“Bummed” Jennie Garth Reveals She Auditioned for White Lotus Role

by

Jennie Garth didn’t land a reservation at The White Lotus.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve learned everyone faces rejection, and it’s always interesting to hear how people handle it. Recently, a former star of Beverly Hills 90210 opened up about how she felt when she wasn’t cast in the third season of a really popular HBO show. She was surprisingly candid about her disappointment, and it was really relatable to hear her share her honest feelings.

Jennie recently told Susan Lucci on her podcast, I Choose Me, that she was disappointed to not land a role on The White Lotus. She mentioned she would have especially enjoyed filming in Thailand, where that season was shot.

The 53-year-old added, “I was really bummed about that.”

The actress from What I Like About You didn’t say which of the roles in the third season – played by Parker Posey, Carrie Coon, Leslie Bibb, and Michelle Monaghan – she might have taken.

The next season of the Mike White series will be filmed in the South of France. While details about the story and characters are still under wraps, a fantastic cast is preparing to travel to and stay at a luxurious resort there.

I’m thrilled to share some exciting news about the cast for season four! We’ve already got some fantastic actors on board, including Steve Coogan, Caleb Jonte Edwards, Alexander Ludwig, and AJ Michalka. And that’s not all – Chris Messina, the incredibly talented Helena Bonham Carter, and Marissa Long will also be joining us. It’s shaping up to be an amazing season!

Filming for the latest installment, which is known for featuring deaths, took place mainly at the Château de la Messardière in Saint-Tropez, according to several reports.

Fans aren’t the only ones impressed with the details of season four. Jason Isaacs, who starred as Timothy Ratliff in season three, has even admitted he’s a little jealous of the new cast and their filming location.

Jason admitted to feeling envious, telling Entertainment Tonight in January that traveling to France for the show is much easier for him than going to Thailand was. He explained, ‘I can take a train,’ but added that he’s mostly jealous because his friends are going to have an amazing experience.

Before checking into The White Lotus, keep reading for all you need to know about season four…

HBO announced in January 2025 that The White Lotus will return for a fourth season. The renewal came several weeks before the third season even aired, and followed a pitch from the show’s creator, Mike White, outlining plans for more drama and intrigue among the wealthy.

HBO CEO Casey Bloys said in November that if Mike wants to continue the show for a fourth season, it will happen.

Production on season four will likely kick off in 2026, according to Variety.

In December, HBO announced the series would be filmed in France. Reports in January confirmed the main location would be the Château de la Messardière in Saint-Tropez – a stunning 19th-century palace that’s now a luxury hotel.

Before the news was officially announced, actress Parker Posey, known for her work on the show, mentioned to TopMob News that the cast of The White Lotus was planning to film in France.

White and fellow producers had been dropping hints, too.

HBO executive Francesca Orsi recently told Deadline they’ll be scouting locations over the next few weeks to determine where they’ll film. While she wouldn’t reveal the exact location, she indicated it will likely be somewhere in Europe.

Chances, she emphasized.

Orsi explained that while they’ve discussed potential filming locations in certain countries, they haven’t started actively searching for specific spots yet, so there’s no news to share at this time.

After the season three finale aired on April 6th, White told HBO he wanted to move away from the show’s previously intense and dramatic style – which he described as ‘crashing waves against rocks’ – in the next season.

“But,” he added, “there’s always room for more murders at the White Lotus hotels.”

While attending the Vivid Festival in Sydney in June 2023, White shared that Australia is a place he’s always dreamed of visiting.

He said it sounded like a lot of fun, adding that the talent was incredible and the surroundings were beautiful, making it seem like everything was perfect.

I’m so excited to share some casting news! We’ve officially welcomed Alexander Ludwig, who you might recognize from The Hunger Games, and AJ Michalka of Aly & AJ to the show. What’s really fun is that both of them are musicians themselves, having released albums previously, so there’s a chance their characters might have some musical abilities – stay tuned!

