The White Lotus season 3 might not feature the great Jennifer Coolidge (or last season’s epic theme song… it’s fine), but thankfully, the actress is still front and center in Hollywood.
During her Mar. 6, 2025 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Coolidge tells a hilarious and fascinating story about purchasing beer at the young age of 12. For some stars (or regular people), this might be a core memory or compelling tale they like to pull out at parties when they don’t know many guests or want to impress a crowd. For Coolidge, it pointed to a flair for the dramatic and an ability to act, which led to her incredible career.
Coolidge explains that after she wore her pal Marie’s mom’s glasses, coat, and wig, her friend said “You look so old,” and then realized she could purchase beer. She “took on a weird voice” and was curious if she would be successful. Coolidge explains, “I had a lower voice somehow and I feel like maybe this is where the acting thing came along, because he sold me the case of beer.”
Of course, no one wants their 12-year-old buying beer. Let’s just get that out of the way! Okay, that’s over, and we can focus on this funny and interesting story. I’m impressed that a 12-year-old Coolidge could convince someone she was at least 21. While pretending to be of legal drinking age would have made most people super popular in high school, Coolidge unearthed a talent that led to an incredible career.
After playing Jeanine Stifler in American Pie in 1999, she learned the bend and snap when she portrayed everyone’s favorite nail technician, Paulette Bonafonté, in Legally Blonde. She’s worked steadily since then, and impressed everyone as the quirky and rich Tanya McQuoid in The White Lotus seasons 1 and 2. Coolidge is now tuning into season 3 of the Max series because, come on, who can resist the pull of Mike White’s subversively soapy thriller? The new season is as exciting as the trailer suggested.
Coolidge’s origin story might be unique, but it makes sense when you think about how many kids play dress up and put on performances for family members before growing up and pursuing a professional acting career. And although not everyone can link their career to their childhood hobby or interests, people are more content if they can. In 2019, Perkbox Insights spoke to 1,567 adults in England and found out that 6% wanted to be actors when they grew up. 64% longed for their “childhood dream job.” 96% said they weren’t working the job they wanted to when they were little, which is just depressing.
Just like Coolidge could never have predicted that a pre-teen beer-buying adventure would prove her acting destiny, she shared in a 2023 interview for Variety that she didn’t plan out her career the way she could have. She said, “I made the terrible mistake of not riding the wave that I had early on” and “started pursuing guys.” She continued, “it took so long to get anything going later.”
Well, hindsight is 20/20 as they say, and I’d argue her career has been more exciting than ever in the past few years. If she and her friend had never thought she could purchase alcohol at 12 years old, would someone else have been cast as Tanya? Now that’s a sad thought.
Published: Mar 7, 2025 02:55 pm