Why Daphne From Rick And Morty Season 5, Episode 3 Sounds So Familiar
Even though the series is now on its fifth season, "Rick and Morty" is proving that it can still introduce instantly iconic new characters. The show's most recent episode, "A Rickconvenient Mort," even managed to give fans two fresh additions to the RMU. Not only did viewers meet the humorous and tragic Planetina (Alison Brie), a warped take on idealistic superhero Captain Planet, but they were also introduced to Rick's (Justin Roiland) lust interest du-jour, Daphne.
Daphne is an alien from a world on the cusp of annihilation who Rick and Summer (Spencer Grammer) save from assured destruction. Even though the character model is a pretty gnarly alien with some shocking anatomy, the distinctly sultry voice with more than a dash of goofy energy likely had your recognition sensors going off. That's because Daphne is voiced by legendary American character actor Jennifer Coolidge. While Daphne may be a uniquely extraterrestrial role for Coolidge, it's far from the only time she's brought to life a character that is equal parts libidinous and humorous.
You might already have a few choice roles from Coolidge's impressive career flashing through your mind, but to give you a full rundown, here are some of the reasons why Daphne from "Rick and Morty" sounds so familiar.
Jennifer Coolidge stole the show in "American Pie"
Jennifer Coolidge's first-ever screen credit came courtesy of the "Seinfeld" episode "The Masseuse," wherein she played the eponymous masseuse Jodi, a girlfriend of Jerry's who frustrates him when she refuses to give him a message. That role was followed by a trickle of B-movie bit parts until she got the opportunity to create one of the greatest teen comedy characters of all time.
There are a number of moments in 1999's "American Pie" that made it a major cultural touchstone (it is the movie that launched a million "This one time, at band camp" jokes), but one of the most significant is a character known as Stifler's Mom. During the climactic post-prom party, dweeby Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) encounters her in the study of his buddy Stifler's (Seann William Scott) house. After a flirtatious back and forth, she seduces him in a scene that has gone down in cinema infamy.
In lesser hands, it's a role that may have come off as smarmy and rote. However, Coolidge's pitch-perfect take made Stifler's Mom one of the most enduring characters in raunchy high school comedy history.
Although "American Pie" was a major moment in Coolidge's career, it was just one of several iconic parts she played during this period.
From Christopher Guest mockumentaries to "Legally Blonde," Jennifer Coolidge ruled the early 2000s
In the 2000 Christopher Guest mockumentary "Best In Show," Coolidge played Sherri Ann Cabot, the younger wife of a wealthy geriatric man whose dog is competing in the fictional Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show. Even in an ensemble full of incredible comedic improvisers, Coolidge stood out thanks to her full-throttle interpretation of the ditzy character.
In a recent profile of Coolidge in Vulture, Guest said of her comedic work, "Jennifer is amazing at playing off of people ... And if there isn't someone to play off, then she plays off the silence." Considering that high praise, it's no wonder Guest went on to cast Coolidge in two more of his films, 2003's "A Mighty Wind" and 2006's "For Your Consideration."
In 2001, Coolidge added another iconic comedy to her resume. She co-starred alongside Reese Witherspoon in "Legally Blonde," playing Paulette, the down on her luck nail technician who gets inspired by Elle Woods to turn her life around. Coolidge would go on to reprise the role — fondly remembered for a classic scene where Elle teaches Paulette how to "bend...and snap!" — in the sequel "Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde" and the Ariana Grande music video for "Thank U, Next."
You may have seen Jennifer Coolidge on your favorite TV show
After her string of iconic comedy roles, Coolidge continued to work steadily in film, popping up in everything from rom-com "A Cinderella Story" to Werner Herzog's "Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans." However, in the mid-2000s and 2010s, TV is where Coolidge did much of her most memorable work.
She had an iconic guest-starring role on season 10 of "Friends" as an old acquaintance of Monica (Courteney Cox) and Phoebe's (Lisa Kudrow) who has adopted an obnoxious fake British accent. She later went on to be a series regular on the spin-off "Joey." Other popular shows of the time — including "Sex and the City," "Party Down," "Glee," and "Nip/Tuck" — saw Coolidge swing in to lend her talents.
Brooklyn-set sitcom "2 Broke Girls" provided Coolidge with a juicy series regular role. She appeared in all six seasons as Sophie Kaczyński, the no-nonsense Polish neighbor of Max (Kat Dennings) and Caroline (Beth Behrs). Like many other Coolidge creations, Sophie is as crass and over-the-top as she is loveable.
"Promising Young Woman" and "The White Lotus" prove that Jennifer Coolidge's career isn't slowing down
While Coolidge has been working steadily for nearly three decades, her career has shown no signs of slowing down. In 2020 she co-starred in one of the most talked-about films of the year: the Oscar-winning revenge thriller "Promising Young Woman." As the mother of protagonist Cassie (Carey Mulligan), Coolidge got the opportunity to add more layers to the daffy archetype that she so often plays.
Another place you've likely seen her recently is in the trailer for the upcoming HBO miniseries "The White Lotus," which will premiere on July 11. Set in Hawaii, the show follows the stories of the staff and guests at a resort hotel. One of those guests is Tanya McQuoid, a woman grieving the death of her mother.
Coolidge has been receiving rave reviews for her performance on the series. Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter called her work "the Jennifer Coolidge performance to end all Jennifer Coolidge performances" and Variety's Caroline Framke noted that the series "finally gives [Coolidge's charisma] ample room to stun the audience into awed submission."
Even though she has a long list of iconic roles behind her, it appears that Jennifer Coolidge is far from done impressing viewers.