Jane Lynch surprised Jennifer Coolidge with a special award at the 2023 GLAAD Media Awards.
There was a Best in Show reunion at the 2023 GLAAD Media Awards.
Inside the Beverly Hilton on Thursday night, Jennifer Coolidge, sporting an embellished off-the-shoulder dress, Sarah Flint pumps and a headpiece, was surprised by her former co-star, Jane Lynch, onstage at the annual awards. As the White Lotus star surprised the crowd by kicking off the show, Lynch made an unexpected appearance of her own to honor Coolidge with a special award of distinction.
"Here I am again surrounded by gays," Coolidge joked, referencing her signature line from The White Lotus. "Wow, it's the story of my life. It's the GLAAD Media Awards and what a night we're gonna have and we're all here for a very important reason. And you wanna know why? Because we're here to honor media that helps the world understand and accept the LGBTQ+ community. I have so much respect for the LGBTQ community. I just want you all to know that I love you and I thank you for always being there for me and that's why I'm here because I wanna give back. I believe that we all have the right to be who we are and to love the people that we love and tell our stories and celebrate that in every way that we can and that's really what the GLAAD Media Awards are all about and I just want to thank you all for being you and inspiring me. And now I just wanna say: Let's really have some fun."
At that point, Lynch appeared onstage, visibly shocking Coolidge. "This wonderful woman here was pro-gay before it was cool to be pro-gay," Lynch told the audience. "She is one of us, ladies and gentlemen."
Added the Glee alum, "I have always said that the world has to catch up to Jennifer Coolidge and the world has caught up."
Indeed, it's been a milestone year for the longtime actress after starring in the second season of Mike White's hit HBO anthology series, which prominently featured Coolidge as fan favorite Tanya McQuoid. Her (spoiler alert) shocking -- and quintessentially Tanya -- death in the season two finale stunned fans, but did not stop them from hoping that she might still pop up in another season. The performance earned her first Golden Globe Award and SAG Award, more than 20 years after she starred in Best in Show alongside Coolidge.
The 2000 box office hit, directed by Christopher Guest, focused on five dogs and their owners competing in the Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show. Coolidge starred as trophy wife Sherri Ann Cabot who becomes romantically involved with dog trainer Christy Cummings, played by Lynch.
"They would still be together, for sure," Lynch told ET of where their characters would be today. "There would be absolutely no sharing of beds anymore. In fact, I think that probably ended as we said cut on this movie. Sherri was like, 'I think you better sleep in your own bed.'"
Lynch added, "They'd still be raising dogs and I don't think they would have grown one iota. They'd be the exact same people just in older, fatter bodies."
See their reunion in the clip above!
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