Jennifer Coolidge, 60, got a lot of action after starring in her now iconic role as Stifler’s mom, Jeanine, in American Pie. The actress revealed she slept with “200 people” after the 1999 comedy film was released, and credits her MILF character for the action. “There were so many benefits to doing that movie. I mean, there would be like 200 people that I would never have slept with,” she told Variety, in a new interview.
In the movie, Jennifer’s character made a memorable impression when she tried to seduce her son’s classmate, Paul Finch, who was played by Eddie Kaye Thomas. She ends up having sex with the friend and they continue to have more flings together, earning her the title of MILF, which means Mother I’d Like To F*ck. Stifler, played by Seann William Scott, wasn’t amused by the relationship, making the entire storyline humorously awkward.
In addition to American Pie, Jennifer has starred in various popular television series and films, despite initially being rejected after many auditions. “ten years of my life of auditioning, none of it added up to a job,” she told the outlet. “The fear is gone when you’re so used to losing. There’s some freedom in that.”
Some of the other iconic roles Jennifer played include Paulette Bonafonté, who taught us how to “bend and snap,” in Legally Blonde, The White B*tch of Gnarnia in Epic Movie, and Betty in The Secret Life of the American Teenager. Jennifer also admitted that she almost turned down the part of Tanya in The White Lotus, even though it was written for her. “I didn’t like the way I looked,” she said after being honest about putting on weight during COVID-19.
Luckily, the talented star ended up playing the part and it became a big hit. “The greatest thing was that no one knew if it was going to be anything!” she said. As far as what’s next for her, Jennifer has multiple films lined up for the near future, including Shotgun Wedding, We Have a Ghost, and Legally Blonde 3.