How Jennifer Coolidge inspired “The White Lotus.”

For Coolidge and White, The White Lotus was not their first rodeo together, having previously worked together on the film in 2009 Gentlemen Broncos. After filming, Coolidge was supposed to go on vacation to Africa with White and his partner. However, there was a slight hitch in this plan and White's partner ended up not showing up, leaving the two of them alone on this extravagant holiday. This is all too similar to Tanya's storyline in season two The White Lotus, Her character is dumped by her fiancé while on vacation due to his “work commitments,” which seriously ruins her plan to live like Monica Vicci and ride around on a moped with her fiancé.

Coolidge and White spent quite a bit of time alone in Africa (which in itself would be a fantastic concept for a reality TV show), and Coolidge admitted that it brought out their “unfiltered side,” which unintentionally became an inspiration for many of Tanya's escapades at the White Lotus Hotel. White also noticed on this trip that Coolidge was a little sad about not being in a relationship and that she was watching wedding videos on her phone in the middle of the night.

Of course, this also reflects her character's storyline in the first season, in which Tanya goes on a search for love and fulfillment outside of her wealth and ultimately finds her fiancée in the Hawaiian branch of the hotel.

After Coolidge's acceptance speech at the Golden Globes for her role in the series, many people drew parallels between her and Tanya Reynolds, which isn't all that surprising after learning about her African vacation with the writer-director.

While Coolidge won't be appearing in the show's third season, who knows how many other anecdotes White has from the fabled journey that could factor into the story, and that Coolidge's legacy may continue to influence the characters of the other eccentric guests and the infamous ones White Lotus Hotel.

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