Cristóbal Tapia de Veer, the Emmy-winning composer known for the music of The White Lotus, won’t be returning for the fourth season. He says this is due to creative differences with the show’s creator, Mike White, which began during the first season.

Tapia de Veer explained to the New York Times that a few months prior, he’d informed the team he wouldn’t be returning. He intentionally waited to tell Mike Flanagan until the very end, hoping for a bit of a surprise. However, Flanagan did find out before the season concluded.

I’ll never forget the incredible theme music Bear McCreary wrote for the first season – it was so instantly memorable, they even used it to open season two! He told me it was a real battle to get it approved, though. Apparently, the showrunner didn’t initially want it, which is hard to believe now, seeing how successful it’s become. He said getting to that point, where everyone loved it, was a real struggle.

He wasn’t asked to change the show’s opening sequence for the third season, but he did it anyway, which upset many fans.

After the news broke, I was getting calls from everyone – even from media outlets in England and France – all wanting a comment about the theme song. Apparently, people were really upset about the change, which I found fascinating. I suggested to the producer that we eventually release the full version, with all the ‘ooh-loo-loo-loos,’ because I thought fans would be shocked to discover that’s where it was headed all along. He liked the idea, but Mike ultimately decided against it – he wasn’t on board.

The composer explained that they’d already had what felt like their final argument at that time, and because of that, the other person was refusing everything.

On The Howard Stern Show on April 8th, White criticized Tapia de Veer’s decision to publicly complain, calling it a disrespectful act.

Honestly, it really stung to learn he was doing interviews about his departure after the fact. It feels like a lack of respect, and I’m trying to understand what went wrong, but it’s hard when I’m just seeing things play out publicly. It’s definitely left me feeling a bit hurt and confused about the whole situation.

The producer explained they didn’t actually have a real conflict. Despite claims of a feud, it was mostly just him receiving feedback from me.

According to White, their working relationship was successful for the first two seasons because they openly exchanged ideas. However, by the third season, Tapia de Veer no longer wanted to collaborate – he didn’t want to share his work, receive feedback, or even attend recording sessions.

And, White added, “He’s definitely making a big deal out of just a creative difference.”

Jennifer Coolidge was happily surprised that Jon Gries, who played both Tanya’s intriguing love interest Greg in the first season and her scheming husband in the second, was willing to return for season three as the villainous widower, Gary. However, Gries has indicated that, as far as he’s aware, his character’s romantic storyline is finished.

However, that’s what he thought last time.

He told The Hollywood Reporter that he doesn’t plan on returning to the show, but isn’t ruling it out completely. After the third season concluded with Gary’s secret still hidden, he added that he always considers each departure to be permanent.

Despite the fun of constantly introducing new guests – as White joked to The New Yorker, imagining being able to ‘start fresh’ each season – the show has demonstrated that, as long as a character isn’t actually killed off…

Mike White consistently keeps everyone guessing with his creative choices,” said actor Nicholas Braun to The Hollywood Reporter. “I didn’t expect to be back for season two, and the same was true for season three. He always adds unexpected twists. I’m definitely interested in returning if the show continues, but I honestly don’t know if my character, Greg, has finished his story arc.

Unless the show creates a prequel story or introduces a multiverse, there’s no realistic way for Jennifer Coolidge’s character, Tanya, to return except through a flashback or dream. Fans have held onto hope since she tragically fell from a yacht in the season two finale, where it was revealed she was the body found at the beginning of the season – especially because she was the only character who appeared in both seasons one and two.

White has acknowledged feeling Tanya’s absence, but understands why Coolidge chose to eliminate her, despite her good intentions, naiveté, and immense wealth.

Coolidge described White as someone who stands by his choices, speaking on TopMob News in January 2023 after the season finale. She said he’s a great friend, but he had decided on a dramatic and over-the-top ending for The White Lotus 2, and that meant Tanya had to be sacrificed.

She confirmed to The New Yorker that she wouldn’t be returning for season three, which was filmed in Thailand, stating, “I don’t think Tanya’s ever coming back, so I have to accept that.”

Read More

2026-02-06 16:52