Jennifer Coolidge Reveals 'Immaturity' Kept Her From Having Children

Jennifer Coolidge recently opened up about various aspects of her life. In an interview, the "The White Lotus" alum admitted that her being "very immature" prevented her from starting a family, expressing a desire to maintain a youthful spirit.

Coolidge also shared that she has never had a "laid-back boyfriend" and believes her pursuit of intense relationships may have contributed to her childless status.

Keep on reading to learn more.

In a recent interview with British GQ, Jennifer Coolidge opened up about her decision not to start a family. Coolidge admitted that her immaturity played a significant role in this choice.

The 61-year-old actress, who is enjoying a career resurgence due to her role in Max's "The White Lotus," admitted that while her friends have encouraged her to consider adoption, she believes she would make a better stepmother instead. She attributes her decision to her desire to maintain a youthful spirit, acknowledging that having children would have required her to "grow up."

Coolidge candidly shared with the publication, per Daily Mail, "I'm very, very immature, I think that has kept me from having children because I'm sort of a child. Maybe if I had kids, I would've had to have grown up. Maybe if I had kids, I would've had to have grown up."

In addition to discussing her immaturity as a factor in not having children, Coolidge also revealed that having a family would potentially enhance her appreciation for her life in Los Angeles as she is "bored" with her current surroundings.

The actress also attributed her childless status to her history of dating intense partners. She confessed to never having had a "laid-back boyfriend that was full of joy," someone who could find humor in her flaws. "That's never who I choose for myself," she stated, per Daily Mail.

However, the actress has never lacked attention from the opposite sex. Last year, she candidly admitted that her notorious role as Stifler's Mom in "American Pie," which she played over two decades ago, led to her engaging in relationships with around 200 individuals.

Renowned for her comedic performances in popular movies like "Legally Blonde" and "American Pie," Coolidge is a Hollywood MVP and has achieved even greater fame through her role in "The White Lotus."

In the critically acclaimed series, she portrays Tanya McQuoid, a character in the luxurious setting of a parody resort. Coolidge's portrayal has garnered global recognition, resulting in her receiving accolades at prestigious award ceremonies such as the Golden Globes, Emmys, Critics Choice Awards, and SAG Awards.

However, Coolidge revealed in her interview that she initially hesitated to accept the role due to mental health reasons. She candidly admitted, "I was, like, not in the mood. [Was it fear of failure - or possibly success?] I was depressed, I was very depressed."

Reflecting on her character's fate in the second season of the show, Coolidge shared her thoughts on how her own "fantasy" might have played a part in the demise of Tanya.

She explained, per Daily Mail, "I had encouraged Mike to tell an Italian story, I said I would love to be in Italy or something, riding around on a Vespa with all these men reaching out and trying to light my cigarette. That's my fantasy. But then I guess that suggestion got me killed."

During a recent interview with Jeremy Allen White as part of Variety's Actors on Actors series, Coolidge opened up about her career and reflected on what she considers her "fatal flaw" during her early success in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

When asked if she had a long-term plan for her acting career, Coolidge candidly admitted that she did not. She shared that upon looking back at her life and the mistakes she made, she realized that she lacked a strategic approach. Instead, she simply went "job to job."

Coolidge acknowledged a crucial misstep during the '90s when she had successful films stating, "I have to say I made the terrible mistake of not riding the wave that I had early on. It was sort of in the '90s when I had 'Legally Blonde,' 'Best in Show' and 'American Pie.' And then there was 'Cinderella Story' and stuff like that."

"But there was a moment. There was a wave I really could have ridden but I got really distracted," Coolidge added.

As she revealed, the distraction was her focus on "pursuing guys." 

"I wasn’t paying attention. I just thought I had my whole life. I never said, ‘I want to do …’ I did get some jobs, but I didn’t have a plan. And I think that was a fatal flaw because it took so long to get anything going later."

She added, "I look back and ask, ‘What was I thinking?’ And then I bought a house in New Orleans and was consumed with fixing that up."