Ever since we heard that Natasha Rothwell’s Belinda would be the common thread in The White Lotus Season 3, we’ve been anticipating how the spa manager’s storyline might develop in Thailand. But when CinemaBlend got the chance to chat to the actress about being part of the series continuing on the 2025 TV schedule, of course we had to ask about the mark that Jennifer Coolidge left on her.
As fans who are caught up on the series (streaming for those with a Max subscription) know, Jennifer Coolidge’s Tanya McQuoid died tragically at the end of Season 2 while being pursued by a murder of fabulous gays. So, while Natasha Rothwell didn’t have the pleasure of teaming up with Coolidge again, she did have a pretty great reaction to getting to call herself friends with the actress. In her words:
I mean, she's a legend, right? If I could go back in a time machine and tell my younger self that I would be friends with Stiffler’s mom, I mean, I'd freak out. I'd be like, what? So cool. But she's just so generous of heart and spirit and, and she's a vibe, you know, she is a vibe. Just unapologetically herself and I love that.
Of course Rothwell is referring to the American Pie movies where Coolidge played Jeanine, the mom of Seann William Scott’s Stifler, in the comedy movie series’ first four films. That’s the wild thing about being an actor who gets to work with actors you watched growing up.
But perhaps the best part about talking to Natasha Rothwell was what she said next when I asked if she learned anything specific from Coolidge. Here’s what she said:
I mean, how to order a good red wine? And, also she's so fabulous and she would walk around with these like amazing robes with feathers on the end and there's something decadent about the way she approaches life and just unapologetically. So I think when you're around someone that's so fiercely themselves, it really provokes you to be the same way.
Could this answer be more on brand for Jennifer Coolidge’s persona? It’s just too on brand that Natasha Rothwell got to get some conversation in about the finer things like wine with the iconic actor, as she was in many famous films like Legally Blonde and Best In Show in the early '00s.
While Coolidge never really left Hollywood, her fame has certainly skyrocketed since playing the role of Tanya in The White Lotus Season 1. During our interview, Rothwell spoke to how the Maui season was like this “little tiny bubble of creative arts” at first. Years later, when she returned for the Thailand season, of course it became one of the biggest shows on TV.
While Rothwell and Coolidge don’t get to work together for The White Lotus Season 3, there is another connection to unpack. Tanya’s husband Greg Hunt is at the Thai resort at the same time as Belinda, but with a new woman. After we’ve theorized in the past that Greg might have been the person who tried to kill Tanya, perhaps Belinda will be involved in having him put away for his crimes! You can watch more of Natasha Rothwell on The White Lotus on HBO and Max on Sundays.
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