Alan Cumming, Jonathan Groff, Ethan Hawke, and Sterling K. Brown Make the 2026 Time100 List

Time Magazine's annual Time100 list of the most influential people in the world is out, and among those recognized are stage faces Alan Cumming (Cabaret, Macbeth), Jonathan Groff (Just in Time, Merrily We Roll Along), Ethan Hawke (True West, The Coast of Utopia), and Sterling K. Brown (Father Comes Home from the Wars, Twelfth Night).

The list features introductions written by fellow luminaries, with Cumming honored by Lisa Kudrow, Groff honored by Sutton Foster, Hawke honored by Laura Linney, and Brown honored by Kristen Bell.

Said Kudrow, "This will come as no surprise, but Alan Cumming is just as spectacular in person as he is on your television screen. I mean, are you kidding? He steps into the room and you just can’t help but think, 'Yes. Glorious.' Everything about him is thrilling. And yet, there’s something about him that makes you feel like you can take a deep, calming breath whenever he’s near. He’s so fully himself—so free, so authentic—that simply being around him feels like a celebration. It’s really no wonder everyone is so drawn to him.

"Watching him on The Traitors is so much fun, not only because he always looks fantastic, but because he plays such a great villain. The Alan I know offscreen is sweet, bubbly, and friendly. He chooses joy, he chooses glee, and he sees the wonderful in everything. He’s a phenomenal person and also, luckily for us, a brilliant performer. Alan can do anything and everything, and that’s really all there is to it."

Said Foster, "Jonathan Groff radiates from within. I first saw him onstage during Spring Awakening’s original run in 2006, and he was so beautiful and heartbreaking and vulnerable. I went on to see him in Hamilton as King George, and in Merrily We Roll Along as the composer Franklin Shepard, for which Jonathan won his first Tony in 2024. It’s hard to make that character likable, but Jonathan is inherently likable—you just root for him. Backstage at Merrily, we sat on the floor of his dressing room, shooting the shit. He gives the biggest hugs, and he’s a real seeker—he wants to understand the world and his place in it.

"In the past year, Jonathan’s portrayal of the pop star Bobby Darin in Just in Time has been a tour de force. The show resonated because he was so connected to his character. Jonathan was a fan of mine growing up—and now I’m an überfan of his."

Said Linney, "For Ethan Hawke, being an artist is a vocation first and a profession second. Very few have so courageously, on a daily basis, year after year, walked the walk of a true artist. Whether he is acting in film or onstage, directing, sculpting a documentary, interpreting poetry, rousing his guitar, or playing with the architecture of a novel, Ethan leads with an infectious curiosity, modesty, and vast amounts of love. He embodies generosity of spirit. He is invigorated like a kid on Christmas morning to discover what the arts will teach him, and us, next.

"When someone asks me to point to an artist whose skill is becoming more powerful and refined with each decade, and whose authenticity is a ballast so needed in today’s world, I point with joy to Ethan Hawke."

Said Bell, "It’s going to be hard for anyone asked to list Sterling K. Brown’s qualities not to start with his integrity. It’s right there, on full display. It’s impressive, and it’s genuine. It’s an obvious first choice, but I’m going to be brave and admit that his charisma would be tops for me. I mean, get real, everybody. Yes, we should acknowledge his incredible acting performances. Of course we should celebrate his Stanford-certified intellect. And he appears to be an incredible father and husband—but, charming people senseless is also good for the world. It’s not frivolous or trivial; it’s the zest of life! And Sterling is handing out buckets.

"I’m honored to have worked with Sterling and humbled to call him a friend. And I am sorry for the dozens of unhinged voice memos I’ve left him in regard to Paradise. It won’t happen again (until next season)."

See the full 2026 list at Time.com.