When Jennifer Coolidge’s fan-favorite character Tanya fell overboard from a yacht in the most dramatic manner possible during The White Lotus season 2 finale, fans were shocked that the show had killed her – and in such a cruel way too.
As it turns out we weren’t the only ones surprised by Tanya’s death as her co-star Natasha Rothwell, who plays spa manager Belinda in the first and third seasons of the hit series, was just as taken aback by it.
Speaking to GamesRadar+, Rothwell reveals that she had no idea what fate awaited Tanya, so couldn’t believe her eyes upon watching that jaw-dropping conclusion. As she tells us: “I watched right along with everyone else. That Sunday, I was seated, I watched, screamed, texted Jennifer, and was like, ‘What the fuck?’ Because it took me by surprise. I was like, ‘There’s no way it’s Jennifer fucking Coolidge.’ Like, why would they, like… but leave it to HBO to Game of Thrones her. I was just like, there she goes.”
Of course, things didn’t end well between Belinda and Tanya in season 1. As you may recall, Tanya offered to fund Belinda’s dream of opening up her very own wellness center, only to turn her back on the spa therapist. A heartbroken Belinda then discards her business plan, now disillusioned with life.
After not appearing in the second season, Belinda is back on her feet in The White Lotus season 3, which sees her visiting the chain’s Thailand resort for a training program. As Rothwell says, this is the first big step Belinda has taken since Tanya crushed her dreams, with this season exploring the long-term impact that had on her.
Rothwell reveals: “Some time has happened between the seasons, but I think you do get to see someone who’s a little gun shy in terms of taking risks. I think her coming to Thailand is one of the first big risks that she’s taken since then, putting herself out there to advance her career on her own terms. She’s not relying on other people anymore to make her dreams come true.
“She’s going to try to figure out how to do it herself, which is great, but it also shows that maybe she’s afraid to lean on other people because of that hurt. And so you see the sort of trickle down consequences of vulnerability. For her, daring to do this trip and to be there as a guest, I think is a little bit of a triumph. I think that she’s daring to be seen and step out from the shadows. She gets to be a guest and flirt with what it’s like to be amongst the people that hurt her in season 1.”
As Rothwell says, this time around Belinda is staying as a guest at The White Lotus, which helps switch things up. And not only that, but she has brought her son Zion (Nicholas Duvernay) along with her for the ride.
For the star, she was most excited to explore her character as a mother this time around revealing: “It was really interesting to play around with my own relationship to my mother. He’s [Zion] older so there’s this shift that happens where you’re not just the kid and you have to relate to your parents differently. It was interesting to explore those personal experiences from the other side. It definitely gave me more empathy for my mom.”
The White Lotus season 3 begins on Max on February 16 in the US and February 17 in the UK on Sky. For more, check out our guides to the best HBO shows and the best HBO movies.