NEW YORK — April 5, 2019 – For NBC’s Red Nose Day primetime programming lineup, Hollywood’s biggest stars will unite for a cause, testing their pop culture prowess and raising money for children in need on a special episode of “Hollywood Game Night.” Hosted by Emmy Award winner Jane Lynch, the special Red Nose Day edition of “HGN” will air Thursday, May 23 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
Joining the fun will be Kelly Clarkson, Kenan Thompson, Kristen Bell, Jennifer Garner, Sean Hayes, Jeff Goldblum, Leslie Mann and Thandie Newton.
The roster of celebrities are split into two teams and will go head-to-head in Red Nose Day-themed versions of “HGN” classics, including “How Do You Doo-et?,” “Popped Quiz,” “Hold My Balls” and a brand new game, “Jane’s Pool Jamz.”
In this special edition of “HGN,” the gameplay works a bit differently. The team that gets the most points in each game earns money to be donated to Red Nose Day. At the end of five rounds, the team that’s earned the most money will go on to play a special “Celebrity Name Game” for the chance to raise even more funds to keep children in need safe, healthy and educated.
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 “HGN,” 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. The official Red Noses will be available exclusively at Walgreens stores nationwide starting April 22, marking the kick-off of the 2019 campaign.
Since launching in America in 2015, hundreds of talent have supported the Red Nose Day campaign, including Julia Roberts, Ed Sheeran, Elton John, Jack Black 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 JANE LYNCH
Jane Lynch is the two-time Emmy Award-winning host of “Hollywood Game Night.” She currently co-stars on the award-winning comedy series “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and is well known for her Emmy and Golden Globe-winning portrayal of Sue Sylvester on “Glee.” Additional television credits include portraying Janet Reno in “Manifesto,” “Criminal Minds,” “The Good Fight,” “Portlandia,” “Angel From Hell,” “Party Down,” “Lovespring International,” “Two and a Half Men” and The “L Word.” Lynch’s film credits include “Wreck It Ralph I and II,” “The Three Stooges,” “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” “Talladega Nights,” “Role Models,” “Julie & Julia,” “A Mighty Wind,” “Best in Show” and “For Your Consideration.” She made her Broadway debut in the 2013 production of “Annie.” Her additional theater work includes “Oh Sister, My Sister” at the Tamarine Theatre and “Love, Loss and What I Wore” at the Off Broadway Westside Theatre. Lynch embarked on her own 2015 live concert tour, “See Jane Sing,” with Kate Flannery, Tim Davis and the Tony Guerrero Quintet. Their Billboard top 10 holiday album, “A Swingin' Little Christmas,” is available from iTunes, Amazon and other outlets. Lynch was raised near Chicago and cut her theatrical teeth at the Second City and Steppenwolf Theatre. Her memoir, “Happy Accidents,” topped several national bestsellers lists, including The New York Times and Los Angeles Times.
ABOUT KELLY CLARKSON Kelly Clarkson serves as a coach for season 16 of NBC’s multi-Emmy Award-winning musical competition series, “The Voice,” and will host her own daytime program, “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” beginning in the fall. She will also star as the lead character of Moxy in STXfilms animated film “Ugly Dolls” which opens May 3. Clarkson, who recently released her critically acclaimed eighth studio album “Meaning of Life,” is among the most popular artists of this era with total worldwide sales of more than 25 million albums and 36 million singles. The Texas-born, Nashville-based singer-songwriter first came to fame in 2002 as the winner of the inaugural season of “American Idol.” Clarkson’s debut single, “A Moment Like This,” followed and quickly went to #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100, ultimately ranking as the year’s best-selling single in the U.S. Further, Clarkson is one of pop’s top singles artists, with 17 singles boasting multi-platinum, platinum and gold certifications around the world, including such global favorites as “Miss Independent” and “Because of You.” Clarkson has released eight studio albums (“Thankful,” “Breakaway,” “My December,” “All I Ever Wanted,” “Stronger,” “Wrapped in Red,” “Piece By Piece,” “Meaning of Life”), one greatest hits album and two children’s books (New York Times Top 10 bestseller “River Rose and the Magical Lullaby” and the recent follow-up, “River Rose and the Magical Christmas”). She is the recipient of an array of awards, including three Grammy Awards, four American Music Awards, three MTV Video Music Awards, two Academy of Country Music Awards, two American Country Awards and one Country Music Assn. Award. She is also the first artist to top each of Billboard’s pop, adult contemporary, country and dance charts. Clarkson hosted the “2018 Billboard Music Awards” in addition to appearing and winning as coach twice in a row for the 14th and 15th seasons of “The Voice.”
