After a decades-long career playing iconic characters, Jennifer Coolidge is finally getting her overdue and well-deserved time in the spotlight. Her role as Tanya McQuoid in The White Lotus earned her an Emmy and, most recently, a Golden Globe Award. She has spent years being a supporting character for comic relief, but Tanya has given her the opportunity to show her range. A whole new audience is being introduced to Coolidge’s unique brand of comedy, and her long-time fans get to see her in a new light. Despite Tanya’s fate, we can expect to see much more of Coolidge in the near future. Her latest movie, Shotgun Wedding, premieres on Amazon Prime on January 27. We have Mike White, Ariana Grande, and Twitter to thank for her resurgence, but let’s not forget some of the performances that confirm the brilliance of Jennifer Coolidge. You know her, you love her, she is the moment!
Sherri Ann in Best in Show (2000)
Christopher Guests’ satirical mockumentary about a cutthroat competitive dog show is one of the most overlooked movies in the comedy genre. Like in a lot of Guests’ projects, a bulk of the movie was improvised by the cast. Coolidge portrays Sherri Ann, a trophy wife to a nearly senile man who hopes her poodle can win the trophy with the help of famed trainer Christy Cummings (Jane Lynch). The scenes with Coolidge are a guaranteed belly laugh. She boasts about her amazing relationship with her aging husband, stating, “We both have so much in common. We both love soup.” Throughout the intensity of the Mayflower Dog Show, Sheri and Christy grow closer. Even though (spoiler alert) they didn’t win, they won each other. In the end, the two embark on a new journey together, starting ‘American Bitch,’ a magazine that is “focused on the issues of the lesbian pure-bred dog owner.” Best in Show went viral this past Halloween after Ariana Grande and Liz Gillies uncannily recreated multiple scenes from the film.
Fiona in A Cinderella Story (2004)
An example of perfect casting is Jennifer Coolidge as the evil stepmother Fiona Montgomery in the early 2000s spin on the fairytale, A Cinderella Story. Her bleach-blonde hair and plastic-looking features perfectly encapsulated the essence of the character. Fiona would strut around the house tormenting Sam (Hilary Duff) and demanding things like Norwegian salmon. One of her best scenes is Fiona greeting Sam fresh out of her pink backyard-tanning bed. She tells Sam, “you’re not very pretty, and you’re not very bright,” all while still wearing goggles. Despite her character being the movie’s antagonist, Coolidge is by far the funniest part of the film, especially when she can’t move her face after botched botox.
Sophie in 2 Broke Girls
Coolidge’s most consistent role was Sophie on the CBS sitcom 2 Broke Girls. She was introduced in the first season, and her character was such a hit that she became a regular for the five remaining years of the show. It must be the Coolidge effect that every role she plays seems tailor-made for her, even this of an eccentric Polish woman. Sophie had a satisfying arch on the show that took her from kooky upstairs neighbor to wife, mother, and an instrumental figure in Max's (Kat Dennings) and Caroline’s (Beth Behrs) lives.
Stifler's Mom in American Pie (1999)
The film that was considered Jennifer Coolidge’s big break was American Pie. Before she got the part of Stifler’s mom, Coolidge had only done bit parts and small guest spots until the naughty teen comedy launched her into the mainstream. Stifler’s mom was the object of affection for all the horny college boys but was wooed by the dorkiest of them all, Finch. Her sensual sultriness was always paired with a skinny cigarette and smooth jazz. Due to the film's incredible success, Coolidge was able to reprise her role in three sequels; American Pie 2, American Wedding and American Reunion. While the origins have never been perfectly traced back, it is rumored that Coolidge’s portrayal of Stifler’s mom popularized the term MILF.
