Jennifer Coolidge explains why she loved that iconic White Lotus line so much: ‘I was so enthralled’
Jennifer Coolidge’s final scene in The White Lotus has gone down a storm with viewers. (Getty Images/Amy Sussman)
It was the line that was heard around the world. Jennifer Coolidge in the season finale of dramedy The White Lotus, trying to flee a boat of murderous friends-of-Dorothy, in stilettos, begging for help from a non-English-speaking captain, pleading: Please? These gays, they’re trying to murder me.”
To add more context, Coolidge’s character Tanya, figures out that a hit has been placed on her by her very own husband. The people doing the hit are the very “high-end” gays with whom she’s trapped on a yacht in the middle of the Ionian Sea, off the coast of Sicily.
So begins one the most iconic television finales of the year; Ms Coolidge going full ‘John Wick’ by trying to escape the homicidal homosexuals, killing most of them, and ending with a suitably “derpy” death for Tanya – she falls off the side of the yacht and hits her head.
While the internet is awash with Tanya memes, Coolidge spoke to Variety about her character’s death and just why she loved the concept of “wicked, very corrupt, soulless gays”, and the line itself.
“That is so Mike White. I wouldn’t have come up with that scenario myself, it wouldn’t occur to me. Gay men can be catty, but mostly they are the good guys in a lot of films that I’ve seen.
“He told me, “You end up getting taken in by this group of – well, let’s just say they’re evil gays.” I just got so riveted, I was so enthralled. You know, Tanya’s not on to them, but she’s finally being appreciated and she’s finally having a good time on this horrific trip.”
According to the most savage arbiter of all things cultural – Gay Twitter – Coolidge deserves another Emmy for the line alone.
Coolidge also reflected on Tanya’s “derpy” demise – namely, hitting her head on the side of a yacht after opting to vault over the side of the boat rather than, I don’t know, using the ladder?
“Tanya didn’t notice! Mike White thinks it’s very funny that I can handle big things, but a little thing will be my demise. Like, my technical inabilities with my phone or something will keep me from accomplishing something big. These small things throw me off. It was so in line with who I am – I even heard Mike say that to somebody. Not noticing something that could save my life.”
She further explained that “Mike stole that from me, Jennifer Coolidge, and made it a Tanya thing – her obliviousness.”
RIP, Tanya McQuoid (one syllable) – no more White Lotus resorts for you.
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