The 2026 Santa Barbara International Film Festival delivered one of its most memorable nights as Paul Thomas Anderson took the stage to honor the leading men of his latest film, One Battle After Another. Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, and Benicio del Toro were each awarded the Hammond Cinema Vanguard Award in front of a packed Arlington Theatre audience, capping off the trio’s acclaimed press run with a rare joint appearance.
Anderson, fresh off his Directors Guild Award win, saluted the three Oscar-nominated stars as “a dying breed” of movie icons, praising their blend of talent, mystique, and edge. “Cherish them while they’re still here,” he urged the crowd, in a moment that echoed the reverence many feel for Hollywood’s vanishing archetype of the classic leading man.
The night, hosted by festival director Roger Durling and Deadline’s Pete Hammond, traded formalities for candid reflections. All three actors sat together on stage throughout, breaking the mold of typical tribute formats. While del Toro and Penn admitted to being uneasy about watching themselves on screen, they selected two scenes apiece to share with the audience, offering a peek into their process and preferences.
DiCaprio stood out for his personal tribute to the late Adam Somner, who worked with him on both The Revenant and One Battle After Another. Detailing a chaotic shoot plagued by freezing temperatures and scheduling disasters, DiCaprio credited Somner with pulling The Revenant across the finish line—and described him as the best first assistant director he’d ever worked with.
He also gave fans a taste of what’s next: filming on Martin Scorsese’s What Happens at Night, co-starring Jennifer Lawrence, begins in two weeks. As for that rumored Once Upon a Time in Hollywood sequel teased during the Super Bowl? DiCaprio laughed it off. “No secrets here.”
The evening also touched on lighter moments, including viral lines from One Battle After Another. Del Toro explained how his now-infamous “a few small beers” line sprang from character logic rather than improv flair. Penn, meanwhile, compared real-life Border Patrol controversies to the satirical bite of his character, Colonel Lockjaw, riffing on Charlie Chaplin’s feud with Hitler for stealing his mustache.
Despite the jokes, the discussion circled back to the film’s political resonance. DiCaprio highlighted Anderson’s script as an urgent reflection of modern America, capturing both division and disconnection. “We can’t hear each other,” he said. “This story felt like it spoke to that truth.”
For one night in Santa Barbara, the past, present, and future of Hollywood met on one stage—and made a strong case for the enduring power of serious cinema.