Why Tanya From The White Lotus Looks So Familiar
"The White Lotus" is a six-episode limited series written and directed by Mike White — who recently wrote HBO's "Enlightened" — and will premiere on HBO on July 11. The satirical comedy is set to take place at an exclusive Hawaiian resort and will follow several different hotel guests on their respective week-long vacations. As the days go by, the seemingly perfect resort's true nature comes to light, and a darker truth about the guests is also exposed.
The series is set to star a talented cast including Murray Barlett as Armond, Connie Britton as Nicole Mossbacher, Alexandra Daddario as Rachel Patton, Fred Hechinger as Quinn Mossbacher, Jake Lacy as Shane Patton, Brittany O'Grady as Paula, Natasha Rothwell as Belinda, Alec Merlino as Hutch, Sydney Sweeney as Olivia Mossbacher, Steve Zahn as Mark Mossbacher, and the iconic comedian Jennifer Coolidge, who is set to play Tanya McQuoid.
Coolidge is known for her many hilarious character roles through the years, and her iconic one-liners are often quoted to this day. From raunchy sitcoms to parody films and plenty of romantic comedies, Coolidge has an impressive catalog of projects to her name. Here's where you've probably seen her before.
She was a MILF in American Pie
Coolidge is perhaps best known for her role in the 1999 sex comedy film "American Pie" as Jeanine Stifler, aka Stifler's Mom. She was coined a MILF in the movie by John Cho's character (the aptly named MILF Guy No. 2), who popularized the vulgar term. In "American Pie," Jeanine seduced one of her son's virgin friends, Paul Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas), during a party at her home. This, of course, led to some drama between her son Steve Stifler (Seann William Scott) and her barely legal paramour.
"American Pie" was Coolidge's breakout role, and she continued to portray Stifler's Mom for the entirety of the franchise. The success of the films also made Coolidge a sex symbol in her own right, as well as the first choice for other sexually charged roles. In an interview with The Guardian, Coolidge confessed that she doesn't mind being described as a MILF. "I like 'milf' better than 'cougar,'" she said. "I feel like 'cougar' just sounds more predatory, it sounds more like someone really seeking out young men and I just like it more when it's their idea. Because with 'milf' it was really the kids' idea, you know?"
She learned to bend and snap in Legally Blonde
Another one of Jennifer Coolidge's most recognizable roles was in "Legally Blonde" starring Reese Witherspoon. Coolidge played Paulette Bonafonté, a bubbly manicurist and Elle Woods' (Witherspoon) confidant. Paulette had plenty of great lines of her own, including the absolutely iconic "I'm taking the dog, dumb***." Much like her breakout role, "Legally Blonde" was hugely successful, and there has since been a sequel and even musical theater adaptations. "Legally Blonde 3" is currently in the works, and while Coolidge isn't confirmed to reappear, we're keeping our fingers crossed.
Coolidge also got to reprise her role as Paulette in Ariana Grande's "thank u, next" music video. The video was a tribute to iconic movies of the early 2000s, including "Mean Girls," "13 Going on 30," and of course, "Legally Blonde" — with Grande dressed as Elle Woods, and she and Coolidge doing the signature bend and snap move together. The two also shared photos to social media in their adorable throwback outfits, which perfectly captured the "Legally Blonde" look.
She was an evil stepmother in A Cinderella Story
In 2004, Coolidge was in a modern retelling of "Cinderella" titled "A Cinderella Story." It tells the story of Samantha Montgomery (Hilary Duff), a sweet girl stuck living with her mean stepmother Fiona (Coolidge) and jealous stepsisters after her father died in an earthquake. Sam tells her pen pal and internet crush Nomad (Chad Michael Murray) all about her life and dreams, and the two build a mutual attraction despite never meeting face-to-face. That is, until the big school dance — though of course, Fiona demands that Sam stay at the family diner and work instead of attending the festivities.
The lighthearted retelling wasn't necessarily a critical success, but it remains a favorite for those who enjoy both the heartwarming story and Coolidge's devilish humor. Despite its lackluster reviews, Coolidge won a Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Sleazebag (via IMDb) for her role as Fiona, which helped to further cement her as an iconic movie villain.
She often collaborates with Christopher Guest
Though Jennifer Coolidge is known for her TV and film roles, she got her start in improvisation and sketch comedy with The Groundlings in Los Angeles. Though she confessed to The A.V. Club that she wasn't a fan of improv, she's done quite a bit of it with director Christopher Guest. The two have collaborated on several films together, including "Best in Show," "A Mighty Wind," "For Your Consideration," and "Mascots." Guest's films rely heavily on improvisation, which has led to great lines like Coolidge's "we both love soup."
Coolidge spoke to The A.V. Club about working with Guest, and how she's able to be creative with the roles she's given. "The genius behind Christopher Guest's stuff is that he has you get so specific [with your character] that, by the time you get to wardrobe, he lets you pick out all your stuff, your hairstyle, everything," she explained. "Christopher gives you free rein to create, but then it's played within these guidelines. If someone just gives you some broad things — just, 'go out there be whoever you want to be right now' — that's much harder. He's kind of magical; I've never met anyone like him. He just really understands character, and he makes you look better than what you are. But he brings you good luck, that's for sure, and he gives you what you need."
She's been in dozens of films and shows through the years
One of Coolidge's most recent roles was in the sitcom "2 Broke Girls" as Zofia "Sophie" Kaczyński, a zany Polish businesswoman. However, she has been in dozens of other shows since she started acting in the late '90s. She played Jerry Seinfeld's masseuse girlfriend in an episode of "Seinfeld"; She was Monica and Phoebe's annoying friend Amanda on "Friends"; and she starred in the "Friends" spinoff "Joey" until its cancellation. She also had appearances on "Sex and the City," "Frasier," "According to Jim," and "The Secret Life of the American Teenager."
Coolidge has also been in tons of movies over the years, most notably "Click," "Date Movie," "Epic Movie," "Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans," and, most recently, "Promising Young Woman." Coolidge played the role of Susan Thomas — the mother of lead character Cassie (Carey Mulligan) — in the black comedy thriller. "Promising Young Woman" was a different type of role for Coolidge, who typically plays goofy characters.
"I like when directors take chances and give you something completely different to do," Coolidge revealed to GQ. "Sometimes they haven't even seen you do anything and they just sort of think you can, and that's the ultimate compliment because I'm sure the possibility of going wrong is there, too. But I like when directors take risks. And look, it's so freaking fun to be in this movie because it's so different than most stuff I get to do."