Jennifer Coolidge just shared a valuable lesson about stepping out of your comfort zone as she received the first Primetime Emmy nomination of her career for her scene-stealing performance in The White Lotus.
There are some actors whose very presence in a film or TV show means we’ll automatically add it to our watchlist. Beloved, always-hilarious actor Jennifer Coolidge, who has consistently turned out scene-stealing performances in the likes of American Pie, Best In Show, and Legally Blonde, is definitely among them.
In 2020, however, Coolidge set the entertainment world abuzz when she took on the role of socialite Tanya McQuoid in HBO’s pitch-dark comedy series The White Lotus. A wealthy, bereaved, clueless resort guest who is as problematic as she is humorous, Coolidge’s performance was heralded as her most perfect role yet, earning her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the Golden Globes.
In the wake of the 2022 Emmy nominations, The White Lotus received major recognition from the Television Academy, with 20 nominations, including best limited or anthology series and nods for eight of the actors in the show.
Alongside Murray Bartlett and Sydney Sweeney, Jennifer Coolidge received the very first Primetime Emmy nomination of her career. Interestingly, though, she revealed that she nearly turned down the role.
Speaking to The New York Times, Coolidge explained that when director Mike White first pitched her the the role of Tanya, she was so nervous and self-conscious about her appearance that she “tried to get out of it”.
“I was nervous about vain things, like not looking right and not being able to deliver somehow,” she began.
“I just didn’t want to fail, and I didn’t want to be the only one in the cast who didn’t pull through. But it’s a great life lesson: When you want to try to get out of something, maybe it’s the best thing you could be involved in.”
Coolidge went on to explain it was down to the encouragement and support of a close friend that she finally accepted the role.
“It was this friend of mine, Chase Winton,” she continued. “I was in her living room and she asked me, “Are you going to go do that show in Hawaii?” I said “No, I’m not. I’m not in good shape. I look like hell.” I was eating pizzas and things through Covid, and I wasn’t… I just said, “I’ll do it another time.”
Winton then stepped in with the kind of motivational talk that only a best friend can deliver in times of need.
“She just gave me this lecture. “Are you kidding me, Jennifer? Do you know what an idiot you’re being in this moment? I have to talk you out of making a terrible mistake.”
“If it hadn’t been for her, I wouldn’t have done it. I was going to tell Mike that I needed foot surgery or something, some silly excuse. But I’m so glad she talked me into it. Even if it didn’t lead to an Emmy situation, just to go do that job was such a positive thing.”
Coolidge added that she was encouraged by her friend to own her perceived imperfections and have faith in her abilities.
“She said, ‘Just own it, Jennifer, whatever you are. You’re out of shape? You’re not prepared? Just own it. Show up anyway’.”
Coolidge, who is the only cast member from season one of The White Lotus to reprise her role in the Sicily-set second season, has plenty of praise about White’s talent for writing nuanced roles for women.
“Mike called me up in New Orleans and said, ‘You have to be here in two weeks,’” she told Deadline after receiving her nomination. “Later when we were shooting, I had the revelation of what a cool part it was, how many different layers there were to play.”
“He wrote a complicated person who was really quite damaged. A nice person mixed up with a girl who’d do anything to land a guy. Women do that a lot. They’re doing fine and some guy shows interest and they end up blowing off something cool for a possible mate.”
Coolidge, whose character is travelling with her young employee, Portia (Haley Lu Richardson) in the second season of The White Lotus, reflected on how fortunate she felt to have her talents recognised by White.
“When people think you’re capable of a lot of different aspects of a person, it’s truly the gift of a lifetime,” she added.
Moral of the story? Don’t stand in the way of your success.
Images: Getty; HBO
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