Grief has never been more spectacularly shaken than in HBO's new limited series The White Lotus. Funny Woman's Jennifer Coolidge plays Tanya McQuaid, a woman who visits a Hawaiian resort to cope with the grief of losing her mother. Coolidge's character is heartbreakingly sensitive, yet somewhat goofy, and makes us laugh through our tears. Starring an ensemble cast including Connie Britton, Molly Shannon, and Sydney Sweeney, this social satire film brilliantly juxtaposes the island's entitled guests with the increasingly feeble hotel staff and shows that paradise does not solve all problems It teaches us that paradise does not solve all problems. In fact, you may end up drowning in paradise, and before the July 11 premiere, Coolidge chatted with us about her bucket list, how Ariana Grande revitalized her career, and the 20th anniversary of "Legally Blonde."

Marie Claire: Your character sets a darkly eccentric tone for the show. What drew you to the role?

Jennifer Coolidge: I played his love interest (in 2009's "Gentlemen Broncos"). He told me he wrote [the role] with me in mind. I thought it was interesting because there are some really unflattering things about this character.

MC: Did you find any similarities with Tanya?

JC: Mike always does justice to every character. Her lack of self-awareness sometimes makes her seem not so good because [she is] so self-absorbed. But it's someone who has lost her mother so much that she couldn't help it. I think Mike knew that losing his mother was a very big deal. It happened much earlier in my life than I thought would happen. I was alone a lot [during the pandemic], so I had to face things that were buried. So it was easy for me to access those feelings to play Tanya. I feel like a kind of redemption happened in playing her that I never would have expressed in my own life. [Mike] encourages you to face your demons, but I remember there were days [during filming] when it was a little dark.

MC: How did you develop trust with Mike?

JC: Mike called me one day and said, "I'm going to Africa. My boyfriend can't come. If you want, you can be my guest. I was reading the script later and I thought, oh, Mike has been observing my trip. He never misses a beat. I see him imitating me, and I'm like, oh, no. That's me. But I don't know if my travels with men and my relationships with men are exactly parallel to what he wrote [for Tanya].

MC: This show is a follow-up to Promising Young Woman, which was a departure for you. Have you made a conscious decision to play more dramatic roles?

JC: It's a strange thing, because a lot of the time I'm not offered anything other than the role I'm playing. I play lofty figures, very big personalities, and I'm very happy to be in "PYW," because it's a very unique role, and it's one that I'm very proud of, and it's one that I'm very proud of. I was really happy to be in "PYW," because it was a great opportunity for me to be able to play a role in "PYW. It's very gratifying to have someone who believes that you can do other things.

MC: July 13th will mark 20 years since "Legally Blonde" was released, and 20 years later, the film is still being talked about. Have you seen the film since its initial release?

JC: I will watch the film again with myself in it, but just not in my role. I cannot see myself on camera. I don't want to see myself acting. But I saw "Legally Blonde" once. A lot of women came up to me and said that that movie was the reason they went to law school. It really had an impact on me. But I had a good feeling when we were shooting it.

MC: Have you started shooting the third film yet?

JC: Every week someone calls me and says, "It's a go sign. Legally Blonde 3. it's coming soon. But it never goes any further.

MC: If it comes to fruition, do you have any hopes for Paulette as you play her?

JC: I'd like to see Paulette and (Elle) have some big adventures. A wild ride. [MC: You'll also be in the film "Shotgun Wedding" with Jennifer Lopez.

JC: It's a fun script, but you never know what the movie will be like until you get a taste at a table reading. Josh [Duhamel] and Jennifer sat next to each other and played scenes, and it was immediately clear that there was really great chemistry between them.

MC: You've played a lot of iconic roles. Paulette" still resonates with people. I can also think of "American Pie". Do you have a favorite or most difficult role?

JC: "White Lotus." [And "Promise Young Woman" was a game-changer in my career. I'm also grateful to Ariana Grande, who called me to ask me to be in the music video for "Thank U, Next. There didn't seem to be a lot of interesting movie roles [at the time], and then all of a sudden these cool roles started coming around.

MC: You were in your 30s when you got your first "big break" playing Stiffler's mother. Were you aware at the time that acting at that age was contrary to many industry standards?

JC: I don't have a typical career. I was not the kind of person who pursued it very hard. It was much more important to me to have a boyfriend than it was to have an acting career. I would try to get a job at the slightest opportunity, but then I would just sit back and wait for the phone to ring. I don't think I worked very hard at my job.

MC: Do you feel like you always have to fight age discrimination in the industry?

JC: I mean, I'm Josh Duhamel's mother (in "Shotgun Wedding"), but I'm 10 or 11 years older than him. It's not really possible [to actually be his mother], but I wasn't going to forgo that job. So I don't mind. But if it's a really interesting role, if the script is good, I don't really care about that.

MC: What's left on your career bucket list?

JC: I want to be on Broadway again. I want to do serious stage work. I want to be in scarier movies. There are no limits.

A version of this article appears in the Summer 2021 issue of Marie Claire.