Jennifer Coolidge shares core childhood memory that ignited her love for film in emotional speech

Jennifer Coolidge is an accomplished American actress, comedian and writer known for her distinctive voice, unique comic timing and ability to embody eccentric characters. She has appeared in numerous movies and television shows, including "Legally Blonde," "American Pie," "Best in Show" and HBO's "The White Lotus." The actor once again gave a hilarious and heartwarming speech at SAG Awards, where she picked up yet another trophy for her leading role as flighty fan-favorite Tanya McQuoid in HBO’s "The White Lotus," per Scary Mommy. Once on stage to accept her award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series, she shared a sweet anecdote from when she was a young girl, thanking her parents for introducing her to her love of film.

“Being recognized in this way has been incredibly special, and I am feeling overwhelmed with gratitude,” remarked Jennifer Coolidge, who is 61 years old, as she accepted her award. She expressed her heartfelt thanks to her "amazing parents," specifically her father, before delving into yet another speech that would soon make headlines. Coolidge prefaced her speech by saying that her parents were incapable of telling a lie, except for one instance when she was in the first grade. She recounted a fond childhood memory that shaped her love for cinema, where her father unexpectedly took her out of class, pretending she was ill. She explained that he had lied to the school.

She remembered getting into the car with her father, who promised her that he would never tell a lie again and drove her to the Charlie Chaplin Film Festival. "We're going somewhere really cool," he had said. She professed that watching "Charlie Chaplin" for the first time and having that experience had a profound impact on her love for film and actors. "All of that came from my first grade," she said. To conclude her speech, she playfully acknowledged her companion for the night, actor Tim Bagley, by calling him a wonderful date and expressing her excitement for when they would arrive home.

Coolidge has a history of captivating everyone in the room at award shows. In addition to winning a Golden Globe, she earned her first Primetime Emmy in September for her role. After receiving her Golden Globe, Coolidge reflected on her lengthy career in Hollywood and acknowledged the handful of individuals who helped her persevere through years of smaller roles. She confessed to once having ambitious dreams of becoming the Queen of Monaco, though those hopes eventually fizzled out. she said at the time, "I just want you all to know that I had such big dreams and expectations as a younger person, but what happened was they get sort of fizzled by life." She added, "I thought I was going to be Queen of Monaco, even though someone else did it... I just want to say, Mike White, you have given me hope. You have given me a new beginning." Her emotional speech made White emotional and he had tears in his eyes. Coolidge's speeches have become another thing to look forward to besides her spectacular roles.