Jennifer Coolidge to Receive Comedic Genius Award at MTV Movie & TV Awards
Jennifer Coolidge has been named the recipient of the 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards‘ “Comedic Genius” award. The White Lotus star will receive the award at the 2023 award show, airing live on MTV on Sunday, May 7 at 8/7c.
Coolidge becomes the sixth actor to be given the honor, last awarded to Jack Black in 2022. The Comedic Genius Award “honors actors who have made incomparable contributions to the world of comedy, providing a major influence through their work and transforming the genre at-large,” MTV said in a statement. Past recipients include Sacha Baron Cohen (2021), Melissa McCarthy (2016), Kevin Hart (2015), and Will Ferrell (2013).
Coolidge has been a Hollywood mainstay ever since playing “Stifler’s mom” in the 1999 cult classic American Pie. She resurged in popularity playing “Tanya McQuoid” in HBO’s The White Lotus, snagging her first Emmy win in the process as well as a Golden Globe Awards, two Critics Choice Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
She also recently starred in Ryan Murphy’s Netflix series The Watcher with Naomi Watts, in Prime Video’s romantic comedy Shotgun Wedding opposite Jennifer Lopez and Josh Duhamel, and Netflix’s family adventure We Have a Ghost opposite David Harbour.
One of her most iconic roles is Paulette in Legally Blonde and its sequel alongside Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods (a third installment is in the works with the original cast). Coolidge is also well-known for frequent collaborations with director Christopher Guest in films like Best In Show (2000), A Mighty Wind (2003), and For Your Consideration (2006). Other the scene-stealing appearances can be seen in A Cinderella Story opposite Hilary Duff and Promising Young Woman opposite Carey Mulligan.
The 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards will be hosted by Drew Barrymore. Leading in scripted nominations are Top Gun: Maverick, Stranger Things, The Last of Us, The White Lotus, and Wednesday. Topping the unscripted leaderboard are Jersey Shore Family Vacation, RuPaul’s Drag Race, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and Vanderpump Rules. Two new categories have been added this year: Best Reality On-Screen Team and Best Kick-Ass Cast. Fan voting closed on April 17.
The live event will take place in the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California.
2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards, Sunday, May 7, 8/7c, MTV
