It’s finally Jennifer Coolidge‘s time to shine, and it’s all thanks to her iconic role in White Lotus. Even though the star is already a legend in the movie industry, she’s now having her moment in Hollywood. And we’re here for it! The first time she won viewers over was when she was learning the bend and snap technique from Reese Witherspoon’s Elle in Legally Blonde. Then she played Stifler’s mom. Yes, that Stifler. And finally, her role as the unique Tanya McQuoid in White Lotus has sealed the deal for pretty much everyone and positioned her as the iconic legend she is. She even got some well-deserved awards to go with her growing fame.
She is, as previously mentioned, a bona fide legend. However, Jennifer Coolidge has a life outside of the movies, and it’s one that you might want to learn a bit more about. So, here are the top ten things you didn’t know about the celebrated actress.
1. Seinfeld Was Her First Big Break
Another thing you probably don’t know about Jennifer Coolidge is that she got her first break on TV with the Seinfeld show. She played Jerry’s masseuse, who didn’t like working overtime for him. According to Jennifer, at the time of her guest appearance on this show, her mom was dying of pancreatic cancer, so this was a rough time for her. But as she remembers, her mother was very proud of her first big role at the time.
2. She Almost Turned Down the Role of Tanya in White Lotus
Believe it or not, Jennifer Coolidge almost said no to one of her best performances yet – Tanya in White Lotus. As she explained, because she was distracting herself by overeating all day during the pandemic, when Mike White proposed White Lotus to her, she told him she wasn’t ready to face the camera yet. Feel free to take a moment and imagine the show without her. Luckily for all of us, that visual isn’t our reality. Mike convinced her to do the show, and the rest is history!
3. She is Well-Educated
Coolidge began her college career at Emerson, which is located in Boston. When she finished in Boston, she headed straight to New York City to pursue her career in acting by enrolling in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She dreamed of becoming a dramatic actress, and the training was more than useful in helping her achieve that.
4. She is Musically Inclined
Although it looks like Jennifer Coolidge was born to play her characters, acting isn’t her only artistic skill set. She had some skills in the music genre, too, specifically the ability to play the clarinet. She was so good she got to attend orchestra camp for three summers. This knowledge really only goes to make Alyson Hannigan’s “This one time, at band camp” line from American Pie even more hilarious.
5. She Had a Dream to Become a Drama Actress
Coolidge’s dream was to become an actress, and she definitely made that happen. More precisely, her bigger dream was to become an actress in dramatic roles. Meryl Streep was, and likely still is her biggest idol, so she wanted to walk the same path as she did. However, Coolidge is just too hilarious to focus on a career in dramatics.
6. She Lent her Home to a Movie Set
When the movie The Beguiled was filmed in 2017, there were several scenes from the movie that were shot inside the actress’ home. She lent her New Orleans home to producers and the film crew for shooting, and many shots were later used in the movie.
7. She Doesn’t Have Kids
Jennifer is not a mother, and she’s spoken about that in the past. She jokingly confirmed this in a Buzzfeed interview, saying “I don’t have any children. I was barren.” While it’s hard to be sure to what degree she meant it, one thing is certain: she has no regrets. The 2 Broke Girls actress is a romantic who has an active dating life, mostly consisting of young, non-Hollywood men.
8. She Loved Ariana Grande’s Impression of Her Legally Blonde Character
When Ariana Grande went on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, she did an outstanding impersonation of Coolidge’s Paulette voice from Legally Blonde. As Coolidge remembers, it was so good even she didn’t realize it was not her own voice. She then sent Grande a DM to compliment her performance and how funny she was with her impression. This led Coolidge to reprise her role from Legally Blonde in the Thank You Next music video.
9. She Used to Live in a Nursing Home
At the age of 21, Jennifer Coolidge moved to LA to find work. Because she didn’t have anywhere to live, she found a room for rent – you’ve guessed it, in a nursing home. She rented the room with another actor, and they shared it for a while. Well, how the tables have turned for her! She’s certainly come a long way since her days as the world’s youngest nursing home resident.
10. She Lives in a Haunted House
Shortly before Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans in 2005, Coolidge bought a house that was originally built in 1867. It’s located in the Lower Garden District, and she’s spent the vast majority of the years she’s been there restoring her home to its former glory. It’s rumored to be haunted, and we feel like this just works for Jennifer Coolidge. She’s so amazing; why wouldn’t a ghost or two want to get to know her?
Read Next: Five Things You Didn’t Know About The White Lotus’s Theo James
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