Jennifer Coolidge Supports WGA Strike While Accepting 2023 MTV Awards' Comedic Genius Award
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"Almost all great comedy starts with great writers and I just think that as a proud member of SAG, I stand here before you tonight, side by side with my sisters and brothers from the WGA," Coolidge said
Jennifer Coolidge is speaking out in support of the ongoing Writers Guild of America union strike.
While accepting the Comedic Genius Award at Sunday's 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards, The White Lotus star, 61, gave a shout out to the writers.
"Almost all great comedy starts with great writers and I just think that as a proud member of SAG, I stand here before you tonight, side by side with my sisters and brothers from the WGA," she said. "They're fighting right now, fighting for the rights of writers everywhere."
"I think, in the the words of Shakespeare, he once said, 'The play is the thing,'" she continued. "I don't want to put words in his mouth or anything, but I think what he really meant is, it's everything!"
Related:MTV Movie & TV Awards 2023 Nixes Live Show After Scrapping Red Carpet amid Writers' Strike
Coolidge also thanked MTV and gave a shout out to those who earned the Comedic Genius Award before her, including Sacha Baron Cohen, Kevin Hart and Jack Black.
"Thank you, MTV. Thank you for honoring me with this incredible Comedic Genius Award," said the actress, whose memorable roles in Legally Blonde, A Cinderella Story, The White Lotus and Best in Show were highlighted in her introduction video.
"It's even more special because I was in The Groundlings with Melissa McCarthy and Will Ferrell, and now I get to be in the club with them, and Sacha Baron Cohen, Kevin Hart and Jack Black ... what a fun night!"
Staying true to fashion, Coolidge also joked how the award was "made of my favorite food: popcorn," and closed out her acceptance speech with a dance.
Coolidge's display of support for the WGA comes after her Saturday Night Live hosting debut — which was slated for the show's season 48 finale on May 20 — was canceled due to the strike.
In light of the strike, Sunday's award show shifted from a live ceremony to a clip-based one. The decision was made after Drew Barrymore bowed out of emceeing the show in solidarity with members of the Writers Guild of America union members on Thursday.
Barrymore, 48, still appeared in pre-recorded segments during this year's broadcast and has agreed to return to host the awards show in 2024.
"I have listened to the writers, and in order to truly respect them, I will pivot from hosting the MTV Movie & TV Awards live in solidarity with the strike," Barrymore said in a statement.
Related:Drew Barrymore Steps Down as MTV Movie & TV Awards Host Days Before Show to Support Writers Strike
"Everything we celebrate and honor about movies and television is born out of [writers'] creation," Barrymore continued. "And until a solution is reached, I am choosing to wait but I'll be watching from home and hope you will join me."
She added that she expects to join the show next year, "when I can truly celebrate everything that MTV has created, which is a show that allows fans to choose who the awards go to and is truly inclusive."
Related:Pete Davidson, Cynthia Nixon and More Stand in Solidarity with the Writers' Strike
Besides Sunday's show, several productions are feeling the impact of the movement involving a dispute between the Writers Guild of America's (WGA) labor union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).
Late-night shows including The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Late Night with Seth Meyers are airing repeats while on hiatus. This Week Tonight with John Oliver, Real Time with Bill Maher and The Daily Show are also on break.
Also feeling the heat are scripted shows like Abbott Elementary, Yellowjackets and Cobra Kai. Meanwhile, production on shows like The View and House of the Dragon is continuing despite the strike.
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The 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards is airing on MTV, and simulcasting across BET, BETHer, Comedy Central, CMT, Logo, MTV2, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, Pop, TV Land and VH1.
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