Jennifer Coolidge Biography
A voluptuous blonde actress who has made a career of playing bimbos despite her more experimental comedy background, Massachusetts native Jennifer Coolidge took her Emerson College degree to New York City and joined the Gotham City Improv group before heading to Los Angeles to become a member of the famed Groundlings. Discovered in the early 1990s, she was cast in her first television series guest role on NBC’s “Seinfeld”, playing a masseuse who won’t offer her professional services to boyfriend Jerry in a 1993 episode. The following year she was a featured regular on the short-lived sketch series “She TV” on ABC. Another short-lived sketch comedy series, “Saturday Night Special” (Fox, 1995-96), featured Coolidge as writer and cast member, though this would-be “Saturday Night Live” (NBC) competitor that first aired in mid-April didn’t make it through May.
Having appeared on the Showtime-aired Roger Corman horror presentations “Not of This Earth” and “Bucket of Blood” in 1995, Coolidge made her big-screen debut in the inane courtroom comedy “Trial and Error”, co-starring “Seinfeld” alum Michael Richards. Equally believable as a pampered princess or a frumpy manicurist, Coolidge appeared in films more frequently with several character parts in 1998, including roles in the children’s comedy “Slappy and the Stinkers”, and a cameo as a sexy traffic cop in “A Night at the Roxbury”. She also continued television work, most notably in a recurring part on the animated series “King of the Hill” (Fox) from 1997-1999, and in the more adult comedy “Rude Awakening” (Showtime) in 1998.
Coolidge had her breakthrough role in the popular comedy “American Pie” (1999) playing a well-preserved, boozed-up mom who seduces her son’s classmate with the admission that she likes her scotch and men the same way: aged eighteen years. Recreating the character with a larger part in the 2001 sequel, “American Pie 2â€, wasn’t the only time Coolidge played drunk and sultry. “Down to Earth”, the 2001 remake of “Heaven Can Wait”, co-starred the actress as the scheming wife of an elderly mogul, a gold-digging type she previously visited as a wealthy dog owner more enamored with the trainer than her husband in the improv-based comedy “Best in Show” (2000). As Betty, a mostly silent hairstylist in the warm “The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy” (2000), Coolidge heard the confessions and life lessons of a group of gay friends; as the unlucky but good-natured manicurist Paulette in “Legally Blonde”, she was a confidante to Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon), a walking Malibu Barbie-cum-Harvard Law student.
With roles that showcased the actress’ no-holds-barred approach to comedy and her vanity-free comfort with altering both her appearance and manner to be unappealing, Coolidge emerged as a valuable character player and gifted comedienne. Working steadily, she had a brief cameo in the fashion espionage spoof “Zoolander” (2001) and was featured in the police parody “Showtime” (2001) as well as co-starred in the Showtime-aired romantic comedy “Oooph!” (2001), which was set to debut in the 2001-2002 season. In 2003, Coolidge joined with former co-stars once again, as she briefly reprised her manicurist role in “Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde”, and made another cameo as Stifler’s mom in “American Wedding,” followed by a turn as Hilary Duff’s wicked stepmother in “A Cinderella Story” (2004).
Coolidge’s pneumatic form graced several TV comedies as well, with major guest appearances on “Frasier,” “Sex and the City”, and “According to Jim.” A 2003 stint on an episode of “Friends” brought her to the attention of the producers who, upon the show’s finale, departed for the Matt LeBlanc spin-off “Joey” (NBC, 2004 - ), where she was cast in a semi-regular role as dim but sweet actor Joey Tribbiani’s all-too-blunt Hollywood agent Bobbi. Coolidge was then underused in a brief role as a White-Faced Woman in the Jim Carrey vehicle, “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events†(2004), an adaptation of the popular series of children’s books. She then was the voice of Aunt Fanny in “Robots†(2005), the well-reviewed animated feature about a world inhabited by mechanical beings.
