Jennifer Coolidge thanks 'all the evil gays' before getting Emmys speech cut off

Jennifer Coolidge made sure to thank "all the evil gays" who killed her on The White Lotus while accepting her second-ever Emmy Award. But it turns out that she still can't get the timing of her speech right.

During Monday's delayed 75th Annual Emmys, Coolidge won Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her portrayal of Tanya McQuoid's swan song in season 2 of HBO's vacation satire. This is her second win in a row after winning Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie at the 2022 Emmys (when the series was eligible in a different category).

When Coolidge began her acceptance speech, she joked that she had to put her new trophy down because she still doesn't "have the strength" to hold it. She also reminded everyone that she "got the hook last year" — meaning her speech was cut off — because she "talked too long," so she promised that she would be fast this time. Alas, in iconic Coolidge style, that's not what happened at all.

She continued by thanking The White Lotus creator/showrunner Mike White for giving her "the opportunity to play this incredible character," she said. "He says I’m definitely dead so I’m going along with it." 

Coolidge then began listing all the producers she wanted to thank but quickly noticed her time was running out. "I want to thank all the evil gays," she added while clapping for the cast of characters who were responsible for her onscreen death in season 2. "Really, really."

But soon enough, host Anthony Anderson's real-life mother, Doris Bowman, who served as the show's "play-off mama" to ensure acceptance speeches were kept short, held up a giant sign letting Coolidge know her time was up. "Baby, baby," Bowman said. "I love you baby, but time. Time!"

Coolidge begged her to let her say "one last thing," and Bowman obliged. "I had a little dream in my little town and everyone said it was impractical and it was far-fetched," Coolidge said as she quickly finished her speech. "But it did happen after all, so don’t give up on your dream." 

This is Coolidge's second time getting her Emmys speech cut short, after the play-off music began before she finished her list of thank yous during the 2022 ceremony. But she refused to abandon the stage, choosing instead to dance along to the music as the audience laughed before she was handed her Emmy statue. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to finish her speech that time.

Coolidge beat out her White Lotus costars Meghann Fahy, Sabrina Impacciatore, Aubrey Plaza, Simona Tabasco, as well as The Crown's Elizabeth Debicki, Better Call Saul's Rhea Seehorn, and Succession's J. Smith-Cameron.

The 75th Emmys were held on Monday, Jan. 15 at the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live in Los Angeles. Although the ceremony aired in 2024, it was actually the 2023 Emmys since the awards show was postponed for months due to the writers' and actors' strikes.

Check out more from EW's TheAwardist, featuring exclusive interviews, analysis, and our podcast diving into all the highlights from the year's best films, TV, and music.

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