Jennifer Coolidge on "Broncos" & quirky roles
By Melissa Hunter
Wonderwall recently sat down with Jennifer Coolidge, star of "Gentlemen Broncos" to talk shop. The actress plays a wacky and devoted mom in the film, and within her portrayal we discover yet another one of her brilliantly bizarre, tragically comic (or comically tragic) characters. "Broncos" co-stars Jemaine Clement and Michael Angarano, and comes from the same flippin' sweet people who gave the world "Napoleon Dynamite." Coolidge tells us a little about life as a character actress, and playing mama to that sexy boy Kristen Stewart (allegedly) dates.
On her nerdy son in the movie, Michael Angarano, and his closeted studliness:
"I went to this restaurant in Utah after a day of filming, and this really buff guy walked in with a cutoff flannel shirt and his muscles were bulging underneath and his hair was slicked back ... and I was like, 'Whoa, who's that?' and it was Michael. Michael was so pathetic as my son and he had on this weird little outfit. I forgot he was a good looking guy. And he had that really famous girlfriend. He was this stud and all these girls were asking about him. But when we were filming, he had this pale face and I think they drew on some zits and he had this bad body language."
(Note the past tense of Michael's girlfriend status -- just sayin'!)
![On her role as the anti-MILF in Gentlemen Broncos:I thought she was better looking. I have to say, I love being a character actress because you do really get to play everything. You know, terrible people, nice people, gold diggers ... but I was uncomfortable watching [the film] ... I'm newly single, and I just feel like this movie isn't going to help me.](http://static.wonderwall.com/Photos/Original/16732_Original.jpg)
On her role as the anti-MILF in "Gentlemen Broncos":
"I thought she was better looking. I have to say, I love being a character actress because you do really get to play everything. You know, terrible people, nice people, gold diggers ... but I was uncomfortable watching [the film] ... I'm newly single, and I just feel like this movie isn't going to help me."
![On the depths of playing a struggling mom (and the perks of playing a gold digger):I loved to play this woman because she had so many more levels than a lot of my characters. Some of the characters I play, you get one level and you're just horny. I have to be honest, it's the most fun to play someone you don't like. Especially if you know that [kind of] person in real life. So that would be more of the gold digger type. There are certain people that you meet and you think, 'Oh God, I hope I get to play you one day.'](http://static.wonderwall.com/Photos/Original/16731_Original.jpg)
On the depths of playing a struggling mom (and the perks of playing a gold digger):
"I loved to play this woman because she had so many more levels than a lot of my characters. Some of the characters I play, you get one level and you're just horny. I have to be honest, it's the most fun to play someone you don't like. Especially if you know that [kind of] person in real life. So that would be more of the gold digger type. There are certain people that you meet and you think, 'Oh God, I hope I get to play you one day.'"
![On literally waiting by the phone for Christopher Guest to call:He's incredibly mysterious. You never hear anything until the phone rings and another one's happening. I hope there's another [movie] happening. But I haven't heard even rumblings. Why, do you know something?](http://static.wonderwall.com/Photos/Original/16736_Original.jpg)
On literally waiting by the phone for Christopher Guest to call:
"He's incredibly mysterious. You never hear anything until the phone rings and another one's happening. I hope there's another [movie] happening. But I haven't heard even rumblings. Why, do you know something?"
![On her first dramatic role to date:I shot ['Bad Lieutenant'] last year. I live part of the year in New Orleans and I actually auditioned down there. I was in town and I heard Werner Herzog was doing that movie. I think [it will be] the only dramatic role I'll ever get. The only reason I got that was that Werner had never seen any of my movies. So he actually thought I might be a dramatic actress. And the thing is, once you do those films, no one ever sees you as anything else.](http://static.wonderwall.com/Photos/Original/16733_Original.jpg)
On her first dramatic role to date:
"I shot ['Bad Lieutenant'] last year. I live part of the year in New Orleans and I actually auditioned down there. I was in town and I heard Werner Herzog was doing that movie. I think [it will be] the only dramatic role I'll ever get. The only reason I got that was that Werner had never seen any of my movies. So he actually thought I might be a dramatic actress. And the thing is, once you do those films, no one ever sees you as anything else."
Just because she's kooky doesn't mean she can't cry on cue:
"I do kind of feel like I've played a lot of odd people, and it would be good to play just a normal person. Just be a doctor or a lawyer or the wife of Jim Carrey ... But because I've been in a movie called "Pootie Tang," how could I possibly be considered for a drama? Someone like Meryl Streep is so highly respected, but I've seen her be really funny. I just don't think you have the respect going the other way. They think of you as a buffoon in a clown car."
Click here to check out more info on "Gentlemen Broncos," in theaters now.
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