The first time Mike White came to Sydney it was the worst day of his life.
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“It was on The Amazing Race,” says the creator of the hugely popular HBO series The White Lotus. “My dad was cramping and fainting on the ferry, the entire time it was a train wreck and so much was happening [but] I was like, this city is beautiful, I need to come back here when I’m not running for my life.”
The White Lotus’ Jennifer Coolidge and Mike White ahead of their Vivid Sydney ideas talk on Saturday.Credit: Dion Georgopoulos
Thankfully, White has returned – this time for an event at Vivid Sydney alongside Jennifer Coolidge, the star of both seasons of his hit show – and is having a much more enjoyable experience. Coolidge, who prior to The White Lotus was best known for her roles in American Pie and Legally Blonde, had a much more positive introduction to the harbour city than White.
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“I had an incredible experience,” she says of her first time in Sydney. “I had some very late nights here that went really well.”
Coolidge’s character Tanya McQuoid became a fan favourite after the Hawaii-based first season of The White Lotus – which also starred Australia’s Murray Bartlett – and was the only character to return for season two of the show, filmed in Sicily.
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At the end of the second season (spoiler alert) Tanya meets her demise on a yacht. Given Coolidge is staying right on the harbour, and the weather this weekend is perfect for a sunny cruise, it prompts an obvious question: how safe does she feel getting on a Sydney ferry?
“I have had enough of Mike White’s boats,” she replies. “I can’t believe the yachts outside this window, I mean it’s like a fairy tale. I also want to say, I heard that all you people are commuting on boats. What a great way to get to work. Get on a boat and take a nap!”
