Taraji P. Henson Encourages Artists To ‘Knock Down’ Walls, Sarah Finn Celebrates Casting Community & More At 2026 Newport Beach Film Festival Honors

Taraji P. Henson reflected on the power of art to defend dignity and create possibility, while casting director Sarah Finn celebrated the collaborative work behind bringing stories to life at the Newport Beach Film Festival’s 27th annual Festival Honors brunch. Held Oct. 18 at Balboa Bay Resort, the event brought together Hollywood veterans and emerging talent for a celebration of the artists and craftspeople helping shape the coming awards season. The morning began with Variety’s 10 Actors to Watch, a group of performers discussing their experiences on films spanning independent features, international productions and major studio releases, before the festival turned to its honorees. Henson, who received the Artist of Distinction Award, delivered one of the event’s most emotional speeches, reflecting on more than two decades in the industry and her desire to use her platform to serve others. Watch on Deadline “I asked God to use me and to use me as a voice for the unseen where silence was deafening,” she said. “If I had to wear armor, please God, let it protect somebody else’s humanity, not just mine.” Reflecting on her tireless work as an actor of color, Henson noted that the armor she uses to speak up for other mistreated people of color can both protect and “separate” communities. Henson continued: “Through art, advocacy, philanthropy, and entrepreneurship, I choose to use mine to defend dignity, create possibility, and remind people that healing and joy are our birthright.” She closed with a message for artists working in an industry dotted with troubles and discrimination: “The strongest people aren’t those of us who build walls, but the strongest people are the ones who have the courage to knock them down.” Finn, who received the Casting Visionary Award, offered a different perspective on the creative process, reflecting on nearly three decades spent finding the right actors to inhabit the worlds filmmakers imagine. “I feel very lucky to have a career where every day it’s all about looking for potential and envisioning a future that doesn’t exist yet.” she said. Continuing, she explained that casting directors are tasked with finding the right match between an actor and a role, including potential chemistry between artists as they build an ensemble piece by piece. “We are in the front row, helping actors grow, helping them create, supporting them to shine so they can become stars,” Finn said. She was also quick to acknowledge that the work is never done alone, crediting her associates and assistants for the effort behind her career and accepting the honor on behalf of the wider casting community. Casting directors are dreamers. We are doers. We are treasure hunters. We start imagining possibility before the camera rolls. We are all visionaries, and I’m so proud to accept this award on behalf of my bold and brilliant casting community,” she said. The morning’s conversations with Variety’s 10 Actors to Watch also offered a glimpse at the different ways performers approach their craft, with several finding common ground in the challenge of portraying complicated people who resist easy categorization. Rosalind Eleazar, recognized for Misty Green, said she is drawn to characters who are “somewhat difficult to love and difficult to back.” The actor praised Chris Rock’s writing as fearless, describing her character as contradictory, self-destructive and prone to terrible decisions. For Eleazar, the challenge was understanding what might drive someone to behave that way. “I’m interested in why does someone come out into the world punching the way she does?” she said. “And obviously, usually that comes from a source of pain and suffering. So really, it was a gift of a character to play.” Ruth Madeley, who stars in Being Heumann, found a different kind of complexity in portraying disability rights activist Judy Heumann. Madeley said the experience allowed her to learn more about Heumann’s humanity, including her joy and uncertainty, beyond her status as a formidable figure in the movement. She also pointed to the significance of disabled people taking leading roles in film and television. “[This film proves] that disabled people can lead stories at the top of the industry,” Madeley said. Obsession star Inde Navarrette echoed Eleazar’s interest in multidimensional characters, describing the challenge of making Nikki feel fully formed despite having limited words on the page. The actor said she was struck by how women who approached her after seeing the character recognized themselves in Nikki. I find that there’s a complexity, not just in women, but in us as people where we are multiple people and that’s beautiful and I was very honored to portray her,” Navarrette said. Meanwhile, the festival’s international talent offered their perspective on the learning curve of filmmaking. Mariana Di Girolamo and Guitarricadelafuente, both Spanish-speaking performers debuting in their first films, discussed relating to their characters and working alongside big names. Di Girolamo, who appears in Martin McDonagh’s Wild Horse Nine, described performing in English for the first time as a challenge, particularly given the filmmaker’s distinctive writing style. She explained that McDonagh’s notably dark humor and wit, “his language,” allowed him to address subjects close to home for her, namely the film’s plot, which is based on Chile’s 1973 coup to overthrow socialist president Salvador Allende. She credited her dialect coach, Penny, along with McDonagh and co-stars John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell, with helping her through the process. Filming on Rapa Nui, she added, made the experience all the more memorable. Guitarricadelafuente said he was initially frightened by the prospect of acting in La Bola Negra. He explained that as a musician, performing onstage allows him to adopt alter egos and inhabit aspirational versions of himself. Playing Sebastian, however, required a different kind of introspection. “It was not just the blind faith from the directors and obviously the talent, their talent in them, but suddenly there was this thing of not having to portray an alter ego, but having to confront yourself and your inner things with this character,” he said. The film, which intertwines three queer stories against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War and the legacy of poet Federico García Lorca, allowed him to explore difficult subjects in his first acting role. He also expressed gratitude for the chance to work alongside Penélope Cruz, calling the experience “just out of this world.” Other recipients of this year’s Festival Honors included Jack O’Connell, who received the Outstanding Achievement in Acting Award; Mckenna Grace, recipient of the Spotlight Award; and Sosie Bacon, who received the Breakout Award for Family Movie. The remaining members of Variety’s 10 Actors to Watch were Esmé Creed-Miles (Sense and Sensibility), Summer H. Howell (Carrie), Jaafar Jackson (Michael), Ray Nicholson (The Mosquito Bowl) and Joseph Zada (East of Eden). The 27th annual Newport Beach Film Festival runs Oct. 15–22 in Southern California.