Jennifer Coolidge has revealed that her Emmy-winning turn in “The White Lotus” has transformed not just her career, but her dating life at 63.
“Even though I play a complete weirdo in ‘White Lotus,’ cute guys come up to me,” Coolidge told The Sunday Times. “This is far better than ‘American Pie’ because people were really sad about Tanya falling off a boat. These men like you better because they feel that you went through something. That show really upped my game.”
The actor, who has found new levels of fame after decades in Hollywood, spoke openly about the prolonged career slump between her early 2000s successes and Mike White casting her in HBO’s hit series. From 2006 until “The White Lotus” in 2021, Coolidge experienced a time during which she was typecast and overlooked.
“I got very odd jobs — I had no guidance at all,” she said. “I didn’t know how to play the game.” The typecasting problem persisted as casting agents only thought of her as Stifler’s Mom from “American Pie.” “I played a lot of highly strung rich women — people thought, ‘Oh, that’s just what she does.’”
Her career revival came courtesy of longtime friend White, creator of “The White Lotus,” who conceived the character of Tanya McQuoid after sharing a tent with Coolidge during an African vacation where she behaved “eccentrically.”
“Do I think any other director would have chosen me for Tanya? Probably not,” Coolidge reflected during the interview.
Despite her recent accolades — including Emmy, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards — the actor revealed persistent struggles with self-confidence. Even while promoting the upcoming thriller “Riff Raff” alongside Bill Murray and Pete Davidson, Coolidge expressed disbelief at her casting alongside such established talents.
“I’ve been around a long time and just cannot believe the people I’ve got to work with over the past few years,” she said. “People I never thought I would be included on a cast with.”
The interview, conducted to promote her role in the upcoming “A Minecraft Movie” (in cinemas April 4), also touched on Coolidge’s feelings about watching the third season of “The White Lotus” without her character, who was killed off in the second season.
“It’s eerie, creepy, I’m worried for everybody,” she said, adding, “Greg is in the first episode!” referencing her character’s husband. “I hope something bad happens to him.”
When asked about her reaction to being written out of the series, Coolidge revealed: “You have to be a good sport about it, but I went, ‘Oh, really? Really?’ I whined and then just let it go.”
Coolidge also reflected on missed opportunities earlier in her career. “I sabotaged myself, and I’d say this to any young person: when the wave comes, have the guts to stay on,” she advised. “I was a sure bet, I got so many good jobs in a row. I have huge regrets — I was deeply depressed for a very long time.”
On the subject of dating in her sixties, Coolidge mused that she might need to look overseas. “European men like the idea of sleeping with an older woman more than Americans do,” she said. “I think I have to go overseas then.”
