‘White Lotus’ Creator Mike White Says the Show Was Inspired by a Vacation With Jennifer Coolidge

The White Lotus creator Mike White is explaining exactly how the show idea came to him.

White, 55, revealed that he was inspired by Jennifer Coolidge — who starred in seasons 1 and 2 of the HBO series — to create the show. While appearing on a Wednesday, February 25, episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, White explained, “Jennifer Coolidge and I, we’re friends. 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.”

He continued, “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.”

“She also veers a little on paranoid,” the director explained. “So, we’d go out and she’d be like, ‘Wow, look at those packs 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 went on to say he felt blessed to be on a safari with Coolidge.

“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,’” he quipped. “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.”

Host Jimmy Fallon then pointed out that White must be bombarded by actors who want to star on The White Lotus. White replied, “Yeah, going to Hollywood parties used to be more fun.”

“[The] 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 explained, noting that he hates turning people down. “You’re just writing a story and trying to find the right people for it.”

Elsewhere in the interview, White confirmed that season 4 of the show will be filmed in France. “We’ll be partying in Paris, but it’s not necessarily Paris,” he said. “I’m stoked. I’m going to be there for the next 10 months.”

White also noted that he tries to choose a destination that will be enjoyable to film in. “It’s a life hack, man,” he 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.”

White shot season 1 at the Four Seasons resort in Maui, Hawaii. For season 2, he took the cast to Sicily, Italy, and season 3 took place in Thailand.

The season 4 cast so far includes Alexander Ludwig and AJ Michalka. Each season, White hires almost an entirely new cast, with only three actors playing a recurring character. Coolidge, 64, appeared in both seasons 1 and 2 as Tanya McQuoid, and Natasha Rothwell, who played Belinda Lindsey, returned for season 3 after starring in season 1. The only character who has been in all three seasons is Greg Hunt (Jon Gries).