- Jennifer Coolidge rose to fame thanks to her roles in many pop culture hits like "Friends," "Legally Blonde," and "American Pie."
- She was a "bombshell," as her ex-boyfriend once said in his memoir. At one point in her life, she pretended to have a twin so she could date two guys at once.
- Nowadays, people are claiming it's the era of Jennifer Coolidge's Rennaisance after stunning fans with her brilliant acting in "White Lotus."
Before making millions of people laugh through her acting on several pop culture hits since the 1990s, Jennifer Coolidge first dreamt of becoming a singer. Born on August 28, 1961, in Boston, Massachusetts, she attended Norwell High School and Emerson College in Boston where she earned a bachelor's degree in theatre.
After graduating, she moved to New York to join the Gotham City improv group. Then she made her way to Los Angeles where she joined "The Groundlings" comedy troupe.
Jennifer Coolidge at the "American Pie 2" Westwood premiere on August 6, 2001 at Mann National Theatre in Westwood, California | Source: Getty Images
Coolidge had several TV appearances in the early 1990s before making her movie debut in 1995's "Not of This Earth." She followed it up with a comedy in 1997 called "Trial and Error."
It was in 1999 that she shined in her breakthrough role in "American Pie." She reprised her role in "American Pie 2," and also starred in the "Legally Blonde" movies alongside Reese Witherspoon.
In the next couple of years, Coolidge had stable work both on television and the big screen. On TV, she had guest appearances on "Frasier" and "Sex and the City," and a recurring role on "Joey."
Jennifer Coolidge at "The Emoji Movie" premiere in Los Angeles, California on July 23, 2017 | Source: Getty Images
On the big screen, she starred in the likes of "Best in Show," "Down to Earth," "American Dreamz," and "A Cinderella Story," for which she won a Teen Choice Award. Throughout her time in Hollywood, she lived between two homes in California and in New Orleans.
Nowadays, Coolidge is in her "Jenaissance" era, a term that describes her renaissance period. After her prominent roles in "Legally Blonde," "American Pie," and "A Cinderella Story," she recently bagged new breakout roles in two hit TV series, The White Lotus" and "The Watcher."
Eddie Kaye Thomas and Jennifer Coolidge on the set of "American Pie," circa 1999 | Source: Getty Images
Coolidge Keeps Her Personal Life Private
Through the years, Coolidge has chosen what to make public about her life. She doesn't often talk about her personal life, and when she does, she refuses to name names.
In a previous interview, Coolidge described her dating life, admitting that after starring in "American Pie," she dated younger men for almost two decades. She loved playing Stifler's mom in the film because she saw it as a rare opportunity for her to play an object of desire.
Jennifer Coolidge during HBO Films' Pre Golden Globes Party Inside Coverage at Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles, California on January 24, 2004 | Source: Getty Images
Thanks to the films, many young men ask for pictures with her at airports, and they often tremble next to her. "I don't know if they think I'm going to rip their clothes off or something," the actress joked.
Speaking about modern dating, Coolidge says relationships have become disposable. Whenever things don't work out, a person is easily replaceable by another thanks to the online world.
Jennifer Coolidge at the Los Angeles premiere of "American Reunion" at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on March 19, 2012 in Hollywood, California | Source: Getty Images
Coolidge loves talking about romance and relationships, noting she's a big Jane Austen fan. She's not afraid to share her thoughts about it, saying she gets her insights from observing and speaking to many young girls with relationship problems.
When it comes to her own personal relationships, Coolidge is cautious about what she discloses. However, during an interview on "The Kelly Clarkson Show," she admitted that while on vacation in Hawaii a couple of years ago, she pretended to have a twin so she could date two guys at once.
The whole ordeal of Coolidge dating two people at once lasted two weeks, and what made things interesting was that she later admitted the two guys were friends! While Coolidge said she may not be able to pull it off if it happened in recent times, it was a great decision back then.
Jennifer Coolidge poses with her Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for "The White Lotus" during the 74th Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California, on September 12, 2022. | Source: Getty Images
Most of the time, Coolidge lets her work speak for itself, but happily obliges during interviews, where she would rather talk about personal things in relation to her work rather than her relationships.
Despite everything she's achieved, Coolidge still has insecurities that she has to cope with. She once said some bad decisions through the years made her insecure. "You don't think you're great," she reflected.
In another fun interview, she read tweets about her on the internet, and it gave her a good laugh. Several people said they "missed" the actress, to which she responded with a laugh that she wasn't dead.
Coolidge also read a tweet that said "Her name is Jennifer Coolidge. #MILF," to which she clarifies she was only considered a "MILF" because of the "American Pie" movie, and not real life because she doesn't have any children.
Jennifer Coolidge poses in the press room during the 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on February 26, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images
Coolidge has remained single at 61 years old, and while she is looking great for her age, she wasn't spared from criticism during a recent award show she attended.
Posing in a ruched black dress, someone commented that while she loved Coolidge, her dress made her look "pregnant." "Her stylist should have known better," the woman wrote.
A woman comments about Jennifer Coolidge's choice of outfit. | Source: Instagram.com/jennifercoolidge
While Coolidge acknowledges that many people say nice things and commend her work, she says the only way to know they mean it is when work keeps coming her way. Luckily, in recent years, she hit the jackpot with "The White Lotus," "The Watcher," and the Josh Duhamel and Jennifer Lopez movie "Shotgun Wedding."
