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Julia Roberts, Ben Affleck, cast of 'Love Actually' celebrate Red Nose Day

By Wade Sheridan
Julia Roberts arrives for the 21st annual SAG Awards on January 25, 2015. The actress is set to partake in a special episode of "Running Wild with Bear Grylls" for Red Nose Day for NBC. Other stars set to appear during the programming block include Ben Affleck, Mark Hamill and the cast of "Love Actually" among others. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI
1 of 4 | Julia Roberts arrives for the 21st annual SAG Awards on January 25, 2015. The actress is set to partake in a special episode of "Running Wild with Bear Grylls" for Red Nose Day for NBC. Other stars set to appear during the programming block include Ben Affleck, Mark Hamill and the cast of "Love Actually" among others. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

May 25 (UPI) -- NBC is set to air for the third year in a row their one-hour Red Nose Day special Thursday which features a number of celebrities including Julia Roberts, Ben Affleck, Mark Hamill and many more.

The block of programming begins at 8 p.m. ET/PT with Celebrity Ninja Warrior for Red Nose Day. The competition series will feature Jeff Dye, Nikki Glaser, Derek Hough and Mena Suvari taking on obstacles such as the Floating Steps and the Warped Wall with help from ninja advisers.

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Then at 9 p.m. ET/PT, Roberts will be joining Bear Grylls for a special edition of Running Wild with Bear Grylls as the actress joins the wilderness expert on a journey to Kenya to deliver lifesaving vaccines from Wamba Hospital to a remote village before they expire.

At 10 p.m. begins the Red Nose Day special hosted by Chris Hardwick. Here, Roberts will be joined by a star-studded cast that includes Affleck, Jack Black, Orlando Bloom, Yvette Nicole Brown, Bryan Cranston, Patrick Dempsey, Akbar Gbajabiamila, Mindy Kaling, Hamill, Matt Iseman, DJ Khaled, Matt Lauer, Rachel McAdams, Seth Meyers, Bobby Moynihan, Al Roker, Paul Rudd, Dax Shepard, Ben Stiller and Kenan Thompson, along with This Is Us cast members Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz, Justin Hartley, Chris Sullivan, Susan Kelechi Watson and Ron Cephas Jones.

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The special will also feature Red Nose Day Actually, a 15-minute sequel to romantic drama Love Actually that will bring back the film's original cast of Andrew Lincoln, Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Bill Nighy, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Martine McCutcheon, Lucia Moniz, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Olivia Olson, Marcus Brigstocke and Rowan Atkinson to offer updates on each other their characters.

As the premiere approaches, a number of Red Nose Day guests have shared photos of themselves wearing red noses on Instagram including Hamill who wrote "Get your (red nose) on & donate.

Get your 🔴 on & donate. The #RedNoseDay Special is this Thursday, May 25th at 10/9c on @NBC (link in bio)

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A post shared by Mark Hamill (@hamillhimself) on

Kaling also shared a similar photo writing, #NosesOn to end child poverty! #RedNoseDay

#NosesOn to end child poverty! #RedNoseDay

A post shared by Mindy Kaling (@mindykaling) on

Throughout the night, viewers will learn about the programs and charities supported by Red Nose Day and will be given the opportunity to call-in and donate. Red Nose Day is run by nonprofit organization Comic Relief Inc. which helps raise money and awareness to help children living in poverty around the world.

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