Kristen Bell walked the red carpet of the 2026 Actor Awards sans her regular date, husband Dax Shepard, but he had a good reason for missing out.
As the Armchair Expert podcast host revealed on social media before Sunday night’s festivities kicked off, he was preparing for a very important appointment: a colonoscopy. Shepard made sure he shared his equivalent of a doctor’s note on his Instagram Story, posting a screenshot from a conversation in which he was reminded to only drink clear liquids Sunday until switching to water for the procedure on Monday.
“I’m currently eating a steak smothered in seeds and nuts,” Shepard wryly responded.
Dax Shepard on Instagram
Credit: Dax Shepard
Considering how diligent Shepard is when it comes to colonoscopies, it’s safe to assume he’s used to cutting back on the solid food for a couple days. Back in 2017, the comedian told Jimmy Kimmel that he’d already done the procedure four or five times.
Despite the absence of Bell’s longtime love, she made a stunning appearance on the Actors Award red carpet, where she’s marking her third time as the night’s emcee.
The Nobody Wants This actress showed up in a gorgeous sheer silver gown as she strutted her stuff ahead of the show’s opening. She was even briefly joined by costar Jackie Tohn, who rocked a pink dress.
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“There’s not really an award show, in my opinion, that has a warmer room, a bigger sense of comradery,” Bell recently told PEOPLE of the ceremony, of which she was the first-ever host back in 2018 before returning in 2025. “To have the opportunity to entertain in front of all these people I admire and my friends and my fellow entertainers, it’s wonderful.”
Announced in January, this year’s Actor Awards nominees run the gamut from major commercial movie stars (including Timothée Chalamet, Emma Stone, Michael B. Jordan, and Ariana Grande) in blockbuster titles (such as Sinners, Wicked: For Good, and more) to TV icons on the small screen (The Pitt’s Noah Wyle and the late Studio star Catherine O’Hara).
Kristen Bell at the 2026 Actor Awards
Credit: Amy Sussman/Getty
With such a star-studded group watching her from the audience, it wouldn’t be surprising if Bell felt some nerves about hosting in front of so many peers. But the Veronica Mars star said her biggest fear while onstage at the Actor Awards was much more physical than mental.
It’s “only tripping,” she told the outlet. “Because I do not like high heels, and that’s always the only fear.”
Fans can keep their fingers crossed that Bell’s heels hold up while watching the 32nd annual Actor Awards streaming live on Netflix. See the full list of winners.
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