Jennifer Coolidge | |
|---|---|
 Coolidge in 2012 | |
| Born | (1961-08-28)August 28, 1961 (age 64)[1] Boston,Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Emerson College (BA) American Academy of Dramatic Arts (MFA) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1993–present |
Jennifer Coolidge (born August 28, 1961) is an American actress. She gained recognition for hercomedic roles, most notably theAmerican Pie (1999–2012) andLegally Blonde (2001–2003) film series.
Coolidge's other film credits includePootie Tang (2001),A Cinderella Story (2004),Click (2006),Date Movie (2006),Epic Movie (2007),Promising Young Woman (2020),Single All the Way (2021),Shotgun Wedding (2022), andA Minecraft Movie (2025). She collaborated withChristopher Guest on four of hismockumentary films:Best in Show (2000),A Mighty Wind (2003),For Your Consideration (2006), andMascots (2016).
On television, Coolidge has appeared in the sitcomsJoey (2004–2006),The Secret Life of the American Teenager (2008–2012),2 Broke Girls (2011–2017), and the drama seriesThe Watcher (2022). She garnered critical acclaim for her role as Tanya McQuoid in the first two seasons of theHBO anthology seriesThe White Lotus (2021–2022), winning twoPrimetime Emmy Awards and aGolden Globe. In 2023, she was included in the annualTime 100 list of the most influential people in the world.[2]
Coolidge was born inBoston, on August 28, 1961, and raised inNorwell,Massachusetts. As a child, she played theclarinet and attended orchestra camp for three summers.[3]
She attendedNorwell High School in Norwell andCambridge School of Weston inWeston, Massachusetts, and thenEmerson College in Boston and theAmerican Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City.[4] During college, Coolidge aspired to be a dramatic actress similar toMeryl Streep, but instead pursued comedic character acting.[5] As a student at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Coolidge worked as a waitress in a restaurant alongsideSandra Bullock, who also aspired to be an actress.[6]
Coolidge made her first television appearance in the November 1993Seinfeld episode "The Masseuse".[7] In 1994, she was a regular onShe TV, a short-livedsketch comedy that also featuredNick Bakay,Elon Gold,Simbi Khali, andLinda Kash. She had small roles appearing in such films asNot of This Earth,A Bucket of Blood,Plump Fiction, andA Night at the Roxbury. She also voicedLuanne's beauty school teacher, Miss Kremzer, in a recurring role onKing of the Hill. She worked withThe Groundlings, an improv and sketch comedy troupe based inLos Angeles.[8] In June 1995, Coolidge unsuccessfully auditioned forSaturday Night Live.[9]
In 1999, Coolidge got her big break playingJeanine Stifler, or "Stifler's mom" inAmerican Pie. The film was a box-office hit and grossed $235 million worldwide.[10][11] In 2001, she reprised her role inAmerican Pie 2. Later in that same year, she had a supporting role inLegally Blonde as Paulette Bonafonté Parcelle the manicurist.Legally Blonde was a box-office hit, grossing US$96 million domestically.[12] The film's box-office success led to her reprising the role in its 2003 sequel,Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde, but the movie was not as financially successful as the first and generated mostly negative reviews.[13] In 2003, she again played Stifler's Mom inAmerican Wedding.
