The White Lotus was a series that restored the faith of viewers in good old comedy dramas. The show, despite the lack of fantasy and science fiction elements, was able to engage its viewers with its foreign vistas and ingenious yet dark comedy.
Despite the menagerie of quirky characters that the show enlists to carry its plot, Jennifer Coolidge’s Tanya McQuoid stands out as a brilliant and enjoyable character, and the only character to feature in both seasons of the anthology series. It does not come as a surprise then, that the actress herself might have inspired the whole affair to begin with.
Jennifer Coolidge worked with Mike White before
Jennifer Coolidge and Mike White, the creator of The White Lotus, worked together before on the 2009 film Gentlemen Broncos. Speaking to Indiewire, the American Pie actress talked about her character on The White Lotus. Coolidge and White took a trip together to Africa. On this vacation, they were supposed to be accompanied by White’s partner as well. However, due to some unforeseen reason, White’s partner had to cancel, causing White and Coolidge to go on the trip alone. The idea of a romantic partner missing out on a trip was adapted as part of Tanya McQuoid’s story. The actress said:
“Mike discovered, on this trip, that I was sort of sad I wasn’t in a relationship, and he saw me watching these wedding videos on my iPhone in the middle of the night,”
This particular action could be easily mapped to the character of Tanya, not only making it character-accurate but also spawning the premise of the entire show. On this trip, Coolidge allegedly let her “unfiltered side” out, causing the director to write the character of Tanya McQuoid for the American Reunion alum. Coolidge has later gone on record to say that the way she behaved on the trip with White inspired much of the series, from characters to eccentric sequences in the large and pristine hotels.
Jennifer Coolidge can still be a part of The White Lotus
While a lot of the show is based on Coolidge and her eccentric characteristics, her character met her end in the season finale of the second season. With the character formally exiting the show, perhaps there are other ways Coolidge can be a part of the show. Given that The White Lotus is an anthology series, actors who have previously exited the show could return to play different characters if the creators deem it to be fit.
HBO has renewed the show for a third season, which was set to premiere in 2024. However, due to the ongoing actors’ strike, the show has since been shifted to a 2025 release date. The show is being filmed in Thailand, where it will explore a satirical take on the idea of death, according to series creator White (via Variety).
