Jennifer Coolidge took home the award for best supporting actress in a television limited series or motion picture at the 2023 Golden Globes. She won for her unforgettable portrayal of chaotic heiress Tanya McQuoid on “The White Lotus,” and in her speech, she discussed how her career has changed in recent years thanks to the show’s success.
She started off her speech by putting her Golden Globe down on the stage and saying, “I don’t work out . . . I can’t hold it that long.” She then reflected on her life in Hollywood, echoing Michelle Yeoh, who earlier in the night revealed she thought her career was over before “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”
“There were like five people that kept me going for 20 years with these little jobs,” Coolidge said, growing tearful. “I didn’t know anybody. It was sort of this thing that wasn’t going anywhere.” But a few things and people, she said, inspired her to persevere – including Ryan Murphy, Reese Witherspoon and “Legally Blonde,” and the American Pie franchise. She added that she milked that movie and its sequels “to the bone,” saying she’s definitely open to another installment or two.
Finally, she gave a very sincere thank you to “The White Lotus” showrunner Mike White. “I just want you all to know that I had such big dreams and expectations as a younger person, but what happened was they get sort of fizzled by life,” she said. “I thought I was going to be Queen of Monaco, even though someone else did it . . . I just want to say, Mike White, you have given me hope. You have given me a new beginning.”
She then went on to spoil the ending of “The White Lotus” season two and said the role has launched her to a new level of stardom – in addition to helping her social life. “I was never invited to one party on my hill,” she said, “but now everyone’s inviting me.”
Finally, she paid tribute to White’s kindness, saying he’s “worried about the world, worried about people . . . He really is one of the greatest people I’ve ever met. He gives me so much excitement to be,” she added. “You make people want to live longer. And I didn’t.” She finished off her speech with a few curse words that were narrowly censored out of the live broadcast as the camera panned to White’s tearful face.