Mike White appeared on one of the latest episodes of The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.
During his time with Fallon, White promoted his appearance on the newest season of Survivor, along with sharing some of his original inspirations for the award-winning series The White Lotus.
What was one of them? A safari trip with Jennifer Coolidge.
On a Safari
Before White penned the first episode of the series, he went on a trip with Coolidge.
“Jennifer Coolidge and I—we’re friends,” he shared with 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.”
This led to Coolidge’s paranoia during the trip, or being a “little on [the] paranoid” side in general.
One time they went out and Coolidge remarked, “‘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 was encouraged and inspired by the experience, leading to him creating her iconic character in The White Lotus.
Mike White added, “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.”
Wanting to Be on the Show
With all the support and fanfare surrounding the show, Fallon joked around with White. He said that White must not be able to leave his house in anticipation of actors asking to be on the show.
“Yeah, going to Hollywood parties used to be more fun,” White conceded. “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.”
White did point out he hates rejecting people, and that it all boils down to “a story and trying to find the right people for it.”
White Lotus Season 4 Location
Mike White confirmed the location for the next season is France, already reported in previous press releases.
“We’ll be partying in Paris, but it’s not necessarily Paris, but yeah I’m stoked. I’m going to be there for the next 10 months.”
While explaining the location, he mentions that part of the deciding factor rests in where White wants to spend a lot of time.
“It’s a life hack man,” White shared with Fallon. “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.”
Season three was filmed in Thailand, with the previous two seasons being shot in Sicily and Hawaii.
Confirmed Cast
The White Lotus season four already has several confirmed cast members. These include AJ Michalka, Alexander Ludwig, Steve Coogan, Helena Bonham Carter, and Chris Messina.
Coolidge Misses It
Jennifer Coolidge appeared on the show for the first two seasons, until her character was murdered at the end of season two.
When reflecting on her experience on The Tonight Show, she admitted she missed being on White Lotus.
“I’ve really missed myself,” she said 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.”
Where to Watch White Lotus
You can stream the first three seasons of The White Lotus on several streaming platforms. The series is available on HBO Max with just a subscription, while it requires an add-on to watch on Hulu, Sling TV, or Prime Video.
The show centers around an all-star cast that goes to a resort and unleashes their worst, most privileged impulses. While their lives may seem perfect at first, it quickly delves into dark undertones.