The Night Before Christmas (or A Visit from St. Nicholas) is one of the most iconic and memorable elements of the holiday season, and enjoying the story in any capacity can definitely put one in a more joyful spirit. Netflix apparently wanted to celebrate Christmas early with its subscribers, as the streamer has given The White Lotus star Jennifer Coolidge the spotlight for a darkly comedic reading of the beloved tale, and it's hilarious.
While promoting her new Netflix Original movie, Single All the Way (which premiered on December 2), Jennifer Coolidge took part in a reading of The Night Before Christmas, which the streaming service shared with the world on YouTube. It wasn’t your typical reading, however, because nothing is typical when Coolidge does it. Noting that her great-grandpa used to read it to her on Christmas Eve, Coolidge saying “but now he’s dead” before smiling warmly may be one of my favorite parts of the video, and that was just 20 seconds in! Check it out in its entirety below.
Between Coolidge’s heightened enthusiasm, not knowing which page she’s on, and of course, that eggnogg she's sipping on, this might be the perfect video to get everyone in the Christmas spirit. (Except for great-grandfathers, perhaps.) The actress is definitely known for her perfect comedic timing, and she did not miss with this reading. I just need it to be an annual thing now with other classics, because if Jennifer Coolidge isn’t haphazardly reading Christmas stories, what’s the point?
With Jennifer Coolidge starring in one of Netflix’s newest Christmas movies, it’s not surprising that the streamer looped her in to make some clatter of her own. She's arguably one of the most loved actresses out there due to her charming personality and abundant humor, and her Night Before Christmas performance, as it were, does a solid job of proving that what people see onscreen is genuinely how she is offscreen, more or less. (Perhaps The White Lotus isn't the best example in that respect.)
The new movie Single All the Way follows two best friends who pretend to go out with one another, but soon they realize that they may or may not have legitimate feelings for each other. So now I obviously want another Christmas movie with Coolidge front and center so we can get even more quirky holiday content like this. She would make a perfect star for Hallmark Christmas movies, too, if only.
The Legally Blonde actress is not the first celebrity to tackle a video reading of The Night Before Christmas, and she most likely will not be the last. From Niall Horan showcasing different accents to Prince Charles providing a royal reading to even the cast of Avengers: Endgame providing their own version, the beloved story will never get old.
Hopefully this isn’t the last time Jennifer Coolidge is tasked with reading a classic book for fans. She is effortlessly hilarious and can make anything funny, even if it’s serious. Even if she sticks mostly to acting instead of reading things in 2022, she does have a romcom coming out in the form of Jennifer Lopez's Shotgun Wedding, but hopefully Netflix will drop another Christmas surprise long before that comes out.
