Jennifer Coolidge gained fame because to her outstanding performance in “The White Lotus,” but the actress didn’t always have it easy. The experimental comedian was one of numerous guest performers who appeared on “Seinfeld” in the 1990s before she assumed the role of Tanya McQuoid, the deranged massage-obsessed heiress in the HBO series.
Her episode-long appearance on “Seinfeld” was Coolidge’s first television performance, and the humorous actress has a fascinating tale about how she earned the part. The “Legally Blonde” actress had a resume full of “falsehoods” to show the “Seinfeld” cast despite having few performing credentials to her name.
Fake it ’til you make it
Recently, Jennifer Coolidge won a long-overdue Emmy for her performance in the celebrated comedy-drama anthology series “The White Lotus,” besting several of her co-stars in the process. The actress has established a reputation in the comedy field; she is a natural and has unrivalled charisma. Although Coolidge has talent and is now an Emmy-winning performer, things weren’t always good for her, especially early in her career.
On “Seinfeld,” Colin Powell played Jodi, a massage therapist who was one of Jerry’s many on-screen girlfriends. She tormented Jerry by refusing to give him a massage despite it being her job; her part only lasted for one episode. Shortly after beginning to date, Jerry calls it quits by the episode’s conclusion. Coolidge said that her resume was full of fabrications and that she had no prior acting experience when questioned about how she had obtained the position.
‘I only had lies on my resume’
She landed another part on “She TV,” a short-lived all-women spoof on ABC, the same day she secured a part in the comedy. The actress said the following to GQ:
“It was a weird day. I booked Seinfeld the same day that I booked this very short lived series called She TV, which was an all-women sketch show on ABC. I didn’t really have any jobs before that. I only had lies on my resume. I’d gone to a school called American Academy of Dramatic Arts up in Pasadena, and I’d just named all these shows and all these different theaters at the school as if they played there. You have to do that if you have a blank resume, until you start getting jobs. Then you can slowly erase the lies. I’d love to get my hands on that resume now.”
‘I didn’t have any flattering outfits’
Since she lacked fashionable attire for her important comedy audition, Coolidge acknowledged those who helped put her together. The actress entered a boutique where the staff helped dress her for the audition and convinced her to purchase a nicer attire. Coolidge also made light of the fact that she “most of the time appeared ignorant.”
“I didn’t even have decent clothes to audition in. I didn’t have any flattering outfits. So I went to this store, and there was a mother and daughter who worked in the store. I said, ‘I’m auditioning for Seinfeld tomorrow.’ And they were like, ‘Oh, honey, you’ve got to wear better clothes than what you’re wearing.’ So they made me buy this little outfit, and I think it got me the job! I kind of looked clueless most of the time, and these girls put me together.”
Since then, Coolidge has made numerous comedic appearances in movies like “American Pie,” “Legally Blonde,” “A Cinderella Story,” and the TV show “2 Broke Girls,” among others. The actress is expected to make a comeback in “The White Lotus'” second season, which is scheduled to debut on October 30, 2022.