In 2003, she played the protagonist's agent Luise inTestosterone filmed in Argentina starringDavid Sutcliffe as Dean Seagrave andAntonio Sabato, Jr., as Pablo. In 2004, she had a supporting role in the romantic comedyA Cinderella Story playingHilary Duff's character's vain, self-absorbed stepmother. The film went on to become a moderate box office hit despite negative critical reviews.[14][15]
She has appeared in 2001 onFrasier as Frederica,Martin Crane's new physical therapist, in 2003–2004 in 3 episodes ofAccording to Jim, playing Roxanne, Jim's sister, and in 2003 in an episode ofSex and the City. Coolidge nearly received the role ofLynette Scavo onDesperate Housewives, but it eventually went toFelicity Huffman.[16]
In 2003, she starred in an episode ofFriends in its final season as Amanda, an obnoxious acquaintance whomPhoebe Buffay andMonica Geller try to shake off. From 2004 to 2006, Coolidge had a role in the NBC comedy seriesJoey asJoey Tribbiani's oversexed agent Roberta "Bobbie" Morganstern. During its second season, she went from a recurring character to a more prominent role, appearing in 37 out of 46 episodes in the series. NBC officially canceled the series in May 2006, citing low ratings.[17][18]
Coolidge also appeared in 1998 in the children's comedySlappy and the Stinkers, and as the voice of Aunt Fanny in the animated featureRobots in 2005. The film was accompanied by an original short animated film based onRobots, titledAunt Fanny's Tour of Booty, in which she reprised her role.[19][20] In late 2005, Coolidge was invited to join theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[21] From 2000 to 2006 she played comic parts in theimprovmockumentariesBest in Show,A Mighty Wind, andFor Your Consideration, all directed byChristopher Guest.[22]
In 2006, she guest starred on an episode ofTop Chef, and playedAdam Sandler's wife's friend, Janine, in the comedy filmClick. She appeared in the 2006 filmDate Movie as a spoof ofBarbra Streisand'sMeet the Fockers character. The film received unfavorable critic reviews andRotten Tomatoes ranked the film 77th in the 100 worst reviewed films of the 2000s, with a rating of 6%.[23] However,Variety did praise Coolidge for providing a few bright moments with a spot-on spoof of Streisand, albeit otherwise unimpressed describing the film as "padded and repetitious".[24]
Epic Movie, released in 2007 and made by the same people behindDate Movie, was the first movie in which she received a starring role. In the film she played the "White Bitch" (theWhite Witch) of Gnarnia (Narnia), a lampoon of theDisney andWalden Media filmThe Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.A. O. Scott ofThe New York Times called the film "irreverent and also appreciative, dragging its satiric prey down to the lowest pop-cultural denominator" and added, "The humor is coarse and occasionally funny. The archly bombastic score ... is the only thing you might call witty. But happily, Jennifer Coolidge and Fred Willard show up ... to add some easy, demented class."[25]
During 2007, Coolidge appeared onThank God You're Here andThe Closer, onTNT. In 2008, she guest-starred onThe Secret Life of the American Teenager as acall girl.[7] In the second season, she was a frequently recurring character, now playing the fiancé of Ben's dad and future stepmother of Ben. She also starred in the 2008Lifetime Television filmLiving Proof. Coolidge appeared in the 2008 filmSoul Men as Rosalee.[26]
In 2009, Coolidge took a dramatic role inBad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans as Genevieve McDonagh. Thefilm premiered on September 9, 2009, at the66th Venice International Film Festival, and it opened in general release in the United States on November 20, 2009.[27] Also In 2009, she starred alongsideHeather Graham andAmber Heard inExTerminators, ablack comedy about a set of women who form their own "silent revolution", wreaking havoc on the abusive men in their lives.
