Mike White shared one of his original inspirations behind The White Lotus. The TV series creator and writer appeared on The Tonight Show to promote his appearance on the new season of Survivor and described a trip he took with Jennifer Coolidge before penning the first episode.
“Jennifer Coolidge and I—we’re friends,” White told host Jimmy Fallon. “And we went on this safari and it was like two weeks and we slept in the same bed even. I spent two full weeks with her. It was awesome. She’s so fun. She’s the funniest person. But getting through life is a bit hard [for her]. There’s a lot in the purse. There’s a lot of stuff in her purse.”
He continued, “She also veers a little on paranoid. So we’d go out and she’d be like, ‘Wow, look at those pack of lions!’ And then she’d be like, ‘Do you see how they’re looking at us? I know that look! We got to get out of here! I’m not kidding. We got to get out of here.’”
White, who is currently working on the fourth season of The White Lotus, was creatively encouraged by the experience. “I was like, ‘Whatever I’ve done in my life and I’m here watching her freak out about these lions, I’ve done something right,’” White said. “She’s an original character. She’s amazing and I just [wanted to] give her a really meaty part that she could really sink her teeth into.”
Fallon quipped that White must not be able to leave the house for fear of actors accosting him asking to be on the show. “Yeah, going to Hollywood parties used to be more fun,” White admitted. “Thing is when you have a show that people want to be on, which I feel, obviously, grateful, you feel you’re rejecting everybody in town.” He added that he hates rejecting people, noting, “You’re just writing a story and trying to find the right people for it.”
White re-confirmed that the location for the upcoming season is France, which has previously been reported. “We’ll be partying in Paris, but it’s not necessarily Paris,” he said. “But yeah I’m stoked. I’m going to be there for the next 10 months.”
He explained that he does partially select the location based on a place that would be nice to spend a lot of time. “It’s a life hack, man,” White said. “You have these nice hotels and they give me a really nice room. And then in the room there’s a White Lotus cake for me to eat and champagne.”
The White Lotus Season 4 has announced several cast members so far, including AJ Michalka, Alexander Ludwig, Steve Coogan, Helena Bonham Carter, and Chris Messina. Season 3 was shot in Thailand, following seasons in Sicily and Hawaii.
Coolidge appeared in the first two seasons before her character was murdered at the end of Season 2. Last year, the actress appeared on The Tonight Show and admitted that she missed being on the show.
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“I’ve really missed myself,” Coolidge admitted to host Jimmy Kimmel. “I thought I’d be cool with it, but, yeah, I’m jealous. But Mike White is a genius and it’s going really well.”