The actress has been seen wearing gorgeous rings to several events, which had people wondering whether or not she's settled down.
Jennifer Coolidge's Love Interests
With Coolidge having such a tight lip about the people she's dating, fans have no choice but to speculate and wait if she'll ever admit to dating someone in real time. She previously spoke about people she dated but never went into specifics.
The most notable relationship she's had was with Chris Kattan, which happened in the early 2000s. He wrote about Coolidge in his 2019 memoir titled "Baby Don't Hurt Me," where he described her as a "tall, messy, sexy, tough, charmingly crass Boston native bombshell."
Chris Kattan at the Los Angeles premiere of Prime Video's "Shotgun Wedding" at TCL Chinese Theatre on January 18, 2023 in Hollywood, California | Source: Getty Images
Coolidge was once rumored to be dating a man named Tom Mahoney, but there was no evidence that they ever dated. Marcia Cross of "Desperate Housewives" is married to a man with the same name.
Coincidentally, Coolidge was supposed to be on "Desperate Housewives." She ultimately lost the role of Lynette Scavo to Felicity Huffman.
Marcia Cross and Tom Mahoney during the 57th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards - HBO After Party at Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood, California | Source: Getty Images
The actress has been seen wearing gorgeous rings to several events, which had people wondering whether or not she's settled down secretly.
She frequently wears gold rings on her ring finger and sometimes switches them up for diamonds, which means they aren't necessarily engagement rings or wedding bands. After all, Coolidge has raked up quite a fortune for herself and can buy herself all the jewelry she wants.
Jennifer Coolidge accepting the Best Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Television Film award for "The White Lotus" onstage at the 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 10, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California | Source: Getty Images
Jennifer Coolidge Remains a Well-Loved Figure
To smash all rumors, the seasoned actress has admittedly shared that she hasn't found anyone right for her. "I haven't found the love of my life," she said.
Despite her lack of romantic love, Coolidge has gotten a lot of love from fans, fellow actors, and producers. She has remained a well-loved figure in Hollywood for years, and that love multiplied ten-fold after "The White Lotus" and "The Watcher."
Jennifer Coolidge on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on February 7, 2022 in Los Angeles, California | Source: Getty Images
Coolidge was initially iffy to accept her role in "The White Lotus," which was written specifically for her. She plays a wealthy, unstable woman, who goes on a trip to grieve the loss of her mom.
She got a phone call from a good friend of hers, Mike White, where he said he had a job for her. Coolidge had been hoping it was a play because it was something she believed she could handle.
Jennifer Coolidge and Bruce Thomas during the "Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde" premiere at the Ziegfeld Theater in New York City on June 30, 2003 | Source: Getty Images
However, when she was told it would be a TV series, she tried her best to get out of it. Coolidge thought it was a brilliant role, but she was afraid.
"Are you afraid?" White texted her at 2 a.m. one night while she was in New Orleans. It was then that she realized she wouldn't be able to get out of the project.
Captain Paul Watson, Founder of The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Jennifer Coolidge, and Chris Kattan at the "Breaking The Ice" fundraiser for the benefit of The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society on October 13, 2007 in Santa Monica, California | Source: Getty Images
Coolidge admitted that it puzzled her when White said the character was written with her in mind. Her character is mentally unstable and insecure, and she was wondering if it was a form of flattery, or someone making fun of her.
Ultimately, after a successful run on "The White Lotus," she's glad that she took the part. Speaking about her decision, she said:
"I would have been devastated to watch this show and know that I passed up on this experience, but at the time, it just seemed impossible to do. But what a gift."
Jennifer Coolidge poses with her award for Best Supporting Actress - Television Limited Series/Motion Picture for "The White Lotus" in the press room during the 80th annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on January 10, 2023. | Source: Getty Images
It wasn't just Coolidge who thought that way. Her "The White Lotus" role was so well-received that she won several awards for it. She won a Golden Globe, a Primetime Emmy, and two Screen Actors Guild awards, among others.
Her co-star, Michael Imperioli, also had nothing but nice things to say about her. He said that unlike Coolidge's character Tanya who was very self-absorbed, the actress was very smart and perceptive.
Jennifer Coolidge during 2nd Annual Louis Vuitton United Cancer Front Gala - Arrivals at Universal Studios in Universal City, California on November 9, 2004 | Source: Getty Images
Coolidge is the only cast member that got to reprise her role for the second season of the show. In a recent interview with her former "Best in Show" co-star Jane Lynch, they spoke about the possibility of a season 3, where Lynch could get on board.
The interviewer shared that during an interview with Jennifer Aniston, she publicly declared that she wanted to be on season 3. She'd play the younger sister of Coolidge's character, who'd be out for revenge following Tanya's death.
Jane Lynch as Christy Cummings and Jennifer Coolidge as Sherri Ann Ward in Castle Rock Entertainment's film, "Best In Show" | Source: Getty Images
While Coolidge will likely no longer be part of season 3 given her character was killed off, Lynch suggested that she could come back as a ghost.
Coolidge and Lynch joked that if Aniston took part in the show as Tanya's younger sister, Lynch would have to be the "great-aunt."
Lynch then proceeded to praise Coolidge, saying the world has finally "caught up to her." Indeed, the world has caught up with Coolidge, who, after a successful run of "The White Lotus," was flooded with adoration.
Through it all, what makes Coolidge so lovable is her ability to be authentic and unapologetically herself. There's nowhere to go but up for the actress, and fans are aching to see where she plans to go from here.
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