Jennifer Coolidge reveals how her Emmy-winning role as Tanya in The White Lotus attracted a whole new kind of admirer—far beyond her American Pie days as Stifler’s mom.
The White Lotus didn’t just earn Jennifer Coolidge two Emmys—it unexpectedly improved her romantic prospects.
Coolidge, who played the emotionally vulnerable Tanya McQuoid in the first two seasons of the HBO hit, opened up to The Sunday Times about how the role reshaped her appeal to men. While Tanya’s story ended tragically in season two (spoiler: she falls off a yacht), the performance resonated deeply with fans—especially potential suitors.
“Even though I play a complete weirdo in White Lotus, cute guys come up to me. And this is far better than American Pie because people were really sad about Tanya falling off a boat,” Coolidge shared. “These men like you better because they feel that you went through something. That show really upped my game!”
Reflecting on her new wave of attention, the actress recounted a memorable encounter. “I had a guy come up to me in New Orleans once. He was wearing a T-shirt that didn’t cover his belly, red cowboy boots, and was about 4’11”. He asked, ‘Would you like to go out?’ Nothing was wrong with him, but you always have this fantasy that Brad Pitt will sweep you off your feet. And then it was that little guy… White Lotus changed that. It’s not just that little guy anymore.”
Before The White Lotus, Coolidge became a pop culture icon as “Stifler’s mom” in the 1999 comedy American Pie, playing the sultry older woman who seduces a high school student. While that role brought its own kind of fame, she noted that the impact was quite different.
“I got a lot of benefits out of Stifler’s mom—believe me,” she laughed. “They might be over now, but once in a while you still get a Stifler’s mom thing.”
With Tanya McQuoid, Coolidge not only redefined her career but also became a symbol of complex, lovable oddity—and apparently, a romantic magnet.