A Case Study in Legacy Magazine Journalism's Social Transformation and FYC Platformization

11 Years After Its 2014 Premiere: How an Emmy & Webby Award-Winning Franchise Proved the 'Print→Video→Social' Evolution Model

Variety-CNN's co-produced actor conversation series 'Actors on Actors' Season 23 has achieved a record-breaking 247 million social media video views, marking the franchise's highest performance ever. Launched in 2014 as a regional PBS SoCal program, the series has evolved over 11 years into a defining model of digital transformation in magazine journalism—combining global media partnerships with short-form content strategy.

The key success factors include: a peer-to-peer format where fellow actors interview each other, strategic alignment with Oscar season FYC (For Your Consideration) campaigns, and a multi-layered distribution structure spanning CNN streaming exclusives, Variety YouTube releases, and social clip amplification.

Key Highlights

The co-produced interview series between U.S. entertainment publication Variety and CNN recorded a total of 247 million video views across TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X. This represents the highest performance in franchise history for an Oscars season, surpassing all previous records.

Season 23 featured A-list Oscar-winning actors including Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Julia Roberts, and Hugh Jackman, alongside next-generation stars such as Ariana Grande and David Corenswet.

Franchise History & Performance

Birth and Evolution of the Series

'Variety Studio: Actors on Actors' premiered on PBS SoCal on December 21, 2014. Co-produced by Variety Media and PBS SoCal, the series was designed with a format where multiple pairs of actors meet one-on-one to engage in in-depth conversations about acting craft and their work. With 11 years of history as of 2025, the franchise has won an Emmy Award and also received a Webby Award in 2024.

The series airs twice annually during Oscar season (December-January) and Emmy season (May-June). Film awards season features Academy Award-caliber movie actors, while TV awards season showcases Emmy-nominated drama and comedy performers. In 2025, a Broadway edition was introduced ahead of the Tony Awards.

Season Performance Trajectory

Social media performance for 'Actors on Actors' has grown exponentially with each passing season.

Season 19 (Oscar Season 2023) set a then-record, but Season 21 (Oscar Season 2024) surpassed it by 36%, achieving nearly 200 million views and establishing a new benchmark. Season 21 generated buzz with pairings like Ariana Grande and Paul Mescal's 'Glicked' conversation, Ryan Reynolds and Andrew Garfield's dialogue, and the combination of Angelina Jolie and Cynthia Erivo. The season also won a Webby Award.

Season 23 (Oscar Season 2025) recorded 247 million views, representing approximately 25% growth over Season 21. As the first season co-produced with CNN, the new distribution structure and partnership are credited with driving the expanded performance.

Season 23 Release Schedule

Season 23 rolled out with one conversation premiering each day for 13 consecutive days starting December 5, 2025. Episodes debuted exclusively on CNN streaming at 9 a.m. ET, followed by a 3 p.m. ET premiere on Variety's YouTube channel—establishing a multi-tiered distribution structure. The annual Variety Actors on Actors print magazine issue, photographed by Alexi Lubomirski, hit newsstands on December 17.

Significance

A Model for Magazine Journalism's Social Transformation

Variety co-president and co-editor-in-chief Ramin Setoodeh characterized 'Actors on Actors' as "one of the biggest franchises in magazine journalism." Variety, founded in 1905 and celebrating its 120th anniversary in 2025, is an iconic brand in Hollywood journalism. Setoodeh stated: "Beyond the pages of our award-winning magazine, Variety's storytelling is truly multi-platform, reaching tens of millions of viewers around the world."

The series transformed traditional print-and-text-centric celebrity interviews into video, digital, and social-first assets, simultaneously expanding reach and impact—a textbook example of the "Print→Video→Social" transformation model.

Oscar Season FYC Platformization

'Actors on Actors' functions beyond simple interviews as a core media platform for Oscar season 'For Your Consideration (FYC)' campaigns. Amy Entelis, Executive VP of Talent at CNN Originals, stated: "Actors on Actors has become a defining driver of the cultural and awards conversation, and Variety has built a truly singular format."

By providing a venue for awards-caliber actors to deeply discuss their work, acting philosophy, and creative vision, studios gain awards marketing benefits while actors receive branding opportunities targeting Academy voters and core fandom—creating a mutually beneficial structure.

At the 2024 Emmy announcements, 14 'Actors on Actors' participants received nominations, including Jodie Foster, Robert Downey Jr., Quinta Brunson, Jennifer Aniston, and Andrew Scott.

CNN Partnership Structure

Season 23 marks the first co-production between Variety and CNN. A multi-layered distribution structure was established: CNN streaming service exclusive premiere → Variety YouTube/digital platform release → social media clip amplification. PBS SoCal broadcasts were also maintained, realizing an omnichannel strategy spanning broadcast, streaming, and social.

