Sunday’s ceremony marked Bell’s third time hosting the event formerly known as the SAG Awards.

Dax Shepard prepares for invasive medical procedure as wife Kristen Bell hosts Actor Awards 2026

Sunday's ceremony marked Bell's third time hosting the event formerly known as the SAG Awards.

By Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on *Entertainment Tonight* and Popsugar.

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on March 2, 2026 5:04 p.m. ET

Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell at the 2026 Golden Globe Awards. Credit:

Amy Sussman/Getty

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.

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 marked her third time as the event's emcee.

See all the winners at the 2026 Actor Awards as 'Sinners,' 'The Studio' dominate

See all the celebrity looks at the 2026 Actor Awards

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."

The day after the Actor Awards, Bell revealed on social media that her husband had ultimately made it to the show, where he hung out backstage with the couple's daughters — and Bell herself when she was able to steal a few moments.

"In case you were wondering what I was doing when I wasn't on stage last night," she wrote alongside snapshots and video snippets of the family watching her big night. "Not for one moment do think I could do this job on my own. Never underestimate your tribe. The goals you've set, the dreams you're chasing — none of it happens in isolation. The people in your corner aren't a bonus. They're the foundation."**

She added, "Thank you @daxshepard for being so continuously supportive and present. You have never not been there to help calm my nervous system when it's crunch time."

Shepard responded in the comments: "I don't deserve this, but I kinda do in thIS case because yesterday was my colonoscopy prep day (if you know you know), so the visit was one of the bravest/most arrogant decisions of my life. Also you CRUSHED."

See the full list of this year's Actor Awards winners.

[*This article has been to include Bell's Instagram post.*]

- Awards Shows & Events

- The Actor Awards

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