At Twain, Julia is roasted but returns fire

Louis-Dreyfus’ gala blends comedy, politics

WASHINGTON – Julia Louis-Dreyfus walked away with the Mark Twain Prize and a good roasting by her fellow celebs Sunday at the Kennedy Center. Famous faces Jerry Seinfeld, Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, Bryan Cranston, Lisa Kudrow, Tony Hale, Kumail Nanjiani, Keegan-Michael Key, Ilana Glazer, Abbi Jacobson and singer Jack Johnson were on hand. Colbert kicked things off by highlighting one of LouisDreyfus’ lesser-known roles. “We’re going to be hearing a lot tonight about her characters like Elaine (from “Seinfeld”) and Old Christine (“The New Adventures of Old Christine”), but I want to talk about another performance, one that truly speaks to me,” the “Late Show” host said. “I bet it speaks to a lot of people in this room, too. I’m talking about Julia’s turn as Jeanette Cooper in 1986’s ‘Troll.’ ” Similarly, “The Big Sick” writer/star Kumail Nanjiani also reached into the archives, pulling out a photo from a GQ shoot in which Louis-Dreyfus appears to be hooking up with a clown. “I’m seeing you explain (this photo) to your mom, right now,” Nanjiani said. “I cannot believe it has not come up before today.” Tina Fey made things personal. “I’ve always liked Julia. Maybe because I’d like to believe that we have a lot in common,” Fey said. “We both studied comedy in Chicago; we both lost our virginity to (Louis-Dreyfus’ husband) Brad Hall.” After taking a beat, Fey added: “Just me?” Fey continued, paying homage to Louis-Dreyfus’ “Seinfeld” character: “Julia made the bold choice for her character Elaine Benes to wear long, loose dresses, flat shoes and oversized coats and a center barrette. Julia was letting us know that she was the real deal, comedy-wise, and she didn’t need to give us midriff for (us) to watch her work because – here’s the secret – Julia’s not afraid to be unlikable – not onscreen and not in person. Just try sharing an elevator with her.” Larry David, while not there in person, took jabs via video message, because he is “kind of lazy.” “I want to congratulate Julia for this unbelievably prestigious award,” the “Seinfeld” co-creator said. “But I gotta say, the lengths that she went through to get it, frankly I was a little surprised. ... That whole cancer thing? Cancer? Honestly, I gotta take my hat off to her. What a scam.” Louis-Dreyfus wasn’t the only target of the evening. Some took aim at Bill Cosby and the Trump administration. Cosby’s 2009 award was rescinded nine years later after his conviction on sexual assault charges. “So many greats of American comedy have been honored over the years, and so far only one prize rescinded. Let’s put up the sign,” Colbert directed. A sign behind Colbert read: “It has been 167 days since last Un-Twaining.” Fey set her sights on the White House: “Everyone talks about all the parallels between ‘Veep’ and the current administration. But I think it’s more like ‘Seinfeld,’ just a bunch of selfish (expletive) who don’t give a crap about anyone but themselves.” Once on the stage, Louis-Dreyfus joined in the Trump-bashing. “Unfortunately, the president of the United States couldn’t make it tonight, either. Even though he lives in the neighborhood Mondays through Wednesdays.” But the best burn she saved for her family: “According to Wikipedia, I have two sons, Charlie and Henry. You know when you’re a working mother, you really worry about the time spent away from your kids . ... The truth is, is that you miss stuff and you worry that they’re going to just get all screwed up ... and then you get the Mark Twain Prize. I gotta say, it’s worth it.” Erin Jensen