Jennifer Coolidge (‘The White Lotus’) reflects on ‘operatic’ death: ‘Maybe someday I can come back’ [Complete Interview Transcript]

During a recent Gold Derby video interview, senior editor Rob Licuria spoke in-depth with Jennifer Coolidge (“The White Lotus”) about Season 2 of her HBO anthology series, which is eligible at the 2023 Emmys. Watch the full video above and read the complete interview transcript below.

“The White Lotus” was created by three-time Emmy winner Mike White, and follows a week in the life of guests and employees at a fictional luxury hotel in far-flung exotic locations. Originally intended as a six-part limited series, “The White Lotus” became such a huge critical and commercial sensation in 2021 that HBO renewed it for round two. Coolidge appeared in both cycles as resort guest Tanya McQuoid and won multiple awards (Emmy, Golden Globe, SAG Award, Critics Choice) along the way.

Speaking about Tanya’s “operatic” death in the Season 2 finale, the actress told us, “[White] had to kill someone like me to make it sort of big and dramatic and it had to be a female, I think.” Coolidge later added, “But anyway, I don’t care if he killed me. Maybe someday I can come back in some form.”

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RL: I’m Rob Licuria, senior editor at Gold Derby, here with the legendary award magnet, Jennifer Coolidge. Jennifer, first of all, the highlight of the Golden Globes was you presenting and then you winning the award. Are you still on cloud nine?

JC: Yeah. I mean, I have to say it was a pretty fun night. I mean, there was some incredible speeches and tributes and I thought it was a very exciting night to be there. I mean, it’s such a fun thing. I’ve never been to the Golden Globes, so I finally got to be at one of the tables and hang out and meet all the people that you’ve ever wanted to meet. I don’t know. Yeah, it was surreal. It was really surreal and it was very fun. It was a very fun thing to be at.

RL: Yeah, it looked like a lot of fun. It’s about damn time that you start winning all these awards. I always wonder, does it ever, I guess it doesn’t get old and boring to be winning awards, but after a while does it start feeling like, “oh yeah, here we go. It’s just another nomination.” You just got a SAG nomination, so that’s pretty cool. It just keeps coming now, they’re just coming at you like waves.

JC: Yeah, well, I really don’t know what to say. I do have to say that I think being in White Lotus really kind of changed it all up for me. And so I guess I’m reaping the benefits of getting a very killer part in White Lotus One and White Lotus Two. And I think it’s hard to get these sort of advantageous moments unless someone writes these great parts for you. So I lucked out and Mike White gave me a couple gifts, some giant gifts, and I’m just… I mean, it doesn’t feel real, but I’m as grateful as I could ever be.

RL: Yeah, I do. And your speech last night when Mike was in tears just watching you, he was so proud and so humbled by what you were saying. But then I kept thinking, have you forgiven him yet for killing Tanya off? Because I’m a little bit cranky about it.

JC: Well, Mike doesn’t want to do anything that’s predictable and I think he thought everyone would… Wondering about who was going to be killed and died. He was trying to think of the most unlikely person, I’m sure, but also he wanted to do this Italian story and I think he wanted it to have that sort of dramatic operatic ending and he had to kill someone like me to make it sort of big and dramatic and it had to be a female, I think. But I have to say, his speech last night made up for it all. When Mike told me, sorry, I spoke a lot last night and I barely have my voice, but when Mike told me that he had pitched this show for him and I to do together maybe three years ago, it was before White Lotus, before he wrote the first White Lotus, he told me that he’d gone and pitched it and that the people he pitched it to did not respond. But I never really believed him, even though he doesn’t lie. I didn’t believe him because I thought, well, why wouldn’t he bring me in the meeting with him? I just didn’t, I don’t know… And to be honest, I just didn’t, I thought he was just trying to make me feel good or whatever. But then I find out from, especially from his speech last night, there were a lot of people in the room that he pitched it to that didn’t want to go for it. And I thought that was so, that was such a sweet thing to say, you know, you guys, I tried to, sorry, that was very nice. Yeah, I told you. Yeah, he did. It was a very funny speech. But anyway, so look, I don’t care if he killed me. Maybe someday I can come back in some form. I don’t know as a…

RL: Yeah, I don’t. So if he asks you to come back as another character or as Tanya in a flashback, you would say yes if you’re available?

JC: Yeah, if he wanted to do a prequel or if he wanted, who knows, maybe there’s some other strange person I could be. I don’t know, who knows? I would…

RL: Maybe Tanya’s got a twin sister that we just discover, so that would be cool.

JC: But maybe he wants to, he’s allowed to take a season off or two or three. Whatever he wants to do. I’ll just have to go figure out some other job.