ABOUT KENAN THOMPSON
Kenan Thompson is currently in his 16th season on “Saturday Night Live,” making him the show’s longest-running cast member. Thompson has made numerous contributions to the show with his slew of hilarious impressions that include Rev. Al Sharpton, Charles Barkley, Steve Harvey and David Ortiz, and by playing memorable characters such as DJ Dynasty Handbag, the scathingly fierce co-host of “Deep House Dish,” boisterous second wife Virginiaca Hastings, and “Weekend Update” correspondent Jean K. Jean. In 2018, he received the Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for the “SNL” song “Come Back, Barack” and a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. Thompson will serve as a judge and producer on NBC’s comedy competition series “Bring the Funny” to debut this summer. A native of Atlanta, Thompson made his television debut as a member of Nickelodeon’s all-kid sketch comedy series “All That.” He and his partner, Kel Mitchell, debuted on the spinoff “Kenan and Kel” in 1996. Thompson showcased his voice talents as Bricklebaum in Illumination’s “The Grinch,” which made history as the #1 Christmas movie of all time.
ABOUT KRISTEN BELL
Kristen Bell currently stars in the NBC series “The Good Place,” opposite Ted Danson, which will return for its fourth season in 2019. She recently wrapped recording the sequel to “Frozen,” which is scheduled to hit theaters in the fall. “Frozen” has grossed more than $1.2 billion worldwide, making it the highest-grossing animated film of all time. She is also set to reprise her role as the titular character in the revival of popular series “Veronica Mars,” slated for release in 2019 on Hulu. Additionally, Bell is executive producing and appearing in a second season of “Encore,” which will air on Disney’s streaming platform Disney+ in 2019. Bell also recently starred in “A Bad Moms Christmas,” alongside Mila Kunis and Kathryn Hahn. The film is a sequel to 2016’s “Bad Moms,” the first STX film to gross over $100 million domestically. In 2016, Bell was seen as Jeannie Van Der Hooven in the Showtime series “House of Lies,” opposite Don Cheadle. In 2014, Bell reprised her beloved title role in Warner Brothers’ film “Veronica Mars," which raised $2 million on Kickstarter in less than 11 hours and broke the record at the time for the fastest project to reach $1 million and $2 million. She appeared in a guest-starring arc on NBC’s hit series “Parks & Recreation” and played the lead role in the independent film “The Lifeguard,” which premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. Her other film credits include “PANDAS,” “Olaf’s Frozen Adventure,” “Teen Titans Go! to the Movies,” “Like Father,” “CHIPs,” “How to Be a Latin Lover,” “The Lifeguard,” “The Boss,” "Hit & Run," “Movie 43,” “Some Girls,” “Writers,” “Big Miracle,” “You Again,” “Burlesque,” “When in Rome,” “Couples Retreat,” “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” “Pulse,” “Serious Moonlight” and David Mamet’s “Spartan.” Her television credits include “Veronica Mars,” “Parks & Recreation,” “Unsupervised,” “Deadwood,” “Heroes” and “Party Down.” Her Broadway credits include “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and “The Crucible,” opposite Liam Neeson and Laura Linney. Her Off Broadway credits include “Reefer Madness” and “A Little Night Music.”
ABOUT JENNIFER GARNER
Award-winning actress Jennifer Garner has enjoyed a successful career at the top of her field in both film and television and has also taken on the role of philanthropist and entrepreneur. Garner, known for her versatility in a wide range of roles, including “Alias,” “Dallas Buyers Club” and “Juno,” has recently starred in HBO’s “Camping” and STX action film “Peppermint.” Garner has also held the position of Artist Ambassador for Save the Children for the past 10 years. In addition to bringing Save the Children’s early childhood education programs to her home state of West Virginia, she has advocated on Capitol Hill and traveled to Arkansas, California, Kentucky, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee and Washington to meet with lawmakers, press and philanthropists to raise awareness and funds for the organization. In 2014, Garner joined the global non-profit's board of trustees, deepening her commitment to issues affecting children in America and around the world. Last year, she co-founded the organic-food company Once Upon a Farm with Cassandra Curtis and former Annie’s president John Foraker. Together the visionaries have grown the company with a goal of providing children with the best tasting, most nutritious and highest-quality food utilizing sustainable methods.
ABOUT SEAN HAYES
Sean Hayes is an Emmy Award-winning actor and producer. He is best known for his role as Jack McFarland on the NBC sitcom “Will & Grace,” for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award and four SAG Awards, along with six Golden Globe nominations. He is also known for his work on Broadway, including “An Act of God” and “Promises, Promises,” where he received a Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical. Hayes is the co-founder of Hazy Mills Productions, the television production company behind several hit shows such as “Hot in Cleveland,” “Grimm,” “Hollywood Game Night” and “History of Comedy.”
