"If you don't know Mike White, this is something you should know: he's worried about the world, he's worried about people, you're worried about animals," Coolidge.
Jennifer Coolidge has made us laugh before but she made the audience emotional when she thanked the White Lotus writer and creator Mike White during her acceptance speech at the 80th Golden Globe Awards on January 10. Coolidge, 61, played the role of Tanya in White Lotus.
As per PEOPLE, she was convinced to take this role by a friend. Now, it landed her a win for best performance in a supporting role in a limited series, anthology series, or motion picture made for television. She made a few jokes onstage before getting emotional as she remembered the directors in Hollywood who have supported her over the years.
“There were like five people that kept me going for 20 years with these little jobs. And Ryan Murphy, you are one of them,” she said, pointing to the creator who accepted the Carol Burnett Award earlier in the evening. She then searched the crowd and joked, “Who else was there? Just you Ryan.” The audience laughed before she added, “I didn’t know anybody and it just was sort of this thing. It wasn’t going anywhere.”
Coolidge added that she kept taking little roles to keep her career alive. She also made fun of her appearance in multiple sequels of American Pie. “I’ve milked that to the bone,” she said. “I’m still going for six or seven, whatever they want,” she added. She also mentioned her Emmy win last year and said that she was rushed off the stage before she could thank Mike White for his role in revitalizing her acting career, reported TODAY.
“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 fizzle by life or whatever and I thought I was gonna be the queen of Monaco, even though someone else did it, but I had these giant ideas and then you get older and it’s just not happening,” she shared. “And I just want to say, Mike White, you’ve given me hope," she declared.
Coolidge continued, "You gave me a new beginning, even if this is the end because you did kill me off but it doesn’t matter because even if this is the end, you have changed my life in a million different ways." She also mentioned that her neighbors are now talking to her and inviting her to parties.
She went on to praise White, whose eyes started to water, "It's to you Mike White, this is something all of you."
"If you don't know Mike White, this is something you should know: he's worried about the world, he's worried about people, you're worried about animals. He really is one of the greatest people I've ever met, he gives me so much excitement to be, you make people want to live longer and I didn't." She concluded with, "So anyway, Mike I love you to death. I love you. I just want to say this is a fun night. Thank you.”
A few minutes later, White walked up to the stage to accept his award for best television limited series and said, "I’m still choked up over Jennifer’s speech." He further added, "Jennifer, I love you. We went out with a show we wanted to do, me and Jennifer, and everybody passed — I know you all passed, you all passed on this show! — So yes, it’s very gratifying to have this moment.”
References:
https://www.today.com/popculture/awards/jennifer-coolidge-wins-golden-globe-white-lotus-rcna65230
Cover Image Source: Getty Images/Amy Sussman
