Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably noticed that noted character actress Jennifer Coolidge is having a bit of a moment right now. This is largely thanks to her acclaimed performance in Mike White’s The White Lotus, which has earned her countless awards including an Emmy and Golden Globe. Those fans who are eager to see more of her comedic chops won’t have to wait long, as she’s got a supporting role in Jennifer Lopez’s new movie Shotgun Wedding. And she recently spoke to CinemaBlend about being “thrilled” to be training for the movie’s wild gunfights.
While Shotgun Wedding is led by JLo and Josh Duhamel (who replaced Armie Hammer after those allegations came to light), it is ultimately an ensemble project. The supporting characters get plenty of time to chew the scenery, including Jennifer Coolidge as Carol– the mother of the groom. As you can see in the above video, I had the privilege of speaking with the truly iconic film and TV star ahead of Shotgun Wedding’s release on Amazon. When I asked about her big shoot scene (which was included in the trailer), she told me:
I was thrilled to find out that I would have a submachine gun in this film. Even though I knew it was a rom-com and everything. I love that it had this shootout scene. I have to tell you there were many steps, security. It was two solid months of gun lessons every day after work. They were very meticulous.
Well, there you have it. It looks like Jennifer Coolidge was all too happy to become an action star while filming Shotgun Wedding, which included being Lenny Kravitz’ neighbor. Although getting that epic shot took a ton of work on her part, and additional hours of work when the rest of the cast was done for the day. And given the recent tragedies that have happened on film sets, this type of close supervision is notable.
The timing of Shotgun Wedding’s release coming so shortly after the Season 2 finale of The White Lotus was something I couldn’t help but mention to Jennifer Coolidge during our conversation. That episode also saw Coolidge involved in a shoot-out, in an unforgettable sequence that inspired countless memes.
Later during our same chat, Jennifer Coolidge spoke more about the extensive training that went into her big Shotgun Wedding machine gun sequence. She joked about feeling targeted over the additional hours, saying:
I feel like they kind of knew who I am, and they wanted to make sure I didn’t mess up. Because I guess I look like I would mess up or something. But there were many lessons, and it all paid off. I didn’t blow up anybody.
Jennifer Coolidge using a submachine gun is only one hilariously wild moment that occurs throughout Shotgun Wedding’s 100-minute runtime. The R-rated comedy follows a bickering couple (Jennifer Lopez and Josh Duhamal) attempt to save their loved ones after their destination wedding is interrupted by armed gunmen. They clumsily battle various foes, although Jennifer Coolidge got in on the fun. And every line of dialogue she says along the way is a delight (no surprise there).
Shotgun Wedding will arrive on Amazon on January 27th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
