Gay Icon Jennifer Coolidge Nominated For The Golden Globes For The White Lotus

The “high-end gays” might have been out to scam and murder Jennifer Coolidge on season two of The White Lotus, but the actor is well and truly adored by the LGBTQI community.

Coolidge, who won an Emmy for her role as the heiress Tanya McQuoid in season one of the show, has been nominated for the Golden Globes in the Best Supporting Actress Limited Series category for her work on season two of The White Lotus.

In Single All The Way, the actress’ character Aunt Sandy declares “the gays know how to do stuff. For some reason, they are always obsessed with me.” That obsession proved fatalistic for her character in The White Lotus. 

Queer Fan Base

“Portia, these are some high-end gays!” #TheWhiteLotus ✨✨✨ pic.twitter.com/OqGVRaxvG4

— Jennifer Coolidge (@JENCOOLIDGE) November 28, 2022

 A gay icon and Coolidge has been featured in many popular films and TV shows, including A Cinderella Story, Best in Show and the Legally Blonde franchise that has endeared herself to the LGBTQI community.  

Last year, in an interview with the AV Club Coolidge, spoke about her role as Aunt Sandy in the Netflix gay holiday film Single All the Way, stating that she believed the origin of her queer fanbase began “from a very young age”. 

Coolidge explained that her choice of films was a result of what she was attracted to. “I think that’s really what most of our youth is. And that’s just what I was attracted to in all my friends. I don’t think they had figured it out at the time when we were really, really young, but they eventually figured it out. And yeah, and it was all the gay men and all the gay women in my town, at my school or at camp”, Coolidge said.  

Coolidge’s fellow co-star Kathy Najimy has likened herself to Coolidge, with the way that both actors have been welcomed by the gay community.  In an interview with The Gay Times, Najimy said that both Coolidge and she “represent the outside circles in a slight way” which may be a reason why gay people adore both. 

Feelings Are Mutual

jennifer coolidge we will get you your emmy at all cost! #TheWhiteLotus pic.twitter.com/KZG2pdzLoD

— out of context the white lotus (@oocwhitelotus) December 12, 2022

 When asked how she felt about the label of ‘gay icon’ being attached to her stardom, The White Lotus actress spoke to The Advocate, describing her joy to get “acknowledgement for my work”. 

“Since I was young, I have had many gay friends early in my life, so my love for the community started at a very young age. And I’ve been in Hollywood a long time, so I’ve had the opportunity to work with so many queer actors. They give me credit, but I give it right back to them for always being there for me”, Coolidge said. 

 Coolidge is a strong LGBT advocate and has partnered with several queer organisations over the course of her career, including Aid for AIDS. She describes the love between the queer community and herself as “mutual”.  

“I’m always happy to help. I was never conscious of being an LGBTQ icon. There’s nothing more flattering than having the respect of gay men and women, so it’s a joy”, Coolidge said.