JENNIFER Coolidge’s recent Golden Globe acceptance speech went viral this week. She won as Best Supporting Actress in a limited series for Television or Motion Picture for her role as the tragic character Tanya McQuoid in HBO’s White Lotus.
She once became a cultural phenomenon when she played a minor but memorable role as Stifler’s Mom in the insanely popular 90s coming of age movie franchise American Pie.
As the object of horny teenagers’ desire in the movie, she practically made MILF (Mom I’d like to F@#k) a popular term. John Cho, who was MILF guy #2 in the movie, first uttered the words after seeing the portrait of Coolidge’s character in a house party scene.
The legend of Stifler’s Mom
“I’ve milked that franchise to death,” Coolidge said about how the “Pie” series helped her with her career. “I’m still going for six or seven, whatever they want.” she jokingly added.
Prior to her speech in the Golden Globes, she had a very candid interview with Ariana Grande for Variety where she revealed how her life changed after being part of the successful teen franchise.
“I got a lot of action after American Pie,” she quipped.
But she also had to clarify her statement that she slept with 200 men after her Stifler’s mom role. She explained how things can get overblown in Hollywood and what she said was just an exaggeration.
The game changer
She always managed to entertain in minor roles in a series of movies and TV shows, such as Legally Blonde, A Cinderella story, Sex and the City, Two Broke Girls, and the recent Netflix show The Watchers.
However, her role in White Lotus was a game changer. So when it was time to thank the people who stuck by her all these years, she delivered as only Jennifer Coolidge can.
“I thought I was going to be queen of Monaco even though someone else did it. But I had these giant ideas. And then you get older and, oh, s*** is going to happen,” Coolidge said as she was wrapping up her speech.
She ended it by thanking her White Lotus director: “And, Mike White, you have given me hope. You’ve given me a new beginning. Even if this is the end, because you did kill me off, but even if this is the end, you changed my life in a million different ways.”
“My neighbors are speaking to me and things like that. I was never invited to one party on my hill, and now everyone’s inviting me! I just —you know, it’s to you, Mike White,” she said, before finally getting much deserved applause.
The 61 year old Coolidge, once again, stole the show.