In 2010, Coolidge appeared in another film starringHilary Duff titledBeauty & the Briefcase, anABC Family television film produced byImage Entertainment that originally aired on April 18, 2010.[28] It was based on the novelDiary of a Working Girl by Daniella Brodsky.[29] The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray in the US on February 8, 2011.[30]
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In June 2011, Coolidge curated aBlake Nelson Boyd art show inNew Orleans.[31] In the same month Coolidge began to do standup comedy. She hosted the "Women in Film" at theBeverly Hills Hotel. It went well, and she decided to take an act on the road. Coolidge ended up doing shows all over the world for two years, Scotland included.[32] Coolidge told Australian radio showThe Kyle & Jackie O Show that she would be touring Australia as part of herYours for the Night stand-up tour.[33] In October 2011, Coolidge began a recurring role in theCBS sitcom2 Broke Girls as Zofia "Sophie" Kaczyński, a Polish neighbor of the two lead characters;[34] she was later promoted to main cast fromseason 2 up until the show's cancellation in 2017.[35]
Coolidge reprised her role as Jeanine Stifler in anAmerican Pie sequelAmerican Reunion which opened in North America on April 6, 2012.[36] The following year, additional voice cast members were announced forB.O.O.: Bureau of Otherworldly Operations, including Coolidge as Carol Sue, a transitions-relations officer.[37] Film distributor20th Century Fox set November 6, 2015, for the film's release date (which was moved a few months later up to September 25),[38] However,Los Angeles Times reported in 2014 that the film had been delayed again with no replacement release date set.[39] It was reported the film's concept has gone back to development.[40]
Coolidge and actressMegan Mullally joined the cast ofAlexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day in 2013; Coolidge plays Ms. Suggs, the driving instructor.[41] The film was released in North America on October 10, 2014. The next year, she had a voice role inHell and Back, and had a cameo inAlvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip.[42] In 2016, she appeared inMascots, directed by Christopher Guest.[22] In 2017, Coolidge lent her voice to portray Mary Meh inThe Emoji Movie.[43] In 2018, Coolidge made an appearance inAriana Grande's music video for her song "Thank U, Next", which brought her renewed recognition.[44]
In 2020, she starred inLike a Boss, the first studio comedy film of the 2020s, forParamount Pictures, co-starring withTiffany Haddish,Rose Byrne, andSalma Hayek.[45] Coolidge had a supporting role inEmerald Fennell's directorial debutPromising Young Woman as the mother ofCarey Mulligan's character, Cassie. The movie received universal acclaim upon release.[46]
In October 2020, Coolidge was cast as Tanya McQuoid, a troubled wealthy woman on vacation, inMike White's comedy-drama seriesThe White Lotus and began filming shortly after in Hawaii. The show premiered in July 2021 and was widely acclaimed, with Daniel D'Addario ofVariety calling it the "role of a lifetime" and deeming Coolidge a "Hollywood MVP".[47] She won aPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for her performance.[48][49] Coolidge reprised her role for thesecond season, and received a second Emmy Award forOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for the role at the75th Emmy Awards.[50]
In 2021, Coolidge starred in theNetflix Christmas romantic comedySingle All the Way alongsideMichael Urie,Philemon Chambers, andKathy Najimy.[51] The following year, she starred inNetflix's mini-seriesThe Watcher along withNaomi Watts andBobby Cannavale.[52]
In 2024, Coolidge starred in and executive producedDito Montiel's comedy filmRiff Raff. She toldForbes that, when she was offered the role, "I've never been offered a part like her. […] There's a certain woman that I've played quite a few times - some sort of rich, spoiled woman or something, but this was something very different. This was someone who had a pretty decent beginning of her life, but ended up not desired by her ex-husband anymore and very lost."[53]
