Join us for a panel with some of the 2026 Emmy-nominated actors discussing their careers, the highs and lows, working with representations and what brought them to this Emmy season. This panel includes Richard Gadd (Half Man), Tina Ivlev (The Pitt), Merritt Wever (The Gilded Age)

BIOS: 

Richard Gadd is a three-time Emmy-winning actor, writer, and producer who has established himself as a mainstay in the industry and one of the most distinct creative voices in television today. Gadd most recently starred in, wrote, and executive produced HBO and BBC One's original six-part drama series, HALF MAN. The series received widespread critical acclaim and earned Gadd an Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. Set in Glasgow, the drama follows the relationship between two estranged stepbrothers, Niall and Ruben, over the course of thirty years. In the series, Richard stars as Ruben Pallister opposite Jamie Bell as Niall Kennedy. Stuart Campbell and Mitchell Roberson play their young counterparts. HALF MAN, produced by Mam Tor Productions and Thistledown Pictures, was directed by Alexandra Brodski and Eshref Reybrouck and has been lauded for its exploration of masculinity and repression. Up next, Richard is set to appear in the Apple TV comedy-drama series THE HUSBANDS alongside Juno Temple, Daniel Ings, Joel Kinnaman, Joe Alwyn, and Tom Basden. The series, produced by A24, is based on the acclaimed book of the same name by Holly Gramazio and follows Lauren (Temple), whose attic seems to be creating an endless supply of husbands. Richard first gained widespread recognition for his writing and performance as Donny Dunn in the Netflix hit adaptation of his Olivier award-winning stage play, BABY REINDEER. Based on the true story of his experience with a real-life stalker, portrayed by Jessica Gunning, the play premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2019 before transferring to a sold-out run at London's Bush Theatre. BABY REINDEER sat at number one on Netflix globally for several weeks after release, receiving eighty-million views in just a month and entered the platform's Top Ten most watched shows of all time. The series was an awards darling winning a total of ten Emmy nominations and six wins including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series and Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. Gadd also notably won in the Best Writer: Drama category at the BAFTA TV Awards where BABY REINDEER received a total of eight nominations. The show and Gadd had further success at the Golden Globes Awards, SAG Awards, Critics’ Choice Awards, Film Independent Spirit Awards, Gotham Awards, PGA Awards, and TCA Awards. As a comedian, his stage shows have garnered critical and mainstream success. In 2016, Richard’s his show MONKEY SEE MONKEY DO debuted at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, before transferring to a sell-out run at Soho Theatre. The multi-award-winning play, including a Best Show Edinburgh Comedy Award, follows Richard’s crazed inner monologue of his state of mind as he jogs on a treadmill, relaying the anxiety that has taken over his mind as a result of a sexual assault. The play was subsequently broadcast on Comedy Central and toured internationally around the world. His other shows include 2013’s CHEESE AND CRACK WHORES, 2014's BREAKING GADD, and 2015’s stand-out Edinburgh Fringe hit WAITING FOR GADDOT. Richard’s previous acting credits include BBC Two’s BAFTA nominated AGAINST THE LAW, CLIQUE, ONE NORMAL NIGHT, CODE 404 and TRIPPED. He is also known for his writing for Netflix’s SEX EDUCATION, Dave’s ULTIMATE WORRIER and C4's THE LAST LEG.

 Tina Ivlev, fresh off her first Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series, has quickly established herself as one of television's most compelling rising talents. She earned the 2026 nomination for her acclaimed performance as Ilana Miller in Season 2 of HBO Max's Emmy winning drama series The Pitt. Most recently, she wrapped a recurring role in the final season of Apple TV+'s For All Mankind. Ivlev's television credits also include recurring roles on Showtime's Shameless, CBS' All Rise, and USA Network's Queen of the South, as well as memorable guest appearances on Mayor of Kingstown (Paramount+), Station 19 (ABC), The Rookie (ABC), and S.W.A.T. (CBS). Beyond live action, she is widely recognized by fans as the voice and performance capture actor behind Nightsister Merrin in the acclaimed Star Wars Jedi video game franchise.

Merritt Wever's feature films include Birdman, Righteous Kill, Into the Wild, Michael Clayton, Neal Cassady, Twelve & Holding, A Hole in One, Season of Youth, Bringing Rain, Signs, Series 7: The Contenders, The Adventures of Sebastian Cole, Arresting Gena, Tough (Best Actor Award from the First Run Film Festival), Greenberg, Tiny Furniture, The Missing Person, Meadowland, Welcome to Marwen, Marriage Story, Midday Black, Midnight Blue, Memory and Christy. Upcoming projects include Primetime and The Great Beyond. Television credits include Tiny Beautiful Things (Emmy nomination), Severance (Emmy Award), Unbelievable (Golden Globe nomination), Roar, Run, Godless (Emmy Award), Nurse Jackie (Emmy Award), The Walking Dead, New Girl, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Conviction, 1/4 Life, The Good Wife, NCIS, The Wire, Blue River, Something the Lord Made, Lockerbie and The Gilded Age (Emmy Nomination). Theater appearances include The Nether, Uncle Vanya (2012 Joe A. Callaway Award), The Illusion, Sam & Lucy, Bad Girls, Smashing, Cave Dweller, Roulette, Cape Cod Souvenirs, To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday, Running on Earth, Here We Are, Children of the Flames, Female of the Species, and Touch(ed). Wever is a graduate of the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and the Performing Arts. Photo credit to Matt Lacari