Watch the Emmys’ Wild Opening Musical Number Featuring Cedric the Entertainer, LL Cool J, and… Rita Wilson?
What do LL Cool J, Reggie Watts, Mandy Moore, Susan Kelechi Watson, Beth Behrs, Annaleigh Ashford, Anthony Anderson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Brendan Hunt, Lil Dicky, Rita Wilson, The Cast of Hamilton, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Billy Porter, Bong Buno, Rolanda Catapano, Mason Cutler, Mao Kawakami, Ragon Miller, Gabriel Perez, Davis Rahal, Daniel Ralph, Lisa Sainvil, Brittney Sugarman all have in common? Well, they shall forever be known as participants in the 2021 Emmy Awards opening musical number — whether they want to be or not.
Yes, this year’s Emmys began not with a comedy monologue from Cedric the Entertainer but with a elaborate musical number — Biz Markie’s “Just a Friend,” with the words changed to be all about how TV has got what we all need — featuring Cedric, LL Cool J, and ... Rita Wilson?
Yes, Rita Wilson did Biz Markie on the Emmys. Watch the whole thing below:
Reviews for the performance were, well, let’s just call them mixed. But this is a pretty emblematic example:
After a year of Emmys without an audience done almost entirely remotely, a full show returned in 2021, albeit in a different setting and style and in somewhat smaller and more intimate surroundings. The big winners included Ted Lasso, which took home almost all the key comedy acting prizes, and The Crown, which did much the same on the dramatic side of things. You can find all of this year’s winners here.