SAG Awards 2023: Jennifer Coolidge says dad helped her become what she is today

• Jennifer Coolidge won the outstanding performance by a female actor award.
• She also praised her date, fellow actor Tim Bagley.
• However, her close friend persuaded her to accept the position.

At the 2023 Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday, The White Lotus actress Jennifer Coolidge accepted the award for outstanding performance by a female actor in a drama series and gave some insight into her first influences that helped shape her career.

As she accepted the award, Coolidge, 61, remarked, “It’s been a very remarkable year, and it’s overwhelming.” Coolidge beat out Elizabeth Debicki (The Crown), Julia Garner (Ozark), Laura Linney (Ozark), and Zendaya as candidates (Euphoria).

After thanking her “wonderful parents,” the Legally Blonde veteran shared a story about her father and how he influenced her career decision.

Coolidge recalled a time when her father had her unexpectedly excused from class in the first grade, claiming she needed to leave due to illness, and she said her father had lied on purpose.

“I got in the car with my dad,” she recalled. “He said, ‘I’m never going to tell a lie again, but we’re going somewhere really cool.’ And he drove me to the Charlie Chaplin Film Festival.”

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Coolidge attributed his love affair with Hollywood to that festival. “It’s my love of film, it’s my love of actors,” she said. “All of that came from my first grade.”

Moreover, Coolidge praised her date, fellow actor Tim Bagley. “You’re a wonderful date tonight,” she said. “I can’t wait until we get home.”

Coolidge took up the part of Tanya McQuoid once more for Season 2 of The White Lotus. The actress almost turned down the role totally because she didn’t feel like she was in “fighting shape” after gaining weight during the Covid-19 pandemic quarantine. She went on to win her first primetime Emmy for the role in September and also a Golden Globe last month.

However, Coolidge’s close friend persuaded her to accept the position nevertheless. She revealed,  “That girlfriend just gave me this [pep talk and said], ‘You are out of your mind,’ ” she shared. “‘Just go, just f—ing go do it. Are you ever going to be in shape?’ ”

Coolidge added, “For once in my life, I listened. Usually, I have my own thing in my head but I listened.”

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