Whoops! Wrong guy!
Because as Bill Nye the Science Guy recently clarified, Jennifer Coolidge wasn't referring to him at the 2023 Golden Globes but rather the Love Actually actor Bill Nighy.
"When @jennifercoolidge talked about pronouncing Nighy last night, it was not about I," the famed science educator wrote on Instagram Jan. 11 alongside a photo of him and Nighy and footage from Coolidge's speech. "But a few years ago, that Nighy assured this Nye that both of our names rhyme with 'guy.'"
In case you missed it, when presenting the Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series award—which went to Abbott Elementary's Tyler James Williams—Coolidge admitted she had been hesitant to fulfill the honor. In addition to being nervous she'd fall onstage or have issues with the teleprompter, The White Lotus star said her "biggest nightmare" would be mispronouncing the nominees' names.
"Once I say somebody's name the wrong way, I'm screwed," she said. "I am screwed. I can't do it. Like, you hear it that one way and you can't undo it."
Coolidge then told a story of how she once sat next to Nighy—a Golden Globes nominee for his performance in the movie Living—at a dinner party and kept mispronouncing his name. But the way she said his surname in the speech made some fans think she was referring to Nye.
"Wowow why did I think Jennifer Coolidge was talking about Bill Nye and not Bill Nighy..." one social media user tweeted, with another adding, "Who else thought Jennifer Coolidge meant Bill Nye the Science Guy and not Bill Nighy LMAO." Wrote a third, "So many people are learning the difference between Bill NYE and Bill Nighy tonight and it's all thanks to Jennifer Coolidge. 2023, you continue to amaze. #GoldenGlobes."
This wasn't Coolidge's only memorable moment from the night. The Legally Blonde alum also stole the show after she won the award for Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie for her performance in season two of The White Lotus. In her speech, Coolidge reflected on how much her life has changed since the early stages of her career, joking "neighbors are speaking to me—things like that." And she looked back at how her aspirations have also evolved.
"I just want you all to know that I had such big dreams and expectations as a younger person but what happened was that they get sort of fizzled by life or whatever," she said at one point, "and I thought I was going to be queen of Monaco even though someone else did it."
To see the full list of winners, click here.
(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family).