Comedic actresses Maya Rudolph and Michaela Coel are being honored for their contributions to the art in a special Variety Series Lifetime Presents Variety’s Power of Women The Comedians. Today, the two announced that the one-hour special will premiere on Monday, May 10th at 8PM ET/PT on Lifetime. The special will be timed to Variety’s Power of Women issue, which features all of the honorees on the cover, hitting newsstands on Wednesday, May 5th. Additional content from the special will air on Variety.com and social media channels. Maya Michaela Variety’s Comedians
The special will not only honor the comedic impact of the multiple Emmy Award-Winning Actor and Saturday Night Live legend Maya Rudolph, BAFTA Award-Winning Actor, Writer, Director and Producer Michaela Coel, but also highlight; Emmy nominated Writer, Actor and Producer Mindy Kaling, Multiple Emmy and Golden Globe-Winning Actor and Producer Julia Louis-Dreyfus, SAG Award-Winning and Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated Actor Sofía Vergara, and Emmy Award-winning Saturday Night Live Actor Kate McKinnon. Each honoree will be interviewed by a close family member or friend – including Aidy Bryant, Bowen Yang, Nastasha Lyonne, Luis Balaguer, and Charlie Hall.
“Variety’s Power of Women 2021 honors creative leaders in comedy who inspire us with their courage and originality and challenge us to transform a world desperately in need of positive change. In six wonderfully personal, dynamic ways, Mindy Kaling, Maya Rudolph, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Sofía Vergara, Michaela Coel and Kate McKinnon use laughter to make serious points. All of them create art that works both as entertainment and as engagement with the issues we’re all facing with these difficult times,” said Michelle Sobrino-Stearns, Variety President and Group Publisher. “We are also thrilled to be able to honor the life and impact of the legendary Gilda Radner and the wonderful work Gilda’s Club does with cancer patients and their families. Once again, we are grateful to continue to work with Lifetime to make this special a reality and to be able to bring this iconic event for yet another year to a wider global audience.”
In addition to showcasing the incredible work of the honorees, the special will also celebrate the life of the comedic icon Gilda Radner, as well as the charitable foundation for cancer patients and their families named after the late legend – Gilda’s Club Metro Detroit. Presented by Emmy and Golden Globe-winning Actor and Writer Tina Fey, the tribute will highlight Radner’s remarkable contributions to comedy and her pioneering nature as one of SNL’s seven original cast members, as well as the powerful work Gilda’s Club Metro Detroit does in supporting people who have been diagnosed with cancer and their families in the Detroit-metro area.
Maya Rudolph is the daughter of the late singer Minnie Ripperton who began her acting career in 2000 when she joined the cast of Saturday Night Live. On the show, she has portrayed many characters including Beyonce and Kamala Harris, the latter earning her the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. After serving as an SNL cast member for seven years, the actress has provided her comedic talents to a host of films like Bridesmaids, Grownups, Life of the Party and Wine Country.
Michaela Coel is a British born and is of Ghanian descent. She broke onto the scene with her Netflix Comedy Chewing Gum in 2015, earning her a BAFTA award for Best Female Comedy Performance. The actress has showcased her dramatic acting chops in the Netflix series Black Mirror and Black Earth Rising. Lately, she has received rave reviews for her comedy-drama I May Destroy You, which can be viewed now on HBO.
Previous Power of Women honorees include Cate Blanchett, Patti LuPone, Janelle Monae, Brie Larson, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Aniston, Laverne Cox, Jennifer Garner, Tiffany Haddish, Gigi Hadid, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Nicole Kidman, Blake Lively, Helen Mirren and Natalie Portman, among others.
Lifetime Presents Variety’s Power of Women The Comedians is executive produced by Sharon Scott, Kristy Sabat and Annie Allen of The Category 6 Media group. Executive producing for Lifetime are Amy Winter and Shura Davison. From Variety, Michelle Sobrino-Stearns will executive produce, with John Ross and Dea Lawrence serving as producers.
Maya Michaela Variety’s Comedians Maya Michaela Variety’s Comedians
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