Jennifer's joy: Norwell's Jennifer Coolidge wins a Golden Globe for 'White Lotus'

Norwell’s Jennifer Coolidge is the talk of the town after landing her first Golden Globe win for best actress in a limited series or TV movie for her work as an eccentric socialite in HBO’s social satire “The White Lotus.”

Clad in a black sparkling off-the-shoulder Dolce & Gabbana gown, Coolidge shed a few tears as she thanked creator Mike White for casting her in the series, which has sparked a career resurgence. She also won an Emmy Award this past September.

“You changed my life in a million different ways,” Coolidge, 61, said. “My neighbors are speaking to me. I mean it. I was never invited to one party on my hill and now everyone’s inviting me.”

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In her acceptance speech, Coolidge talked candidly of career struggles and dashed hopes.

“I had such big dreams and expectations as a younger person, but what happened is they get sort of fizzled by life. I thought I was going to be queen of Monaco even though someone else did it,” Coolidge said, laughing. “And then you get older and think, ‘Oh, what the f--k is going to happen?”

She went on to thank the people who offered a helping hand along the way, such as Ryan Murphy, Reese Witherspoon and Michael Patrick King.

“They kept me going for 20 years with these little jobs,” she said.

Coolidge, an Emerson College alum, received a standing ovation from the audience at the ceremony, which was held at the Beverly Hills Hotel and broadcast on NBC. This was Coolidge’s second Golden Globe nomination.

In the animated movie category, Milton native Jenny Slate’s endearing “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On" lost to “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio.”  The HBO comedy "Hacks," co-created and written by 2004 Milton High grad Jen Statsky, was edged out by “Abbott Elementary” for best comedy series.

Coolidge, who was also a presenter Tuesday night, gave the ceremony one of its brightest moments with her humorous and heartfelt acceptance speech. When she first took the stage, she said, “I don’t work out,” placing her trophy on the floor next to the microphone stand. “You know, I can’t hold it that long,” she said, joking.

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The comedy queen is well-known for her cougarlicious role as "Stifler's mom" in the teen sex comedy "American Pie."  In a moment of unfiltered honesty, Coolidge said she'd be onboard for another helping of "Pie."

"I’ve milked that franchise to death," she said. "I’m still going for six or seven, whatever they want."

Coolidge attended Norwell High School and delivered the commencement address to the Class of 2002, telling graduates: "When something you want more than anything else in life doesn't happen, remember that something more amazing might be waiting."

On Wednesday, the accolades continued. Coolidge nabbed a Screen Actors Guild nomination for female actor in a drama series for Season 2 of “The White Lotus.”  The show follows a group of affluent vacationers at a luxury resort in Sicily. Coolidge reprised her part of Tanya McQuoid, a lonely vacationer who is never far from a colorful caftan. The SAG awards ceremony will be held Feb. 26 and shown live on Netflix.

Coolidge has appeared in the films “Legally Blonde,” “Best in Show,” “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day,” “Like a Boss," the Oscar-nominated "Promising Young Woman" and the TV sitcom “2 Broke Girls.”  She also provided the voice of Mary Meh in “The Emoji Movie.”

Upcoming projects are “Shotgun Wedding,” playing the mother-in-law-to-be of Jennifer Lopez in the romantic comedy, which will stream on Amazon Prime on Jan. 27. She can also be seen on Netflix in the Ryan Murphy series “The Watcher” and the horror-comedy “We Have a Ghost,” which is due out later this year on the streamer.  She’ll also reprise her role as Reese Witherspoon’s BFF, Paulette, in “Legally Blonde 3.”

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Norwell's Jennifer Coolidge stole the show at the Golden Globes