Coolidge is widely considered agay icon, often impersonated bydrag queens,[54][55][56] with Coolidge noting in 2021 that she surrounded herself socially with gay men and women from a young age. Coolidge has also long been vocal about her support for theLGBTQ+ community.[57][58][59]
Coolidge was included onTime's "The 100 Most Influential People of 2023", and was featured on the magazine cover for the issue.[60] She also hosted the 2023 Time 100 gala.[61] In February 2023, Coolidge was named Woman of the Year byHarvard'sHasty Pudding Theatricals.[62]
Coolidge dated Swedish modelRafael Edholm in the 1980s, living together in New York and attending acting classes.[63] She later dated comedianChris Kattan.[64] She has never been married or had children.[65]
In 2005, after having visitedNew Orleans up to ten times a year over ten years,[66] Coolidge purchased a house there,[67] which was featured in some of the interior scenes inThe Beguiled (2017).[68]
Her charitable work and activism includes supporting AIDS assistance andanimal rights.[69][70] Coolidge tries to follow aplant-based lifestyle butalso eats fish.[71] Coolidge was crownedPETA's "Vegan Queen" in 2023.[72] She has also adopted a dog named Chuy that was rescued from a meat factory in Korea.[3]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Not of This Earth | Nurse | |
| A Bucket of Blood | Stupid girl | ||
| Love and Happiness | Jeringir | ||
| 1997 | Plump Fiction | Sister Sister | |
| Trial and Error | Jacqueline "Jackie" Turreau | ||
| 1998 | Slappy and the Stinkers | Harriet | |
| A Night at the Roxbury | Hottie police officer | ||
| Brown's Requiem | Helen | ||
| 1999 | Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me | Woman at football game | |
| American Pie | Jeanine Stifler | ||
| 2000 | The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy | Betty | |
| Best in Show | Sherri Ann Cabot | ||
| 2001 | Down to Earth | Mrs. Belinda Wellington | |
| Legally Blonde | Paulette Bonafonté | ||
| Pootie Tang | Ireenie | ||
| American Pie 2 | Jeanine Stifler | Uncredited cameo | |
| Zoolander | American designer | ||
| 2003 | A Mighty Wind | Amber Cole | |
| As Virgins Fall | Janice Denver | ||
| Carolina | Aunt Marilyn | ||
| Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde | Paulette Bonafonté Parcelle | ||
| American Wedding | Jeanine Stifler | ||
| Testosterone | Louise | ||
| 2004 | A Cinderella Story | Fiona Montgomery | |
| Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events | White-Faced Woman #1 | ||
| 2005 | Robots | Aunt Fanny (voice) | |
| 2006 | Date Movie | Roz Funkyerdoder | |
| American Dreamz | Martha Kendoo | ||
| Click | Janine | ||
| For Your Consideration | Whitney Taylor Brown | ||
| 2007 | Epic Movie | The White Bitch of Gnarnia | |
| 2008 | Dr. Dolittle: Tail to the Chief | Daisy (voice) | Direct-to-DVD |
| Foreign Exchange | Principal Lonnatini | ||
| Igor | Jaclyn / Heidi (voice) | ||
| Soul Men | Rosalee | ||
| 2009 | ExTerminators | Stella | |
| A Good Funeral | Helen | ||
| Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans | Genevieve McDonagh | ||
| Gentlemen Broncos | Judith Purvis | ||
| 2010 | The Jack of Spades | Monica | |
| Beauty & the Briefcase | Felisa McCollin | ||
| 2011 | Mangus! | Cookie Richardson | |
| 2012 | American Reunion | Jeanine Stifler | |
| 2013 | Austenland | Miss Elizabeth Charming | |
| 2014 | Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day | Ms. Mary Suggs | |
| 2015 | Hell and Back | Durmessa (voice) | |
| Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip | Mrs. Joan Price | Cameo[42] | |
| 2016 | Mascots | Jolene Lumpkin | |
| 2017 | The Emoji Movie | Mary Meh (voice) | |
| 2020 | Like a Boss | Sydney | |
| Promising Young Woman | Susan Thomas | ||
| Bobbleheads: The Movie | Binky (voice) | Direct-to-video | |
| 2021 | Swan Song | Dee Dee Dale | |
| Arlo the Alligator Boy | Stucky (voice) | ||
| Single All the Way | Aunt Sandy | ||
| 2022 | Shotgun Wedding | Carol Fowler | |
| 2023 | We Have a Ghost | Judy Romano | |
| 2024 | Riff Raff | Ruth | Also executive producer[73] |
| 2025 | A Minecraft Movie | Vice Principal Marlene | |