Whitney Taylor Brown in For Your Consideration (2006)
For Your Consideration is a lot like if Best in Show was about Hollywood awards season rather than a dog competition. This other Christopher Guest mockumentary-style project circles around actors and crew working on a movie that’s generating Oscar buzz. Coolidge plays Whitney Taylor Brown, the heiress to a diaper company and amateur movie producer. When asked what a producer does, she replies, “lots of getting out the wallet and paying for sometimes ridiculous things…like snacks.” She had icy blonde hair, porcelain skin, a bold red lip, always wore an eye-catching hat or hairpiece, and drank red wine from a straw. There’s not much behind the eyes of Whitney, a role that Coolidge never fails to nail.
Paulette in Legally Blonde (2001)
The charm and everlasting appeal of Legally Blonde would not exist without Paulette Bonafonté. She was the perfect character to bounce off Reese Witherspoon’s Elle Woods, and it’s hard to imagine anyone other than Coolidge playing her. Paulette was the mad genius behind the unforgettable bend-and-snap that is forever intertwined with the film’s legacy. She was not only Elle’s manicurist and fierce confidant, but she also had empowering character development in her own right. Elle’s tenacity encouraged Paulette to stand up to her deadbeat ex and take back her dog. Coolidge’s performance was as heartwarming as it was entertaining, and she brought the same energy back to the sequel, Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, and Blonde.
Karen in The Watcher
Part of Coolidge’s recent popularity is due to her role in the 2022 Netflix original series, The Watcher. She portrayed real estate agent Karen Calhoun who knowingly sells a house with a sinister history to a new family. It’s another role that seems like it was written for Coolidge since she effortlessly embodies the waspy, pearl-clutching woman of suburbia who does a little scheming on the side. Karen has many memorable moments in the show, including asking for an “extra holiday pour” of wine at the country club and her iconic deliveries of various profanity.
Bobbie in Party Down
Having a short, two-episode-arch on a Starz sitcom is usually not a memorable gig unless you are Jennifer Coolidge. She joined the Adam Scott-led cast of Party Down as temporary caterer Bobbie St. Brown. Like many of the staff, Bobbie is a wannabe actor who takes any job they can get in LA. She joins Party Down Catering in place of her roommate Constance who she hit with her car, but “a small car,” she insists. In the Season 1 finale, the crew is working at a high-profile celebrity wedding, so they need to be on their best behavior, but Bobbie is tripping on mushrooms. It’s no surprise we didn’t see her character return after she put the olive appetizers in the shape of a swastika and berated the guests on how to tell if her lover is gay. In a perfect universe, Bobbie would make a comeback in the upcoming Party Down revival.
Amber in A Mighty Wind (2003)
We owe Christopher Guest a lot for continuing to use Jennifer Coolidge in his ensembles as he did in A Mighty Wind. This satire revolves around the makings of a reunion concert of three folk bands from the 60s. Coolidge plays Amber Cole, part of the Zipken Group that is helping put on the show despite hating folk music. She abandons her usual blonde locks and dons a brunette perm, a foreign accent, and a permanent wide-toothed grin. She’s not in as many scenes as her previous collaborations with Guest, but she always grabs your attention and has some of the most quotable lines.
Tanya in The White Lotus
If Jennifer Coolidge didn’t make her name with any of the previously listed roles, she most certainly did with Tanya McQuoid in The White Lotus. She’s the only character that appears in Seasons 1 and 2 and is the thread that ties the stories together. Tanya is an incredibly lonely and insecure woman who just happens to be extremely wealthy by birthright. Amongst all the privileged and ignorant guests, Tanya attracts the most sympathy because of her perpetual fretfulness. You can’t help but feel bad for her; she’s just lost her mother, she’s desperate for love but has to be surrounded by a bunch of happy-go-lucky hotel guests. She exits Season 1 having found love with Greg (Jon Griers), but as many viewers know, she never gets her happily ever after. Coolidge’s chaotic queen status just rose with her performance in Season 2. She delivered comedy gold every time she was on screen and flexed her dramatic acting chops in the final episode. Tanya’s fate may seem unjust, but it's hard to imagine a more in-character moment than that yacht scene. Even though she now swims with the fishes, we should all manifest a Tanya origin story for Season 3.