Newport Beach Panel Spotlights Ten Emerging Talent for Awards Season
The group discussed the craft of embodying dark or complex figures, with Jaafar Jackson and Inde Navarrette sharing insights on their specific roles.
By Christopher Richardson ·
Ten actors faced the public for the first time as a unified group on October 18 at the Balboa Bay Resort in Newport Beach, California. The gathering marked the announcement of the 2026 list of performers positioned for upcoming awards recognition. The session was moderated by Variety in partnership with the Newport Beach Film Festival.
The roster includes Jaafar Jackson, Inde Navarrette, Ray Nicholson, Esmé Creed-Miles, Mariana Di Girólamo, Rosalind Eleazar, Guitarricadelafuente, Summer H. Howell, Ruth Madeley, and Joseph Zada. Each actor is linked to a specific recent project, ranging from Michael to Obsession, The Mosquito Bowl, Sense and Sensibility, Wild Horse Nine, Misty Green, La Bola Negra, Carrie, Being Heumann, and The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.
Inde Navarrette addressed the difficulty of creating a character from limited source material in Obsession. She explained that the role of Nikki allowed her creative freedom to define the character's essence. Navarrette noted that audiences, particularly women, have told her they see their own complexity in the part.
“It was really just my first opportunity where I kind of had the freedom, to a certain extent, to do whatever I could,” Navarrette said. “I really find the complication of Nikki to be what is the most beautiful about her. And I find people come up and they talk to me about her, specifically women, say, ‘That is a character that I find myself in.’”
Jaafar Jackson discussed the process of channeling his uncle, Michael Jackson, in the film Michael. He focused on matching the performer's confidence and spatial awareness rather than just replicating physical skills. Jackson stated he wanted to avoid appearing inexperienced despite being a first-time actor in this specific medium.
“I just wanted it to come across as I’ve done films before. I didn’t want to be seen as a first-time actor,” Jackson said. “I wanted to be able to, of course, continue to learn, but have that presence and awareness of how to walk into a room, how to get pulled in any direction because it doesn’t always go as planned or what’s on the page.”
The conversation centered on the technical and emotional demands of these new roles. The panelists shared their methods for maintaining consistency while adapting to on-set changes. The event concluded with a video release covering the discussion in two parts.
Source: Variety
