Variety has announced its 2026 class of "10 Actors to Watch," an annual list first launched in 1998 that highlights breakout performers seen as being on the cusp of stardom. The list has a strong track record, having previously featured more than 35 future Oscar nominees and winners, including Mahershala Ali, Timothée Chalamet and Brie Larson, with last year's honourees already picking up Oscar and Emmy nominations.

This year's selections were made by Variety's Clayton Davis and Emily Longeretta, and the honourees will be profiled in the magazine's 7 October issue before being celebrated at a brunch on 18 October during the Newport Beach Film Festival Honors. The 2026 line-up includes Jaafar Jackson (starring as Michael Jackson in "Michael"), Inde Navarrette (cast as Rogue in an upcoming "X-Men" film), Ray Nicholson, Joseph Zada, Rosalind Eleazar, Esmé Creed-Miles and four others, each linked to prominent upcoming film and television projects.