Jennifer Coolidge names the “toughest role” of her career
Jennifer Coolidge has always been one of the coolest figures in the industry and she has reinforced that status after delivering one of the funniest performances of her career in the HBO show The White Lotus. The black comedy show, which offers a satirical vision of the wealthiest social strata, features Coolidge as a grotesque caricature who embarks on a journey of self-actualisation that is fuelled by the strong fumes of generational wealth.
While younger generations of audiences are being introduced to Coolidge’s brilliance through The White Lotus, the actor’s filmography is stacked with several noteworthy gems. Ranging from Best in Show to Promising Young Woman, Coolidge always brings something new to the table that elevates the quality of the entire project. However, it’s a demanding craft that asks a lot of its practitioners and Coolidge is certainly no exception.
During an appearance on Deadline’s 20 Questions podcast, the interviewer asked Coolidge: “What is the toughest role you’ve ever played?” Although fans might expect her to cite some of the most emotionally devastating projects she’s been a part of, the actor surprised everyone by selecting an Adam Sandler comedy as the answer to that question. On top of that, the reason behind her surprising pick is just as unexpectedly hilarious.
In response to the question, Coolidge said: “I did this movie with Adam Sandler. It was called Click, and he was, like, married to Kate Beckinsale and my boyfriend was, you know, the lead in Baywatch [David Hasselhoff]… I remember they were going to do these reunions where we aged and I remember I was in the old age makeup for a very long time but somehow, when I showed up on set to sort of film these, everyone else had less old age makeup…”
While describing the exhausting experience with the makeup effects, Coolidge claimed she almost quit acting. The actor revealed: “Somehow, with the prosthetics, I just looked like, kind of like a, space monster. I was like, how is it possible that everyone else looked like the same age and somehow, it just looked like, you know, I was like Godzilla or something? Anyway, I remember going home, thinking, ‘Wow, maybe I should quit the business.'”
Despite the fact that Click wasn’t a memorable experience for Coolidge, it’s definitely among the most interesting films Adam Sandler has ever done. More of a horror film than a comedy, it revolves around a man who stumbles across a remote that can control the universe and starts skipping through portions of his life to streamline his productivity. Inevitably, he realises that life is not worth living if you just fast-forward through the difficult parts just to reach success.
Listen to the entire episode below.