ABOUT JEFF GOLDBLUM Jeff Goldblum is a stage, film, and television actor, as well as a musician. His debut jazz album, “Jeff Goldblum & the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra: The Capitol Studios Sessions,” was released last year both internationally and in the U.S. by Universal’s Decca Records and the Verve Label Group, respectively. Goldblum’s film credits include “The Mountain” (2018 Venice Film Festival), “Isle of Dogs,” “Thor: Ragnarok,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “Le Week-End,” “Adam Resurrected,” “The Life Aquatic,” “Igby Goes Down,” “Jurassic Park,” “Independence Day,” “Nashville,” “The Tall Guy,” “Annie Hall,” “The Big Chill,” “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” “Deep Cover,” “Next Stop,” “Greenwich Village” and “The Fly.” Additionally, Goldblum directed the short film “Little Surprises,” which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Short Film, Live Action. On television, his credits include “Will & Grace” and “Portlandia.” Goldblum appeared in the Lincoln Center Theatre’s production of “Domesticated,” “The Pillowman” on Broadway, the West End’s “The Prisoner of Second Avenue” and “Speed the Plow” at the Old Vic Theatre.
ABOUT LESLIE MANN Leslie Mann most recently starred opposite Steve Carell in Robert Zemeckis’ heroic drama “Welcome to Marwen” for Universal Pictures. She will next be seen in Edward Norton’s thriller “Motherless Brooklyn” alongside Bruce Willis, Bobby Cannavale, and Alec Baldwin, which will be released in 2019 by Warner Bros. Mann has entertained audiences and critics with her standout performances in over 25 wildly successful feature films, including Kay Cannon’s comedy “Blockers,” alongside John Cena and Ike Barinholtz, as well as Taylor Hackford’s “The Comedian,” alongside Robert De Niro and Harvey Keitel, for Sony Pictures Classics. In 2015, Mann starred alongside Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson and Alison Brie in “How to Be Single.” In 2014, Mann starred alongside Cameron Diaz and Kate Upton in Nick Cassavetes’ “The Other Woman.” That same year, Mann continued her well-established voice performance work, reprising her role as Linda, in the animated blockbuster “Rio 2.” Her previous voice performances include the Oscar-nominated “ParaNorman,” and Dreamworks’ “Mr. Peabody & Sherman.” In 2012, Mann’s standout performance opposite Paul Rudd as Debbie in Judd Apatow’s “This Is 40” garnered her a Critics’ Choice Awards nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy. The movie reunites the characters from the award-winning blockbuster “Knocked Up,” with Mann and Rudd reprising their roles from the earlier film. Her other feature films include “The Cable Guy,” “Vacation,” “The Bling Ring,” “The Change Up,” “I Love You Phillip Morris,” “17 Again,” “Big Daddy,” “Little Birds,” “George of the Jungle,” “Timecode,” “She’s the One,” “Stealing Harvard,” “Drillbit Taylor,” “Orange County,” “Funny People,” and “The 40 Year Old Virgin.”
ABOUT THANDIE NEWTON Thandie Newton is an award-winning actress, activist and philanthropist. Her on-screen versatility has garnered critical acclaim for performances as Maeve Milly in HBO’s “Westworld,” acting opposite Will Smith in “The Pursuit of Happyness” and in the Academy Award-winning film “Crash.” Newton’s other film credits include Ron Howard’s “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” Oliver Stone’s “W” and John Woo’s blockbuster “Mission Impossible 2.” She recently starred on the highly praised BBC1 drama “Line of Duty,” executive produced the documentary “Liyana,” and received rave reviews for her astonishingly bold performance as the title character in Jonathan Demme’s “Beloved,” which co-starred Oprah Winfrey. Newton is a founding board member of the V-Day Foundation and their One Billion Rising campaign, a global movement to end violence against women and girls. Additionally, Newton’s memorable 2011 TED Talk on the topic of “Embracing Otherness” has been viewed over 2.9 million times. She was recognized for her philanthropic work by the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List and received an OBE for services to film and charity.
ABOUT RED NOSE DAY USA
Red Nose Day is a fundraising campaign run by the non-profit organization Comic Relief USA, a registered U.S. 501(c)(3) public charity. 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, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Red Nose Day returns on Thursday, May 23, 2019. For more information about Red Nose Day USA and its impact, visit www.rednoseday.org. Follow @RedNoseDayUSA on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