RL: You’re pretty busy though. I can see that you’re working pretty hard now, which is so awesome for all of us who loved you for years on Christopher Guest films and so forth.

JC: Yeah, that was a big regret of mine. Sorry. See, this is how tired I am. Sorry, that was a regret of min is, there were five people that kept me going for all these years. And I mentioned it was really like Ryan Murphy gave me some little jobs here and there and Michael Patrick King. And also a huge gift that I got in the late nineties was Christopher Guest, Best In Show. And then he made four movies after that. And I was in all those, so he needed a big thank you last night too, and I just completely left him out by accident.

RL: I think he left. And I mean, you were pretty emotional and I think he would get it. And it was beautiful speech. Everyone I’ve spoken to in the industry in the last 24 hours has just been talking about it, so that’s wonderful. It makes me so happy to see. Just changing back a little, that iconic line, these gays, they’re trying to murder me has become viral. It’s everywhere. It’s like it’s on T-shirts and mugs. I’m going to get one. In fact, my kids were saying it to me last night after you won, they were like, “these gays, they’re trying to murder me.” I’m like, geez, man. That’s awesome. How do you feel about that?

JC: I think it’s hilarious. I think it’s hilarious that, yeah, it’s made it on… I like that it’s at all these discos. You can go to the disco and at two in the morning you hear, these gays, these gays, they’re trying to murder me and it has the thing up on the… That is the ultimate, I have to say. That’s the ultimate compliment. So many of my friends go out late dancing at the discos and now this is, you know what I mean? I don’t know. Somehow I’ve arrived because of that, you know what I mean? There’s nothing cooler than being part of someone’s dance. There’s something cool in that DJs from around the world can whip that out. And I hope it never dies.

RL: I hope it never dies either. I think it’s hilarious. I was thinking over your career and I think I could, I’m probably wrong. I usually am. Tanya’s unfortunate fall off the yacht was one of your first major death scenes. I think it… What was it like as an actor to play dead and to have this big dramatic death scene that’s the kind of climax of the whole series? It was pretty cool.

JC: Yeah. I was very upset that they wouldn’t let me do my own stunt, but…

RL: I was wondering that.

JC: I was, I was furious, but it was very late at night, and they were afraid that I would probably misjudge the fall and it’d be a big insurance risk, I’m sure. And the stunt double was a very famous one in Italy that always gets it right. But I really wanted to do it. I thought I really wanted to die myself, to see what it would be like to take and you know, you realize too, the person really has to get it right because then they have to blow dry your hair. They have to, it’s the changeovers. We shot White Lotus Two so fast and there was no time to fart around. We had to get it right. Yeah, I have to say that was such a dramatic ending, being on the boat with… It’s very scary. Imagine being on a boat where you realize people are going to murder you. I mean there’s nowhere to go, and what do you prefer, drowning or these guys shooting you in the head or whatever. It’s all bad.

RL: It’s a tough decision. I’m just thinking about you as Tanya going around the corner in the boat. You see it through the window that she just like, she’s really slow. And then she runs. I think, I don’t think I’ve laughed that hard in a while. It’s brilliant. Brilliant. So I don’t know. I just think I was so shocked when it was Tanya and then I figured out obviously that with her husband and how… It’s been set up for the past two seasons about how he was after her money. It blew my mind. I was so impressed with Mike White’s writing and the whole thing. What did you think of the whole storyline and how we’ve had little clues even in Season One?

JC: Yeah. I mean, Mike wrote this thing and it was so elaborate and there were all these different stories that had to be woven together and not, I mean, I can’t imagine editing what they were doing, editing. But Mike White is such a perfectionist. I don’t really understand. I had so many people say to me, and people still do it. They come up to me and they go, “you need to tell those writers, Jennifer. They did an amazing job with White Lotus.” And I just say, I looked them right in the eye and I go “there are no writers. There was one writer, one writer, and it was Mike White.” And it was such an elaborate story and I thought there were so many people that you could like and dislike at the same time. And I thought the casting was, I thought that White Lotus One and White Lotus Two, the casting was just incredible. I mean, everyone was so right for their roles.

RL: Yeah, perfect. Absolutely.

JC Yeah.

RL: When we last spoke and we knew that you were in White Lotus Two, but of course you couldn’t say anything. And I thought, oh, maybe she’s in it for just a few minutes and then that’s it. No, no, you are one of the major attractions. But being in Taormina, that’s where my parents are from, so really I have a very strong connection with the place. How did you feel about being there and shooting there for the short period of time that you were there during production?

JC: Yeah, it was really incredible. I mean, that’s weird. Really, they grew up in Taormina, your parents?

RL: They were born there and they came here and they immigrated when they were teenagers. And we’ve been there many times. It’s a beautiful place. It’s amazing, isn’t it?

