Jennifer Coolidge On Why She Thinks She's Being Punked—and Which Co-Stars Work the Hardest

"I feel like someone's playing a giant joke on me."

The sky is the limit for Jennifer Coolidge.

While becoming the Queen of Monaco did not pan out for The White Lotus star, she has within the last year become a Golden Globe, Emmy and Critics' Choice Award winner. Now, Coolidge is stealing the show opposite Jennifer Lopez, Josh Duhamel and Lenny Kravitz in Prime Video's new comedy Shotgun Wedding.

If you were to ask Coolidge how she's feeling about the year already being off to an incredible start, she'd say, "It doesn't feel real at all."

"I feel like someone's playing a giant joke on me, or I feel like, you know, maybe I'm not alive anymore and this is heaven or something," the actress told Parade.com in an exclusive interview.

"This is an unusual moment for anybody," Coolidge added. "I had already sort of given up. For this to come back around and get a bunch of opportunities and work with all these incredible people."

Related: Exclusive: Shotgun Wedding Star Josh Duhamel Recalls His 'Almost Catastrophic' Wedding Day

From traveling to Italy to shooting Ryan Murphy's The Watcher and two seasons of Mike White's The White Lotus, plus traveling to the Dominican Republic for Shotgun Wedding with Lopez, Duhamel and Kravitz, it's been, in a word, "incredible" for Coolidge. "It's just incredible what happened these last couple of years. I can't explain it," she said.

Continue reading to find out what Jennifer Coolidge had to say about working on Shotgun Wedding—premiering Jan. 27—along with what's next for the award-winning actress and why she hopes to inspire others.

Shotgun Wedding was so much fun to watch. Josh Duhamel said in our interview that you're a scene stealer, and we couldn't agree more. What was your experience like working on this film and playing the mother of the groom?

Jennifer Coolidge: Well, I just like that people have to believe that that good-looking guy came out of me. I find that very flattering.

But, you know, it was kind of extraordinary because like, you know, Josh Duhamel is good in everything he does, but I sort of felt like—I felt like this when we were making the movie, and there was such great chemistry between him and Jennifer at the table read. And we read the script and the stuff between them was so funny and good. We all came out of there and we went back to our actors' house and talked about how good we thought the movie would be because of the chemistry between those two. You know, it was so good.

But the thing is I feel like Josh Duhamel is sort of like—he has a little bit of James Bond, but a funny James Bond. He's so handsome onscreen, but he's absolutely hilarious in this. When I went to the premiere, we were all howling.

I was like, you know, big things are gonna happen to Josh. I know he's already a movie star, but I feel like the doors—the seas have parted for him. I think he's gonna get all sorts of cool stuff. He really did make me laugh. He's sort of subtle in some parts. H knew how to play it.

[Duhamel and Lopez] shot so many more days than the rest of us. I don't know how they made it out of there alive. It was hot. I think it's maybe—they're both in such great shape, they can handle anything.

Related: Get to Know Josh Duhamel's Wife

This movie has two iconic Jennifers, you and Lopez. I'm curious. Was there ever any confusion on set when they were calling for a Jennifer? Did you guys have nicknames so you'd know who was being called?

I think they might have been calling me Coolidge on the set. I think they would call me Coolidge. No one ever mistook me for [Jennifer Lopez]. Wouldn't that be great if someone was like, "Oh, I thought you were Jennifer Lopez?"

But I mean, you know, there was no mistake, you know, it was very clear, you know, who the bombshell was, but I didn't mind because it's like ... She's earned that, you know, what I mean? You just have to be the most disciplined person in the world to look like that. I'm so impressed that someone works that hard and you can't fake that, what she looks like. You can't fake that figure and everything ... You know, she's a workhorse. I've never seen anyone work harder until I met her. She's really dedicated to making things happen.

Related: Jennifer Garner's Perfect Response to Jennifer Coolidge's Wish to Play a Dolphin

You're keeping busy too, though! Did you get to stay in the cast house? That's a lot of star power under one roof.

Well, it was so great because I've never done a film—well, actually, White Lotus we all ate together at the end of the night, so that's not true. But it really was sort of like—my parents were like, you could never skip dinner at our house. No one could bail on it, and I sort of felt like that was the feeling at that cast house. Like, no one could bail on dinner. Everyone had to show up for it.

So there was incredible camaraderie 'cause everyone was there at the end of the day, and, you know, who would think that Lenny Kravitz would be—he's such a legend, but there he was at dinner and, you know, cracking jokes and not, you know, not the rock star, just the guy. He is the rock star and he really looks like that and, you know, he's got it going on, but he's just so—I didn't think he was gonna be that normal. He's just so normal, you know, just so down to earth. So incredibly down to earth.

Related: Jennifer Coolidge's Net Worth Proves She's a Priceless Treasure

At the Golden Globes, you spoke about your dreams being fizzled by life, but then Mike White gave you a new hope and a new beginning. It was an incredibly inspiring speech to watch, and people were so inspired by you and Michelle Yeoh winning your first Golden Globes. What does it mean to you to be an inspiration to so many right now?

It feels great because you see, I wouldn't be the person that would be where it happened early. This is to give people hope—people that have lost hope, I really do hope I am inspiring them because I was so sure that it wasn't going to happen. I had made that decision. And I want people to feel like life is full of surprises because it was for me. Do you know what I mean?

I wouldn't have believed I would be at the Golden Globes and then, you know, get a Golden Globe, you know what I mean? Like all this cool stuff. Going to Hasty Pudding at Harvard, you know, coming up. I mean, all these cool things. Like, I would never have believed you in a million years. I don't know ... I think people should think there's something to look forward to. Like I say, it really isn't over till it's over because you just don't know. You just don't know.

Related: Jennifer Coolidge Almost Turned Down Award-Winning White Lotus Role

What's next for you? Do you have any projects in mind or coming up with Mike White or Ryan Murphy? What can we expect next from Jennifer Coolidge?

Well, I have a couple things that people have offered and I gotta figure out what I'm gonna take, but they're sort of secret, but I feel like the sky's the limit and I feel like I could take a play. I've been offered a movie that might be very fun to do and I just don't know which one I'm gonna choose first. But I just like that and I'm surprised that I have something to choose!

Related: What to Know About White Lotus Season 3

Your stand-up routines have been going viral. Would you ever consider going back to do more stand-up? Maybe like a tour?

No. I'll leave that to Amy Schumer, Chelsea Handler. I'll leave it to all those girls that, you know, do it ... I don't know. I was on the road alone. I was so lonely. I don't know if I could ever do that again.

Gotcha. Well, you know, between the finale of White Lotus and Shotgun Wedding, maybe an action movie is in the near future.

Oh yeah.

Because of The White Lotus and Shotgun Wedding, you know how to shoot.

Sure. Or you know, I'd love to play someone who's maybe just paralyzed and doesn't have to do anything.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Next, see Jennifer Coolidge as a brunette medium who talks to ghosts!