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Variety and CNN have marked a major milestone with Season 23 of Actors on Actors delivering the most successful social campaign in the franchise’s history. During the most competitive stretch of awards season the long running video series reached nearly 247 million social video views across TikTok Instagram Facebook and X. The achievement cements Actors on Actors as one of the most powerful digital franchises tied to Oscars season and highlights its growing influence across platforms and audiences worldwide.
Actors on Actors is known for pairing acclaimed performers in thoughtful conversations where they reflect on their craft discuss their most talked about roles and engage with the broader awards conversation. Season 23 continued that tradition while expanding its reach in a significant way through a new partnership with CNN. Together Variety and
CNN amplified the series’ visibility and impact leading to record breaking engagement and viewership that surpassed last year’s already strong Oscars season rollout.
The social campaign was spearheaded by Variety’s social media team led by Antonio Ferme and Harper Mays with additional support from Online Managing Editor Zack Sharf. Their coordinated effort across platforms ensured that the conversations resonated with both dedicated film fans and casual viewers scrolling through social feeds. Short form clips highlights and shareable moments helped the series travel far beyond its core audience resulting in millions of views and widespread online discussion.
Ramin Setoodeh co president and co editor in chief of Variety emphasized the significance of the milestone. He described Actors on Actors as one of the biggest franchises in magazine journalism and expressed excitement that the series once again connected with viewers around the globe. He also acknowledged CNN’s role in expanding the reach of the series and noted the wave of memes that followed its viral success underscoring how deeply the conversations penetrated online culture.
Season 23 featured conversations moderated by Daniel D’Addario chief correspondent at Variety along with Matt Donnelly senior entertainment and media writer and Selome Hailu entertainment writer. Their guidance helped shape discussions that were both insightful and accessible allowing the actors to speak candidly about their work and awards season experiences.
Behind the scenes the production team played a key role in maintaining the quality and consistency that audiences expect from the franchise. Executive producers included Setoodeh Donna Pennestri Amy Entelis and Roxanna Sherwood. Supervising producers were Nicholas Stango Katie Adler and Ryan Robinson with producers Georg Kallert and Rob Schroeder contributing to the execution of the series.
As awards season continues to evolve with social media playing a central role in shaping conversation Actors on Actors Season 23 stands as a clear example of how legacy entertainment journalism can thrive in the digital space. With record breaking views a strong creative team and a successful partnership with CNN the franchise has
reinforced its position as a defining voice of Oscars season and a benchmark for social video success.