- Born:
on 08/28/63 in Brookline, Massachusetts - Job Titles:
Actor, Writer
Milestones
- 1993 Had early television credit guesting on a memorable episode of NBC’s “Seinfeld” as a masseuse who won’t offer her professional talents to boyfriend Jerry
- 1994 Was a regular on the short-lived sketch comedy series “She TV” (ABC)
- 1995 Featured in the Roger Corman sci-fi/horror presentations “Not of This Earth” and “Bucket of Blood” (both aired on Showtime)
- 1996 Was a cast member and writer for “Saturday Night Special” (Fox), another short-lived sketch comedy series
- 1997 Had a recurring voice role on the Fox animated sitcom “King of the Hill”
- 1997 Acted in the comedy feature “Trial and Error”
- 1998 Cast in a two-episode recurring role on the Showtime series “Rude Awakening”
- 1998 Co-starred in the children’s comedy “Slappy and the Stinkers”
- 1998 Guest starred on an episode of the sitcom “Alright Already” (The WB)
- 1998 Had a cameo as a desirable police officer in “A Night at the Roxbury”
- 1999 Played a boozed up bimbo who beds her son’s high school classmate in “American Pie”
- 2000 Had a supporting role in “The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy” as Betty, the incommunicative haristylist who hears everyone’s problems and theories
- 2000 Played the golddigging owner of Rhapsody in White, a perfectly manicured poodle and returning champion, in the dog show-set comedy “Best in Show”
- 2001 Appeared on Broadway in the revival of “The Women”
- 2001 Featured in the “Heaven Can Wait” remake “Down to Earth”, playing the scheming wife of the elderly mogul inhabitated by the spirit of Chris Rock’s prematurely deceased comedian
- 2001 Had a brief cameo in the fashion model espionage spoof “Zoolander”
- 2001 Made guest appearance on the NBC sitcom “Frasier”
- 2001 Played Paulette, the manicurist befriended by fashion plate sorority girl turned Harvard Law student Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon), in “Legally Blonde”
- 2001 Reprised role as Mrs. Stifler in “American Pie 2″
- 2001 Reteamed with Rock in the comedy “Pootie Tang”
- 2003 Reprised her role as Paulette in the sequl “Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde”
- 2003 Returned as Stifler’s mom in the comedy “American Wedding”
- 2004 Cast in “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events” based on the books by Daniel Handler
- 2004 Portrayed the wicked stepmother in the modern day fairytale “A Cinderella Story”
- 2005 Voiced Aunt Fanny in the animated feature “Robots”
- Acted in the police parody feature “Showtime” (lensed 2001)
- Moved to New York City and joined the Gotham City Improv group
- Raised in Massachusetts
- Relocated to Los Angeles; joined the renowned sketch comedy troupe The Groundlings
- Starred in the romantic comedy “Oooph!” (lensed 2001), set to air on Showtime in the 2001-2002 season
Hannah Montana Rocks the Music Charts
Hannah Montana Rocks the Music Charts
I didn’t know that the girl who plays Hannah Montana was the daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus. But then again, I’m not the one in this how that watches the show.
The soundtrack to “Hannah Montana” is the first TV soundtrack to debut at No. 1. Pretty cool. The kid is talented, she must have gotten it from her father? Who knows. And why hasn’t he made any more music? His “Achy Breaky Heart” is almost a cult classic in the country music genre.
The 13-year-old offspring of 1990s country music star Billy Ray Cyrus grabbed the No. 1 position on the U.S. pop charts Wednesday with the soundtrack to her hit Disney Channel cable TV series “Hannah Montana,” her label said.
The Walt Disney Records set sold more than 280,000 copies in the week ended October 29, becoming the first television soundtrack to open in the top slot, according to the Walt Disney Co.-owned label.
“Hannah Montana” stars 13-year-old Miley Cyrus as a schoolgirl who leads a secret nocturnal existence as a famous musician. The disc mostly consists of tunes credited to her titular alter ego but Miley and her father perform a duet on one track.
Billy Ray Cyrus, who plays her dad on the show, is best known for the 1992 novelty single “Achy Breaky Heart.” His debut album, “Some Gave All,” topped the U.S. pop charts for 17 weeks that year.
Walt Disney Records also released the No. 1 album of 2006, the soundtrack to the Disney Channel TV movie “High School Musical,” which has sold more than 3 million copies. It scaled the charts to spend two weeks at No. 1 earlier this year.
Quite impressive. She sold more than several big name musicians did this year when their records were released. No I am not going to name names here, I’m a nice blogger.
Guess you’ll have to add me to the “buyers” list as my daughter just exclaimed that she wants the Hanna Montana CD for Christmas!
See a video for “This is the Life”
Drew Barrymore: New CoverGirl
Drew Barrymore: New CoverGirl
Drew Barrymore has become the latest celebrity to join forces with the cosmetic giant CoverGirl.
Besides being the latest face of Covergirl, Barrymore will also act as co-creative director for the new advertising campaigns.
Drew told E! Online: “To be chosen not only as the newest face of CoverGirl but also as a co-creative director of my first TV commercial is truly amazing.”
According to Monsters & Critics, “The ‘Music and Lyrics’ star will have a say on her wardrobe and hair, and be involved in graphics, lighting and photography for the TV and print advertisements.”
Drew, who said she was “delighted” to be involved with the new campaign, was chosen in large part based on her artistic talents.
Esi Eggleston Bracey, VP and GM of CoverGirl Cosmetics North America, said: “We wanted to honor Drew’s passions as a filmmaker and are thrilled she is not only lending her beautiful face to CoverGirl but also lending her artistic talents as the co-creative director of the advert campaign.”
Barrymore’s first television ads are set to air early next year.