MJF ‘Le Dinner Debonair’ performance named NYT Best of ’20

Well-known New York Times film critic Wesley Morris named the MJF performance of “Me and My Shadow” from Le Dinner Debonair to his Best of 2020 Performances list Friday.

The musical and dance number by MJF and Chris Jericho was on the October 21st AEW Dynamite, another part of the ongoing courtship between the two to have MJF join the Inner Circle.

Morris wrote:

“Some weeks the athleticism at this professional wrestling start-up is more exciting than anything happening in Vince McMahon’s empire. And no one in the WWE has this kid’s combination of diction (Juilliard by way of Long Island), intensity or cheesiness, either. Even when Friedman’s lost his cool (his nom de ring is MJF), he still has astounding control. The character is part heel, part tool (hair gel, loafers, Burberry bling — tacky, tacky, tacky) and part goodfella wannabe; his mouth does more running than he does. For reasons only the producers of this show can explain, a long segment in October between MJF and the veteran Chris Jericho culminated in a version of “Me and My Shadow” complete with dancing women and live singing. It was less than spectacular, though not for anything Friedman did. He wasn’t embarrassed at all. He was smooth in a way that should worry Ric Flair. This kid makes you wanna say, “Woo!”

The performances stood alongside two of the actors from Ozark, The Queen’s Gambit, former U.S. Presidential Candidate Pete Buttigieg guest-hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live, and more.

MJF humbly took the news in stride, jabbing at fellow honoree Dionne Warwick and tweeting the following:

https://t.co/Y7FF1vqLbdpic.twitter.com/5QQ8Hg19Cy

— Maxwell Jacob Friedman™️ (@The_MJF) December 4, 2020