Emmy-winning actress Jennifer Coolidge has said she "whined" after being written off The White Lotus but explained how the hit show "really upped my game" on the dating scene.
The 63-year-old star's performance as Tanya McQuoid in the dark comedy series won her industry acclaim - and not only seen a revival in her career but also in her personal life.
Speaking to The Sunday Times, Coolidge who is famed for her iconic roles in American Pie and Legally Blonde, spoke candidly about the prolonged career slump between her early 2000s successes and Mike White casting her in the much-loved HBO's show.
"I got very odd jobs — I had no guidance at all," she said. "I didn't know how to play the game."
The typecasting issue continued as casting agents only thought of her as Stifler’s Mom from American Pie. "I played a lot of highly strung rich women — people thought, 'Oh, that’s just what she does.'"
Opening up about how the show has improved her dating life, she said: "Even though I play a complete weirdo in White Lotus, cute guys come up to me. This is far better than American Pie because people were really sad about Tanya falling off a boat. These men like you better because they feel that you went through something. That show really upped my game."
The 2021 White Lotus role put Coolidge back in the spotlight, as her portrayal of a self-absorbed heiress proved to be a hit with viewers.
The character was conceived by the show's creator - and Coolidge's longtime friend - Mike White, after he shared a tent with the star during an African vacation.
Coolidge said she behaved "eccentrically" on the trip, becoming the inspiration for Tanya. "Do I think any other director would have chosen me for Tanya? Probably not," she reflected.
Elsewhere in the interview, Coolidge addressed being written out of the series, sharing: "You have to be a good sport about it, but I went 'Oh, really? Really?' I whined and then just let it go."
