Jennifer Coolidge Gives Hilarious Shoutout To 'Excited Gay Students' In Iconic Graduation Speech

It's college graduation time, and that means plenty of celebrities delivering commencement speeches in which they impart some wisdom, crack a joke or two, and often go viral.

White Lotus actor Jennifer Coolidge spoke at her alma mater, Emerson College in Boston, giving a motivating and hilarious speech to graduating students.

She began by saying how welcome she felt on campus, especially by certain students.

“I’m excited that I’m speaking with some very excited gay students…and some less excited hetero students."

The speech was full of good advice, and she shared a childhood story about how she thought she had won an obstacle course in the first grade, only to be disqualified for...well, not doing any of the obstacles.

That said, she encouraged students to dream big.

"“[Have] insane expectations and believe they’re going to come true."

And she brought it full circle by advising all students, gay and straight, to find their own paths in life.

“I can tell you it doesn’t really matter what anyone thinks or says. When it comes to the obstacle course of your life, you have to find your own path.”

It wasn't just a commencement speech, it was a moment.

Folks pointed out that that this isn't the first time she's gone viral.

Someone asked a pertinent question about the Emerson student body demographics.

People pointed out that many new graduates may not be familiar with Coolidge's former roles.

A legend.

Relatable.

Coolidge is a longstanding ally of the LGBTQ+ community. In 2023, she was honored with GLAAD’s Special Recognition Award, which was presented by her longtime friend and co-star Jane Lynch. Lynch said of Coolidge, “This wonderful woman here was pro-gay before it was cool to be pro-gay.”

Coolidge can be seen in A Minecraft Movie and will appear in Legally Blonde 3, currently in pre-production.