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PEOPLE & ARTS Tuesday 23 OcTOber 2018
Julia Louis-Dreyfus feted for career achievement in comedy

By ASHRAF KHALIL "The first time I really knew
WASHINGTON (AP) — Af- was when I stuffed raisins
ter a 35-year acting ca- in my nose and my mother
reer and with two iconic laughed. I ended up in the
television characters to emergency room because
her name -- Elaine Ben- they wouldn't come out!"
es of "Seinfeld" and foul- Louis-Dreyfus said before
mouthed Vice-President the ceremony.
Selina Meyer--Julia Louis- Comedian Kumail Nanjiani
Dreyfus has been honored grew up in Pakistan and
with the Mark Twain Prize never saw an episode of
for lifetime achievement in "Seinfeld" until he immigrat-
comedy. ed to the U.S as an adult.
On Sunday night at Wash- "But I became a huge fan
ington's Kennedy Center, as soon as I moved here,"
the 57-year-old actress re- he said.
ceived a stream of testimo- The co-writer of the movie
nials from celebrities includ- "The Big Sick" particularly
ing Jerry Seinfeld, Stephen recalls her iconic, slightly
Colbert and 2010 Mark convulsive "Elaine Benes
Twain recipient Tina Fey-- dance" on the show, which
touching on the multiple he credits to Louis-Dreyfus'
aspects of her career. gift for physical comedy.
Fey paid tribute to Louis- "There are some come-
Dreyfus at the award cer- dians who think physical
emony by tracking the simi- Julia Louis-Dreyfus arrives at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for the 21st Annual Mark comedy is beneath them,"
larities between their lives. Twain Prize for American Humor presented to Julia Louis-Dreyfus on Sunday, Oct. 21, 2018, in he said. "But she was just
"We both started comedy in Washington, D.C. fearless and ego-less."
Chicago. We both moved Associated Press At the end of the night,
on to 'Saturday Night Live.' Louis-Dreyfus accepted
We both lost our virginity and Carol Burnett. Bill Cos- come onstage, dressed Louis-Dreyfus from their her award with an ex-
to Brad Hall," referring to by, the winner in 2009, had as Mark Twain himself and time together on "Saturday tended comedic bit and a
Louis-Dreyfus' husband and his award rescinded earlier proceeded to roast many Night Live." few shots at new Supreme
former SNL castmate sitting this year after he was con- of the previous award "We had just two short Court Justice Brett Kavana-
next to the honoree. Fey victed of three counts of recipients. When a pic- pages of script, and we sat ugh. The veteran comedic
praised the "secret preci- aggravated indecent as- ture of Cosby was briefly down to read the dialogue actress first drew laughs
sion" of Louis-Dreyfus' com- sault. shown, Michael-Key quick- together," Seinfeld said. "As by repeatedly referencing
edy and her willingness to During last year's ceremony ly moved things along soon as she opened her her true life's ambition to
make her Seinfeld charac- to honor David Letterman, and said, "It's OK, he's not mouth, I knew she was the be a respected dramatic
ter so flawed. Cosby's name was never watching," then added one." actress_stopping in mid-
"Julia let Elaine be self- mentioned. But this year, that he doubted PBS was Seinfeld also credited Louis- speech to deliver a mono-
ish and petty and sarcas- two of the performers felt a popular channel "in the Dreyfus for having the con- logue from Shakespeare's
tic and a terrible, terrible comfortable making Cosby penitentiary." fidence and strength of "Merchant of Venice."
dancer," Fey said. "Julia's jokes. Late night host Ste- Seinfeld, while on the red personality to hold her own A native of the Washington
never been afraid to be phen Colbert displayed a carpet before the cere- on what he called "a very suburbs in Maryland, Louis-
unlikable--not on screen sign proclaiming, "167 days mony, recalled first meet- male show." Dreyfus is a graduate of the
and not in person." since the last Un-Twaining." ing Louis-Dreyfus during an That confidence was evi- elite Holton-Arms school,
Louis-Dreyfus is the 21st With his fingers crossed, he informal audition. His iconic dent very early for Louis- alma mater of Christine Bla-
Mark Twain recipient, join- told Louis-Dreyfus, "I think sitcom, "Seinfeld," was still Dreyfus, who said she knew sey Ford, who accused Ka-
ing a list that includes Rich- you'll be OK." in the planning stages and as a young child that she vanaugh of assaulting her
ard Pryor, George Carlin Later Keegan-Michael Key producer Larry David knew had a gift for comedy. at a high school party.q

Grisham takes readers on journey to

Deep South in new novel

By JEFF AYERS entire town celebrated. he replies to every ques- ern-family saga. Readers
Associated Press That makes it all the more tion with, "I have nothing to expecting Grisham's usual
"The Reckoning" (Double- shocking when he heads say." His family has no idea themes of justice and cor-
day), by John Grisham to his church one morning what happened to prompt rupt lawyers won't be dis-
Author John Grisham takes and kills the Rev. Dexter such drastic action, but he appointed, but he does
readers on a journey to the Bell. He does nothing to won't even talk to his wife so much more this time
Deep South in 1946 in "The hide the murder, so it isn't a and children. There's a sus- around. Grisham takes a
Reckoning." The main char- surprise when he's arrested. picion that Bell might have snapshot of a chaotic time
acter, Pete Banning, was Banning's defense attor- been a little too friendly to and showcases the world This cover image released
a prisoner of war in World ney demands answers as Banning's wife while Pete of law and the lack of by Doubleday shows "The
War II. He was presumed to why he shot Bell, but he was overseas. equality for everyone and Reckoning," a novel by John
dead at one point, so refuses to talk. He doesn't The quest for justice is only wraps it in a family-saga Grisham.
when he came home, the want to plead insanity, and the beginning in this South- package.q Associated Press