'We Have a Ghost' Director Reveals Jennifer Coolidge Had "So Many Funny Moments" That Didn't Make Film (EXCLUSIVE)

Whether she's stumbling around, fearing for her life in The White Lotus Season 2 — her physical comedy chops on full display — or emitting dolphin squeals in e.l.f. cosmetics commercials, Emmy winner Jennifer Coolidge is an in-demand actor for good reason. She's bold, she's unapologetic, and she's just darn likable.

In Christopher Landon's Amblin-style film We Have a Ghost, the Legally Blonde star plays a flirty, campy, and totally bogus TV medium.

Based on Geoff Manaugh's 2017 short story "Ernest," the star-studded Netflix film follows a dysfunctional family that unknowingly moves into a haunted house. It isn't long before angsty teen protagonist Kevin (Jahi Di'Allo Winston) — a rock music aficionado who struggles to connect with his father (Anthony Mackie) — befriends the home's silent ghost: Ernest (David Harbour).

When Kevin's dad, Frank, uploads footage of Ernest to the internet, proving the existence of specters in the process, a media circus ensues. Enter Jennifer Coolidge's Judy Romano — aka the West Bay Medium.

When you consider We Have a Ghost's two-hour runtime, Jennifer's scenes are brief. However, her expected charisma and utter kookiness make them impactful. Heck, we could watch her slather on lipstick, complain about basic cable, and run from snarky ghosts all day.

In an exclusive interview with Distractify, writer-director Christopher Landon discussed Jennifer Coolidge's humorous character and why she was the only woman for the job.

Given that Jennifer Coolidge is a meme-able certified icon, it's no wonder that she was Christopher Landon's top pick for the role.

"The role was very much designed for her. And I knew that she had the fearlessness and kind of the audacity to pull it off. So it was kind of a no brainer," he told Distractify, praising Jennifer's natural abilities.

With her Spirit Network cable show, Judy Romano — who claims to help people "reconnect with lost loved ones" — obviously pokes fun at money-hungry TV mediums of the past, and that was Christopher's intention.

"The character was modeled after said random people out there, who I think have made it their business to exploit people's grief. And so [the West Bay Medium is] a big phony. And that was one of the things that Jennifer said when we first talked about the role. She was like, 'I love this character because she's such a big phony,'" he relayed.

"The character obviously wears that on her sleeve. So it was really just an opportunity to have a good time, and to work with someone who is a blast, and she does not disappoint."

Additionally, we asked Christopher about standout behind-the-scenes moments. Without hesitation, he pointed to the beloved American Pie actor.

"It's a tough one because they're all so good. Especially, you know, Anthony Mackie is very funny and very quick. But look, if you're looking for the MVP of stuff that didn't make it into the movie but was really funny, it was Jennifer Coolidge," he shared.

"She had so many funny, weird moments that I just could not fit into the movie. But I wanted to so badly, like that scene with her could have been 20 minutes long."

Though We Have a Ghost tackles heavy themes surrounding avoided trauma and shaky father-son relationships, it does so with a healthy dose of humor, and Jennifer Coolidge's bonkers performance certainly brings the comedy.

We Have a Ghost is currently streaming on Netflix.