Hailee Steinfeld had a heartwarming and perfectly valid reason for missing the 2026 Oscars: she was about to become a mother. The pregnant Sinners actress, who was expecting her first child with husband Josh Allen, was due to give birth shortly, as her costar Michael B. Jordan pointed out during his acceptance speech for Best Actor at the March 15 ceremony.
As the 39-year-old thanked his castmates, he offered a touching tribute to "Hailee at home," noting that "she's getting ready to have a baby right now." And what a moment for Michael! He certainly closed out award season on a high, beating out fellow nominees Timothée Chalamet (One Battle After Another), Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another), Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon), and Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent) for the prestigious accolade.
In fact, the 39-year-old previously described the significance of being among this year's most celebrated performers. "I've admired and seen the Academy and the other actors in the movies and filmmakers that I've looked up to and been inspired by my whole life," he told The Hollywood Reporter in January. "To be in those conversations and in that company is a solidifying feeling."
And with Sinners earning a record-breaking 16 nominations, including Best Picture (of which it won four), the genre-bending blockbuster clearly had a historic effect on the industry. "It's really a testament to the film as a whole and all the pieces involved and the people that went to see this movie and watched this film," he explained. "For all of these pieces to be singled out and acknowledged and honored with the nomination, it's something that's really hard to put into words right now."
But director Ryan Coogler, who previously worked with Michael in 2013's Fruitvale Station, 2015's Creed, and 2018's Black Panther, has been vocal about celebrating his leading man, highlighting how instrumental the actor was to Sinners' success. "I do think he stepped it up to another level on this," Ryan told Variety in October, adding, "To see him recognized by his peers and other folks in the industry, I know that would mean a lot to him."
