NEW YORK — May 3, 2019 – A star-studded cast of Hollywood favorites is coming together to have fun, raise money and change lives for children in need in NBC’s “Red Nose Day Special,” airing Thursday, May 23 (8-10p.m. ET). The primetime event will feature music, comedy and heartfelt films shedding light on children in need.
Music superstars, including “The Voice” coaches Kelly Clarkson and Blake Shelton, will perform, and beloved comedic talent will join the fun with their own entertaining Red Nose Day spin. The special will also showcase a fun video reimagining of the classic Hall and Oates hit “You Make My Dreams” featuring talent including Julianne Hough, Rob Gronkowski and “This Is Us” star Chrissy Metz. Sketches will feature NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” star Kate McKinnon and Lilly Singh, host of the all-new NBC late night show “A Little Late with Lilly Singh.” Additional talent to be announced.
In addition to the unforgettable performances and original sketches, viewers will also see short compelling films that explain how donations to Red Nose Day are used to change and save the lives of children in need in the U.S. and in some of the most underserved communities around the world. One of those films will feature Emmy-nominated “This Is Us” star Milo Ventimiglia traveling to Nairobi, Kenya to visit programs supported by Red Nose Day funds. This includes one that provides housing, education and medical care to young children living in extreme poverty, helping them avoid having to go to work at dangerous landfill sites alongside their families.
As previously announced, viewers will also be treated to the much-anticipated mini-sequel of the iconic Oscar-nominated film “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” titled “One Red Nose Day and a Wedding.” The film catches up with the long-adored characters played by Hugh Grant, Andie McDowell, Kristin Scott Thomas, Rowan Atkinson and many more from the original cast, reuniting 25 years after the original release. Joining the reunion sequel will be special guest stars Lily James (“Yesterday,” “Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again”) and Oscar winner Alicia Vikander (“The Danish Girl,” “Ex Machina”), with Grammy Award winner Sam Smith making a cameo appearance. Richard Curtis, who wrote the original film and is the co-founder of Red Nose Day, wrote the new sequel especially in support of the 2019 fundraising campaign.
Following the two-hour special, Emmy winner Jane Lynch will host an all-star Red Nose Day edition of “Hollywood Game Night” at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Kelly Clarkson, Kenan Thompson, Kristen Bell, Jennifer Garner, Sean Hayes, Jeff Goldblum, Leslie Mann and Thandie Newton will compete in games to raise money to help children in need.
Mars Wrigley Confectionery and the M&M’S® brand are teaming up with Red Nose Day for the fifth year, donating $1 million to the cause as national partners of the campaign. As part of “Hollywood Game Night,” the M&M’S® brand will contribute all money raised by the players over the course of the episode that evening.
Red Nose Day is an annual event that harnesses the power of entertainment to raise money and awareness for children living in poverty in America and around the world. NBC’s night of star-studded Red Nose Day programming is a culmination of a five-week campaign that brings together millions of Americans around the country to have fun and make a difference. Five new Red Noses – the Everyday Heroes – are available exclusively at Walgreens stores nationwide, with 100% of all proceeds going to the Red Nose Day fund.
Red Nose Day has raised almost $150 million in its first four years in the U.S., positively impacting the lives of over 16 million children here at home and around the world. Hundreds of talent have supported the Red Nose Day campaign, including Julia Roberts, Ed Sheeran, Jordan Peele, Jennifer Lopez, Elton John, Jack Black, Sterling K Brown, Mindy Kaling, Tracy Morgan, Ben Stiller, Paul Rudd and many more.
Red Nose Day was created by Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning writer-director Richard Curtis, (“Love Actually,” “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” “Notting Hill”).
ABOUT RED NOSE DAY USA
Red Nose Day is a fundraising campaign run in the United States by Comic Relief USA, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Red Nose Day started in the U.K., built on the foundation that the power of entertainment can drive positive change, and has raised over $1 billion globally since the campaign's founding in 1988. Red Nose Day launched in the U.S. in 2015 with a mission to end child poverty, and has raised nearly $150 million to date. Money raised supports programs that ensure children in need are safe, healthy and educated, both in America and around the world. Since launching in the U.S., Red Nose Day has received generous support from millions of Americans, hundreds of celebrities and many outstanding partners, including Walgreens, NBC, Mars Wrigley Confectionery, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Red Nose Day returns for its fifth year on Thursday, May 23, 2019. For more information about Red Nose Day USA and its impact, visit www.rednoseday.org.
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