‘The White Lotus’: Jennifer Coolidge Confirmed To Return

HBO recently confirmed the return of actress Jennifer Coolidge in season two of “The White Lotus.” The actress previously starred in 1999 “American Pie” as Janine Stifler. Besides the movie’s sequels, Coolidge also starred in “Legally Blond,” “The Secret Life of the American Teenager,” and several others.

The six-episode series premiered on 11 July 2021 on HBO. Amid critical acclaim, the show ended its first season and was renewed for a second one. The setting of season two will be different and have a new cast join the show.

The studio previously refrained from talking about Coolidge rejoining the series but recently announced it via their social media account. Coolidge originally didn’t want the role because she added weight during the Covid pandemic but eventually accepted the role.

“The White Lotus” is set for its second season, and Coolidge is coming right back with it. HBO confirmed the actress’s return to show on Monday, naming her a “world-class VIP.” They shared, “A world-class VIP. Jennifer Coolidge has joined the second installment of #TheWhiteLotus.” However, the details of her role weren’t revealed.

Coolidge played Tanya McQuoid in season one, and her goofy energetic character certainly made her a fan favorite. Via Variety, Coolidge is the only returning regular actor of the series. There were rumors about her possible return, but HBO only recently confirmed those rumors via their social media post.

Coolidge’s Tanya was certainly a memorable character of the show, so the showrunners definitely made a good decision retaining her. The plot of season two will follow the guests of a new resort in Sicily, Italy. The previous season was filmed in Hawaii, and production has reportedly begun.

Coolidge will join the newcomers in the new season. These include Aubrey Plaza, Michael Imperioli, Adam DiMarco, Meghann Fahy, F. Murray Abraham, Haley Lu Richardson, Tom Hollander, Theo James, Will Sharpe, and Leo Woodall.

The series initially seemed limited, but it got so popular that it was renewed for a second season. This season was written, created, and directed by Mike White, and filming is at the San Domenico Palace in Taormina and several places in and around Sicily.

The series’s production is set to start on Monday and consist of seven episodes. The show’s social media shared, “Our next White Lotus property is under way. We look forward to welcoming guests in Sicily soon. #TheWhiteLotus.”

The series is about some vacationers who spend a week at a popular hotel in Hawaii to get away from the real world. However, not everything goes as planned. The supposed refreshing and relaxing vacation morphed into a more complex situation for the hotel staff and the vacationers.

Coolidge played Tanya, an often misunderstood lonely woman. The character was one of the guests at the White Lotus resort. Tanya was mostly drunk, and while she struggled with finding herself after her mother’s death, she was also desperate for love.

Her character was close to one of the spa employees named Belinda Lindsey, played by Natasha Rothwell. At some point in their somewhat short friendship, Tanya offered to bankroll Belinda’s business in the future but ended up backing out of the offer.

Her performance as the troubled Tanya made her a fan favorite. The role also earned her award nominations in Critic’s Choice, Golden Globe, and the Screen Actors Guild Awards for her hilarious and devastating work.

In an interview with Collider, the 60-year-old talked about her time filming “The White Lotus.” She spoke of her reaction when White mentioned that Tanya was written with her in mind. Given that Tanya was rather troubled and unstable with a penchant to fall headfirst into the bottles, Coolidge was somewhat bewildered by the comment.

The actress said, “Isn’t that funny, when someone writes a part, and they go, ‘I had you in mind, Jennifer. I feel like this is very much you.’ And then it’s someone mentally unstable and very insecure, and you’re just like, ‘Gosh, is this flattering? Is this someone just making fun of you?’”

Coolidge continued, It was a great thing to play, whether Mike had good intentions or whatever he thought. It was a really fun part to play, but yeah, I don’t. Yeah, she is all of that. She’s incredibly insecure. With all her riches, it doesn’t matter. She’s just desperate to be in love so that it will fix all her sadness and grief.”