Format Differentiation

Peer-to-Peer Conversation Structure

The core differentiator of 'Actors on Actors' is its 1:1 peer-to-peer conversation format where fellow actors—rather than journalists—serve as interviewers. Conversations between professionals in the same field enable deeper discussions about acting techniques, on-set experiences, and character interpretation. The colleague-to-colleague format allows actors to present more candid and natural versions of themselves.

Strategic Pairing

Season 23's key pairings were designed to cross generations, genres, and IPs while enabling cross-exposure of each other's fandoms.

A particularly noteworthy pairing was Dwayne Johnson ('The Smashing Machine') and Brendan Fraser ('Rental Family'). The two actors first worked together in 2001's 'The Mummy Returns,' creating a reunion storyline 24 years later. Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio realized a world-class dialogue between Oscar winners, while Stellan Skarsgård and Alexander Skarsgård created an unusual scene of a real father-son actor duo engaging in professional conversation.

Short-Form/Long-Form Hybrid Strategy

The 247 million views resulted from repackaging full-length interviews into short-form clips optimized for each platform. On TikTok and Instagram Reels, impressive quotes, meme-worthy moments, and chemistry highlights were sliced into 15-60 second clips to drive virality, while CNN, YouTube, and Variety's site offered full episodes of 20-40 minutes—a hybrid model.

The social campaign was led by Variety's social team members Antonio Ferme and Harper Mays, with support from Online Managing Editor Zack Sharf.

Industry Analysis

Legacy Media's Video Franchise Transformation

The success of 'Actors on Actors' demonstrates that legacy magazine brands can successfully transform into video franchises. At its 2014 premiere, the series was essentially a regional PBS SoCal program. Eleven years later, co-producing with global news network CNN and achieving over 200 million social media reach, it serves as a textbook case of how traditional media can execute digital transformation.

Interview Format as Content IP

'Actors on Actors' functions not as simple interviews but as franchise IP (Intellectual Property). Hundreds of actor conversations accumulated across 23 seasons represent valuable records of Hollywood history and core assets of the Variety brand. Emmy and Webby Award wins officially validate the format's quality and influence.

Long-Form Design with Short-Form in Mind

The key to this achievement was designing from the outset with "long-form interviews that slice well into short-form" as a premise. Twenty to forty-minute full episodes serve core fans and industry insiders seeking in-depth conversation, while 15-60 second clips provide entry points for casual viewers and social media users.

Media Brand Collaboration Model

The Variety-CNN partnership exemplifies combining respective strengths. Variety brings access to Hollywood insiders and entertainment expertise; CNN provides broadcast infrastructure and global reach. The co-production format where both companies dispatch executive producers demonstrates that collaboration can generate more effective synergy than competition in the media industry.

Implications for K-Content

Legacy Magazine Brand Video Franchising

Korean broadcasters, newspapers, and magazines can expand beyond journalist-centric formats to "peer conversations" (director-director, actor-actor, creator-creator).

Awards/Festival-Linked FYC Format

Creating a Korean version of 'Actors on Actors' aligned with Baeksang Arts Awards, Blue Dragon Film Awards, Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), Blue Dragon Series Awards, and Asia Contents Awards seasons could establish an FYC platform for awards shows and markets.

Korea-Global Co-Production Format Potential

Like CNN-Variety, Korean broadcasters and platforms related to K-content could plan "K-Actors on K-Content" type formats through co-production and simultaneous launch with overseas media partners (Asian/global entertainment media, FAST channels, etc.).

K-Star/K-Creator Peer-to-Peer Series

Pairing strategies crossing fandoms, generations, and genres through peer conversations—idol-idol, director-director, actor-director, creator-creator—can be applied.

Long-Form Design with Short-Form Premise

Planning from the start with "long-form interviews that slice well into short-form" as a premise and establishing clip strategies centered on TikTok, Reels, and YouTube Shorts is essential.

Season 23 Full Cast

Sources

• Variety, "Variety and CNN's 'Actors on Actors' Season 23 Breaks Franchise Record With Nearly 247 Million Social Video Views" (December 19, 2025)
• Variety, "Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Dwayne Johnson, Julia Roberts and Ariana Grande Set for 'Actors on Actors' Season 23" (December 3, 2025)
• Variety, "Variety's Actors on Actors to Air on CNN for the First Time" (November 20, 2025)
• Variety, "Variety's 'Actors on Actors' Season 21 Makes Franchise History With Nearly 200 Million Social Video Views" (December 24, 2024)
• Wikipedia, "Variety Studio: Actors on Actors"