as she should be, she’s INCREDIBLE in that film). But no Lily Gladstone? How am I to take you seriously when you display such poor taste?

 

“Actors on Actors” is sometimes annoying and sometimes entertaining, but I am starting out the latest “season” of this trumped-up campaign stop annoyed that the folks at Variety made such an obvious oversight. Because so many of the pairings do seem designed to generate headlines, I have to assume Gladstone was excluded because she’s “not famous enough” but like…you can either follow the bandwagon or you can steer it. Variety elected to follow, and I am judging them accordingly.

Attached - Cillian Murphy with Oppenheimer cast members at a screening and Q&A last night in London.  

Live long and gossip,

Sarah