| TBA | Girl Group | TBA | Filming |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Seinfeld | Jodi | Episode: "The Masseuse" |
| 1994 | She TV | Various | Main cast |
| 1995 | The Monroes | Marcia Kelly | Episode: "Educating Billy" |
| 1996 | Saturday Night Special | Various | Main cast |
| 1997–1999 | King of the Hill | Miss June Kremzer (voice) | 4 episodes |
| 1998 | Alright Already | Rhonda | Episode: "Again with the Hockey Player: Part 1" |
| Rude Awakening | Sue | 2 episodes | |
| Men in White | N/a | Television film | |
| 1999 | Ladies Man | Helen | Episode: "Neutered Jimmy" |
| 2001 | The Andy Dick Show | Nancy Bunting | Episode: "Kid Krist" |
| Frasier | Frederica | Episode: "Forgotten But Not Gone" | |
| Sketch Pad | The Groundlings | Main cast | |
| 2002 | Do Over | Gwen Brody | Episode: "Cold War" |
| Women vs. Men | Shelly | Television film | |
| 2003 | Sex and the City | Victoria | Episode: "The Perfect Present" |
| Friends | Amanda Buffamonteezi | Episode: "The One with Ross's Tan" | |
| 2003–2004 | According to Jim | Roxanne | 3 episodes |
| 2004 | Game Over | Ramona (voice) | Episode: "Into the Woods" |
| MADtv | Herself / Ivanka | Season 9, episode 23 | |
| Father of the Pride | Tracy (voice) | Episode: "And the Revolution Continues" | |
| As Told by Ginger | Nikki Laporte (voice) | Episode: "The Wedding Frame" | |
| 2004–2006 | Joey | Roberta "Bobbie" Morganstern | Main cast; 37 episodes |
| 2005 | Hopeless Pictures | Traci (voice) | 3 episodes |
| 2006 | Comic Relief 2006 | "Fur" | Stand-up comedy benefit concert in the wake ofHurricane Katrina |
| 2007–2009 | Nip/Tuck | Candy Richards / CoCo | 3 episodes |
| 2008 | The Closer | Angie Serabian | Episode: "Dial M for Provenza" |
| Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World | Fannie Mae (voice) | Episode: "Mom Fight" | |
| Living Proof | Tish | Television film | |
| 2008–2009 | Yin Yang Yo! | Coop's mother (voice) | 4 episodes |
| 2008–2012 | The Secret Life of the American Teenager | Betty | 35 episodes |
| 2009 | Kath & Kim | Lenore | Episode: "Celebrity" |
| Party Down | Bobbie St. Brown | 2 episodes | |
| 2010 2012 | The Life & Times of Tim | Various voices | 3 episodes |
| 2010–2013 | Hero Factory | Daniella Capricorn (voice) | 5 episodes |
| 2011–2014 | Fish Hooks | Ms. Lynne Lips (voice) | Recurring |
| 2012 | The Game | Marissa | Episode: "Skeletons" |
| Napoleon Dynamite | Mrs. Jane Moser (voice) | 2 episodes | |
| 2012–2016 | Gravity Falls | "Lazy" Susan Wentworth (voice) | Recurring |
| 2012–2017 | 2 Broke Girls | Sophie Kaczyński | Recurring (season 1); main cast (seasons 2–6) 122 episodes |
| 2015 | Glee | Whitney S. Pierce | 2 episodes |
| Inside Amy Schumer | Cleopatricia Sherman | Episode: "Babies and Bustiers" | |
| TripTank | Mom (voice) | Episode: "Steve's Family" | |
| 2017 | American Dad! | Caroline (voice) | Episode: "A Whole Slotta Love" |
| 2018–2022 | The Loud House | Myrtle (voice) | 5 episodes |
| 2019 | The Cool Kids | Bonnie | Episode: "Sid's Ex-Wife" |
| 2020 | Royalties | Miriam Hale | 3 episodes |
| 2020–2021 | The Fungies! | Dr. Nancy (voice) | Regular role |
| 2021 | Rick and Morty | Daphne (voice) | Episode: "A Rickconvenient Mort" |
| I Heart Arlo | Stucky (voice) | 3 episodes | |
| Ten Year Old Tom | Dakota's Mom (voice) | 5 episodes | |
| Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | Herself | 1 episode | |
| 2021–2022 | The White Lotus | Tanya McQuoid[74] | Main cast (seasons 1–2) |
| 2022 | The Watcher | Karen Calhoun | 7 episodes |
| 2024 | Monsters at Work | Marilyn | 2 episodes |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Robots | Aunt Fanny/ fan | Voice[75] |
| Year | Title | Artist | Role | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | "Thank U, Next" | Ariana Grande | Paulette Bonafonte | [76] |
| Year | Title | Role | Venue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001–2002 | The Women | Edith Potter | American Airlines Theatre | 77 performances |
| 2010 | Elling | Reidun Nordsletten / Gunn / Poet / Johanne | Ethel Barrymore Theatre | 9 performances |
| 2015 | Saving Kitty | Kate | Central Square Theatre[77] |
