Jennifer Coolidge has heaped praise on the LGBTQ+ community, confessing she felt 'lost' in life until she finally found her 'tribe'.
Although she has an army of adoring fans who come from all walks of life, the White Lotus star holds an extra special place in her heart for her queer supporters.
That's because the 63-year-old credits her gay friends with giving her a safe haven which allowed her to blossom - and without these companions, she reckons her life would have amounted to 'nothing'.
Coolidge opened up about her adoration for members of the LGBTQ+ community while chatting with a reporter at the opening of a queer hotel, The Tryst Puerto Vallarta, in Mexico.
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Stars including Demi Lovato, Julia Fox, Laverne Cox, Chrishell Stause and Chris Appleton were among those in attendance at the bash last Friday (25 April).
It's Coolidge's presence which has hit the headlines though, as the American Pie actress has left people swooning with her declaration of love for the LGBTQ+ community.
She told Pride reporter Ricky Cornish that the feeling of adoration between her and her LGBTQ+ fans was 'very, very mutual', before opening up about what impact people from the community have had on her life.
"I feel like I joined the LGBTQ+ when I was young, we didn't all know that we were going to...we were all attracted to each other for the same thing." Coolidge said.
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"I was kind of lost as a young kid. I felt like I found my group. Most of my buddies are gay men, gay women too. We just all felt like we were the same tribe. I could go on forever about how much it's improved my life.
"If it hadn't happened, if I hadn't met everyone from the gay community that I know, I think my life would be nothing. Nothing - I'm talking nothing - without it."
The Boston-born star also revealed why she seems to resonate so much with people from the LGBTQ+ community, explaining she reckons they are a 'superior' bunch of people because they're not as uptight.
"I think heterosexual people are more self-conscious," Coolidge told People. "Gay men and gay women just let loose and have a blast.
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"They know how to have a really good time, and they’re really original. They’re a superior group of people."
Coolidge also believes a lot of people who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community are the salt of the earth, as well as being admirably strong in the face of adversity.
"I think the gays are the toughest breed of human beings," she also told Queerty. "Usually the beginning of their lives have been tough, and they’ve had to endure all sorts of [hardships] and suffering, just feeling like they’re not fitting in, and I think the insecure kids growing up could be incredibly cruel and judgmental.
"So I think they have been strong from the very beginning and they have done an incredible job."
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Coolidge went on to say that her inspiring pals are all doing 'really cool stuff in life', jokingly adding: "I always feel like such a loser when I’m around them because they’re such achievers."
Olivia Burke