Sydney Sweeney and Ethan Hawke Team Up for Actors on Actors S23

Actors on Actors Season 23 premieres December 5 under CNN partnership

Hollywood fans are in for an exciting surprise as Sydney Sweeney and Ethan Hawke have been paired together for Variety’s ‘Actors on Actors’ Season 23, and the internet already can’t stop talking about it.

The brand-new season is set to launch on December 5, 2025, and will follow a fresh daily-release format. For 13 straight days, one new celebrity conversation will drop each day across Variety’s official platforms and CNN’s streaming service. Episodes will premiere first on CNN at 9 a.m. ET, followed by a 3 p.m. ET release on Variety’s YouTube channel.

#ActorsOnActors Dec. 11 - Sydney Sweeney and Ethan Hawkehttps://t.co/A20dvhnSbO pic.twitter.com/KicIsrxDtm

— Variety (@Variety) December 3, 2025

This season is also special because it marks the very first edition of ‘Actors on Actors’ under the new Variety–CNN partnership, making the 2025 lineup even more high-profile than ever before.

As soon as the Sweeney–Hawke pairing was announced, fans flooded social media with reactions. Many were surprised by the unexpected duo, while others joked about Hawke’s famously chatty interview style. One viral comment even warned playfully, “Ethan, sprint as quickly as possible!” — adding to the lighthearted buzz around the episode.

Season 23 also features several other headline-making pairings, including:

• Dec 5: Ariana Grande & Adam Sandler

• Dec 6: Julia Roberts & Sean Penn

• Dec 7: Jonathan Bailey & David Corenswet

• Dec 8: Dwayne Johnson & Brendan Fraser

• Dec 9: Gwyneth Paltrow & Jacob Elordi

• Dec 10: Cynthia Erivo & Hugh Jackman

• Dec 11: Sydney Sweeney & Ethan Hawke

• Dec 12: Stellan Skarsgård & Alexander Skarsgård

• Dec 13: Michael B. Jordan & Jesse Plemons

• Dec 14: Kate Hudson & Jeremy Allen White

• Dec 15: Oscar Isaac & Teyana Taylor

• Dec 16: Colin Farrell & Jessie Buckley

• Dec 17: Jennifer Lawrence & Leonardo DiCaprio

With such a powerful mix of rising stars and seasoned performers, Variety’s ‘Actors on Actors’ Season 23 is already shaping up to be one of its most talked-about editions yet. And with daily releases, fans won’t have to wait long between conversations to get their dose of Hollywood’s most candid, unscripted moments.