Sandra Bernhard's 'withering' side-eye to Kristen Bell explained after awkward Actor Awards moment

Sandra Bernhard was seen staring daggers at Actor Awards host Kristen Bell on the show's red carpet - and now body language expert Judi James has now exclusively decoded the uncomfortable moment to the Daily Mail.

Bell, 45, is serving as mistress of ceremonies for the third time, after hosting the then-SAG Awards last year and then before that in 2018. 

Meanwhile Bernhard, 70, was there because of her role in Marty Supreme, which was one of the nominees for Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture.

That night, Bell was impossible to ignore in a see-through gown that revealed she had no bra on underneath and was only wearing a barely-there piece of nude underwear, designed to give the impression she had on no undergarments at all.

While Bell mingled cheerfully with other guests, Bernhard could be seen some distance away giving her a withering sidelong glare in footage posted by DeuxMoi.

James explained: 'In the tsunami of applied social and rictus smiles that is the Actors Awards red carpet there is a moment of withering truth from Sandra Bernhard as she is seen watching Kristen Bell who is in full-on preening, showboating celebrity mode.

'As Kristen stands with her hand on a man's shoulder in a flamboyant gesture aimed at nabbing and retaining the center of attention as well as flashing a huge diamond ring to the cameras to their left, she performs a series of preening gestures with her fingers running around her lips and her decolletage in her impeccably-styled outfit.

'Kristen is giving off peak confidence star vibes here but there are signs that Sandra Berhard might not be the greatest fan of all this blatant red carpet preening.

'Sandra stares at Kristen with a long side-eye, withering looking glance that travels up and down her body in what looks very similar to a gesture of disapproval. Her own pose is a preen-free zone and much more relatable to the average fan, with her body relaxed and her hands clasped across the front of her torso.'

Bernhard and Bell have not worked together on any movies or TV shows, nor are they known to have harbored any ill will towards each other in the past. 

At Sunday's fete, Leonardo DiCaprio and Timothee Chalamet are facing off in a hotly anticipated contest for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role, for their respective roles in One Battle After Another and Marty Supreme.

The category also features Michael B. Jordan for a dual role in Sinners, Ethan Hawke for the Broadway biopic Blue Moon and Jesse Plemons for the thriller Bugonia.

Meanwhile Hamnet star Jessie Buckley and If I Had Legs I'd Kick You actress Rose Byrne are facing off for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role, alongside Bugonia's Emma Stone and Song Sung Blue's Kate Hudson.

One Battle After Another has two of its cast vying to be named best supporting actor - Benicio Del Toro and Sean Penn - amid a field otherwise populated by Jacob Elordi for Frankenstein, Paul Mescal for Hamnet and Miles Caton for Sinners.

As for female supporting performances, Ariana Grande has earned a nod for Wicked: For Good, as have Odessa A'Zion for Marty Supreme, Teyana Taylor for One Battle After Another, Wunmi Mosaku for Sinners and Amy Madigan for Sinners.

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture is a contest between Hamnet, Frankenstein, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another and Sinners.  

Meanwhile Seth Rogen's new show The Studio is in the running for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series with Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Hacks and Only Murders in the Building.

Among the sitcom performances nominated that night are Rogen and the recently departed Catherine O'Hara for The Studio, Martin Short for Only Murders in the Building, Jenna Ortega for Wednesday and Jean Smart for Hacks.

Bell's current co-star Adam Brody is nominated for Nobody Wants This, while her former The Good Place co-star Ted Danson for A Man on the Inside

The ensemble in a drama series category is a formidable race including The White Lotus, The Pitt, Severance, The Diplomat and Landman.

Noah Wyle is nominated for his comeback turn on The Pitt, as are Walton Goggins and Aimee Lou Wood for The White Lotus, Keri Russell for The Diplomat, Gary Oldman for Slow Horses and Billy Crudup for The Morning Show.

The revered miniseries Adolescence has earned recognition in the limited series and TV movie categories, with nominations for actresses Erin Doherty and Christine Tremarco and actors Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper.

Other nominees in those categories include Michelle Williams in Dying for Sex, Sarah Snook in All Her Fault, Claire Danes and Matthew Rhys for The Beast in Me, Jason Bateman in Black Rabbit and Charlie Hunnam for Monster: The Ed Gein Story.

Sunday evening's SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award is being presented to Harrison Ford, 83, after more than a half-century of stardom.