Jennifer Coolidge shares defiant message of support for WGA strike at MTV Awards

‘Almost all great comedy starts with great writers,’ ‘The White Lotus’ star said

Jennifer Coolidge was among the stars to voice their support for the ongoing Hollywood writers’ strike at the 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards on Sunday (7 May).

This year’s ceremony was pre-recorded after the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike led to the live event’s cancellation.

Find a full list of this year’s winners here.

During the broadcast, Coolidge was handed the Comedic Genius Award.

In her acceptance speech, The White Lotus star declared: “Almost all great comedy starts with great writers and... as a proud member of SAG [Screen Actor’s Guild], 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.”

She continued: “I think, in the words of Shakespeare, he once said, ‘The play is the thing.’ I don’t want to put words in his mouth or anything, but I think what he really meant is, it’s everything!”

Since the WGA began protesting over unfair wages on 2 May, dozens of shows and movies have been affected. Find a list of all those affected here.

Days before the ceremony, Drew Barrymore announced her decision to withdraw from her role as the event’s host in solidarity with the striking writers.

Saturday Night Live announced its episode hosted by Pete Davidson had been pushed back due to the strike.

Meanwhile, talk show hosts, including Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers and Stephen Colbert, won’t be recording episodes of their shows, which will go dark until an agreement is reached.

To learn more about why Hollywood writers are striking, read here and find out all the celebrities who have joined the picket lines here.