JC: Yes. I mean, there’s all those great amazing drone shots that they got and Isabella and all of that. I mean, it doesn’t look real. A lot of it doesn’t look real. But I thought it, I love that Mike picked Sicily, and from what I hear, you can’t get a room at the hotel for two years that we shot. I mean, I love that, I think White Lotus did a lot for tourism in Sicily and I’m so glad about that because it really is that beautiful. And I don’t know, I loved Taormina. I loved everyone I met. I loved the Italians. I love the Sicilian food and the wines. And just as you know, just the backdrop, just the backdrop of…

RL: Yeah, it is. I’m just reminded, obviously we’re talking about awards. When you were at the Emmys, I was so pissed when they tried to play you off and then you danced and you tried to make the most of it, and you raised it in your speech during the Globes. But I thought that was a crime against humanity that they tried to play you off. Apart from that, how did it feel to win an Emmy as well? So you’ve got the Emmy, you’ve got the Golden the Globe, you’ve got the SAG nomination now. It’s all happening. But that Emmy, I mean, it’s a big deal and you finally got the award and everyone in that room was so thrilled for you.

JC: Oh yeah, no, look to be acknowledged in your field. I think it would mean more, way… Because I realize, I just realize how grateful I am at this moment. I don’t know if I was really young and this happened to me, if I would’ve been able to appreciate, I think I’ve been around for a long time and I think it’s means more later. I think it means more. There was some hot, I had some hot, look I got American Pie and Legally Blonde and Best In Show all sort of around the same time. And it was very exciting. But then there was this long patch of not a lot. And so to have this happen, it’s such a big surprise. I think surprises, good surprises are great, are great to have in your life if you can get them. I don’t know.

RL: Sure. So you’re on the Watcher as well. You got to watch Ryan Murphy get his award at the Golden Globes. He’s like one of my favorite [inaudible 00:15:30] filmmakers ever. He’s so brilliant. And I just wonder what it was being on that set. What is it about Ryan Murphy that brings the best out of actors? ‘Cause he’s really good at bringing the best out of actors.

JC: Yeah. I think, i mean, he and Mike White both share this. They both love actors and they’re both, they both get, you get the feeling from both guys. But when I was doing the Watcher, I really was surprised at Ryan with all the success he’s had, he still makes you think that you know what you’re doing at all times. And there’s something about that, that even if you don’t, when someone sort of hands the reins and makes you feel that way, I think you give a better performance. And it really is that you can feel, when you immediately show up, you can feel from a director whether he thinks you’re right for the part and whether he thinks he’s done a good job asking you to do it, and whether he thinks you’re good or not. And sometimes I’ve showed up for jobs and you see them second guessing you and stuff, and it’s a really hard way to work that way. So I think that’s the gift. I think that’s why people turn out such great performances with both Mike and Ryan too. Just they’re very confident about their choices. About who they choose. Yeah.

RL: Yeah. Yeah. Right. Couple of random questions before I let you go.

JC: Yeah.

RL: Aubrey Plaza is hosting SNL. Have you ever been asked to host Saturday Night Live? And if so, would you do it? ‘Cause I think you would kill it.

JC: Yeah. I mean, I don’t know how to ans… Well, I’ll tell you. Yes. They have approached me. I hope I’m allowed to say that without… They have approached me. But what happens is that when they have a slot, they give you this time slot. And if you can’t do it, then the opportunity disappears. So maybe we will be able to, yeah, make it happen. I would love to. I would love to.

RL: Okay. Because we’re all waiting for that. I think that would be the killer. That would be the best episode. And finally, Jennifer, I guess what have you learned most about yourself as a performer? And you’ve been around for such a long time that after this whole White Lotus run is over when the SAG awards happen, will you look back and what will be the number one kind of highlight or takeaway that you’ll take away for yourself?

JC: Well, I would say I wish I had enjoyed my life more knowing that, well, you don’t know that a cool thing can happen later. So I do think that you should never shortchange yourself from enjoying the moment, because I spent a lot of time thinking there wasn’t going to be a cool moment and then… So I didn’t appreciate a big chunk of my life because I was sad that my dreams couldn’t come true. And I think the key to life is enjoy it because I mean, look, it feels like a fluke, but look, it can happen to anybody. Your dreams really can come true. And I think that’s the key is just when your dream isn’t happening, you don’t have to believe it isn’t coming true. It could be formula, it might take 20 years, 30 years or whatever.

RL: Yeah, that’s right. But it happens. And we are so thrilled for you, especially, Jennifer. Thank you for your time today and congratulations on all success. You deserve it.

JC: Hey, thank you. Thanks. Thank you for having me.

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