Mike likes to stick to reality.
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Before it aired last night, few people knew what would happen inThe White Lotussseason finale.
Aw,damn it!
How long did you know Tanya would die?I knew very early on.
Even before he was planning for Italy, Mike told me he wanted me inWhite Lotustwo.
And I said, What?
And he goes, You die, Jennifer.
Youre gonna die inWhite Lotustwo.
And I said, Oh,no!
Youve gotta be kidding me!
I tried to talk him out of it, but Mike is very strong.
He said I was going to have a tragic ending, and he stuck to his guns.
He said, Were definitely killing you, Jennifer.
And I said, Aw,damn it!
What did you think when you read the script?I was surprised!
I really liked that.
When we were shooting it, I felt like I could even have shot myself.
Just remember that killing something is hard for her.
As unattractive as she is at times shes such a handful and unlikable she really isnt awful.
Not like guys who are willing to take someones life as if its nothing.
Theres such a range of emotions in those final scenes.
I wanted it to be me.
I wanted it to be me falling off the boat.
I didnt want it to be a stunt double.
Mike was like, The waters really cold!
And I said, I dont care if the waters cold!
I want to fall off the boat!
He said, Jennifer, our stunt double has been waiting here all night to do her stunt.
It would be weird to say, Hey you’ve got the option to go home now.
But I was like,I get why Tom Cruise wants to do his own stunts.
You think,Well, why cant I do that?
But it wouldve been fun.
I heard Mike telling someone thats what happens with Tanya because I think thats what happens to Jennifer.
She locks herself in the bathroom or something.
She can get the big stuff done but not small things.
Some weird little thing can just mess her up.
Theres something, unfortunately, very unconscious about me.
You know, Mike and I went to Africa together, and we were staying in a tent.
Im that kind of person.
Im thinking about something else and then I just walk out there with the wild animal.
I think if they were pumps, it would be weird.
Ah, because theyd be much easier to take off.Yeah!
Youre just having to make a decision, your life is at stake.
We shot that a couple different ways, but I dont think we ever shot it without the heels.
It is so weird, though.
You do such great improvisational work.
Was there any ad-libbing in any of your big finale scenes?
I dont know if Mike wrote that or if I improvised it.
There were some things like that that did make it, but I dont know.
When in doubt, I want to say its Mike White.
I add whenever I can, and some of it works.
But that couldve been a Mike White line.
We were trying to come up with some little thing that would be an encouragement to herself.
We were shooting so fast, trying to get seven episodes in this short amount of time.
I had to hold my breath for a long time.
You know, Ive only seen the finale once now.
I watched it Sunday night with Mike White.
Im not sure what was me and what was the stunt double.
It mustve been pretty wild watching it with Mike last night.It was!
I was one of the few people that knew the finale.
And yet I thought it was really suspenseful!
I thought that was a good sign.
I told Mike, Isnt it weird that Im watching it as though I have no idea?
Hes really good at building tension.
The finale was such a secret.
But Im surprised no one leaked it!
I thought maybe someone would tell their wife or something.
But everyone was so closed-lipped about it.
It really blows me away.
The betrayal, the cheating Im most interested in that topic.
How do you have a good relationship, how can you make it last, when theres infidelity?
How can you survive it?
I thought it was so well written.
Ive been interested in that topic for 30 years.
He tries to murder her.
Tanya was sort of doomed.
I think she had to go.
So many of these stories are bad in real life.
The guy ends up with all the money.
But if youre asking me, the actress, if Im sad about it yes.
I am sad about moving on.
Its good to mix it up, though.
Mike White is truly the greatest friend.
He gave meWhite Lotusone and two.
If he asked me to come back as someone else?
Or asked me to do a prequel?
I would totally do it.
