‘White Lotus’ actor Carrie Coon on Mike White, Chicago theater

Presently, Coon stars within the third season of Mike White’s award-winning HBO anthology The White Lotus. Her character is one in a trio of middle-aged girls who take a ladies’ journey to Thailand. Whereas they’re ostensibly vacationing, every character’s secrets and techniques lurk below an in any other case placid floor. It’s the kind of layered, complicated character that has attracted Coon all through her profession.

WBEZ theater reporter Mike Davis spoke with Coon in March about The White Lotus, working with White on character growth and the perennial pull of theater.

Mike Davis: On this present season of The White Lotus, you play Laurie Duffy, a personality that, because the season is unfolding, nonetheless looks like a thriller in numerous methods. What drew you to her?

Carrie Coon: What drew me to the function is Mike White. I’m a fan of Chuck & Buck. I really like the present Enlightened, which he did a variety of years in the past on HBO with Laura Dern. It’s thematically much like The White Lotus. It offers with spirituality, demise and enlightenment. So, I’ve all the time needed to work with Mike. We had a gathering a variety of years in the past, however we by no means discovered one thing to work on. And after I discovered there was a personality my age, or three of them, I made an [audition] tape, and Mike responded. Then I labored it out with my husband on how one can go away from him and our two youngsters for six months in Thailand [where the third season of The White Lotus is set].

What was it like working with Mike White? Folks say he’s very hands-on and has a transparent imaginative and prescient for story and character.

I imply, look, should you’ve been doing this lengthy sufficient, you understand that the worst form of director is one which’s making arbitrary choices. Nothing Mike does is bigoted. He is aware of his characters inside and outside. He’s written all of the episodes and he’s directing them. He has numerous inventive management. And what’s fantastic about Mike is just not solely is the writing glorious, however he’s not treasured in regards to the writing. So, he’s keen to make adjustments on the fly if one thing doesn’t sound correct, or he’s keen to pursue a top quality in an actor that he enjoys, throw out one other joke, shift a joke barely. He’s open to your ideas. It’s very playful to be on set with Mike.

He additionally could be very compassionate and beneficiant and desires to make it possible for everyone feels included within the collaboration — which, in my expertise, is rather more akin to theater. He desires the opposite artists who’re engaged on hair, make-up or digicam to really feel like they’re included within the course of and revered. I respect him main that approach as effectively, as a result of he is aware of that the situations he’s placing us actors in are difficult. You already know, we’re removed from dwelling. We’re shifting [locations] round so much. We moved about 12 instances, and the warmth was actually excessive. He mentioned at our premiere that everyone is aware of this was not a simple job, which I feel is the misperception about one thing like this — that it’s one way or the other straightforward when it’s actually not. It’s fairly excessive.

For higher or for worse, all of us watch TV with social media now. We’re watching this trio of ladies who appear to be regarded by audiences because the present’s most relatable characters. How a lot of that dynamic is Mike’s script and the way a lot of that’s the three of you [Coon with actresses Michelle Monaghan and Leslie Bibb] having actually good chemistry with one another?

I’d say 75% Mike and 25% chemistry, as a result of Mike is aware of precisely what he’s doing. He has very deliberately put a relatable storyline in a season that has some very Greek, very transgressive themes that may be alienating for some viewers. However this dynamic could be very recognizable for individuals, and it’s a nice entry into the present — a kind of tender touchdown place for individuals who really feel challenged by a number of the different issues and different questions Mike is elevating within the present. It’s good writing, that’s what it’s.

And Mike will inform you he noticed three girls on trip. He referred to as them a “blonde blob,” and so they had been on the desk collectively, and he’s like, “I couldn’t actually inform them aside. They seemed precisely the identical. However then considered one of them would rise up and depart, and the opposite two would begin speaking in regards to the one who left.” So, he truly noticed this in motion. He loves the ladies. He understands them. He may play any of us within the present higher than we’re taking part in them ourselves. And so, he simply had a lot compassion for what these girls are going by means of at this place of their lives, the place they’re analyzing the life selections they’ve made in relationship to their pals.

And, such as you identified, we’re all residing on this world the place we’re performing self on social media. It’s completely absurd, and everybody’s feeling lonely and everybody’s feeling omitted, and everybody’s pretending they’re not. And should you ask any considered one of these girls who’s probably the most judged, omitted or lonely, they’d every say themselves. It’s simply that Laurie occurs to be portraying it within the story extra totally. And he or she’s in a spot in her life the place you may argue she’s — I feel objectively — much less profitable than her pals. And he or she’s not being forthright with them in regards to the challenges that she’s dealing with, as a result of it hurts her ego.

What’s it prefer to movie this collection? It’s an anthology, so numerous actors and characters are simply coming into the story now, nevertheless it’s additionally set and filmed in Thailand.

It’s fascinating as a result of, after all, now we have a few actors who’ve been by means of it earlier than, in order that they’ve skilled the world of The White Lotus in every place. However, they’ll inform you, in each iteration, there may be some type of extremity within the location, whether or not it’s climate or COVID. And you understand, it’s like a brand new present each season for everyone, as a result of they’ve a brand new crew, a wholly totally different location, language and climate.

For us, the group of women, we had been the primary staff up for the primary couple of weeks. They shot all of our scenes within the villa, so we had been a part of that studying curve. And so, in that approach, it simply feels such as you’re making a brand new present, even when the construction of it’s related. And this season opens with an actual banger, actually, the place it looks like a way more excessive model of that homicide thriller is unfolding. If Mike has his approach, it would simply proceed to get larger and extra worldwide and extra chaotic.

So, it’s intense. That area of the world skilled probably the most excessive temperatures we’ve ever had since retaining observe, and now they’re forward of that document this 12 months. The temperatures are literally extra excessive, which is a disgrace, as a result of The White Lotus attracts numerous tourism to the locations the place it shoots, and persons are going to be struggling below these actually excessive situations in Thailand.

So, it was not straightforward. It was 115 levels and extremely humid. The UV index could be very excessive. I imply, I didn’t go outdoors from 9 to five on days after I wasn’t capturing, as a result of that’s how harmful being within the solar is there. There are villages in Thailand that don’t have any water, even because the resorts have infinite quantities of water for the vacationers who’re coming by means of. So, you see that exploitation firsthand. And naturally, whereas Mike is glamorizing and glorifying that form of trip, he’s effectively conscious of the darkish aspect and exploitation that’s occurring in that system as effectively.

What’s it like for you as an artist, juggling theater, tv and movie? And at this level in your profession, do you’re feeling extra pure in both of these areas?

I’m actually spending extra time on digicam today than I’m on the stage. However I had traditionally been capable of get again on stage each two or three years. However I feel I’m over three years now. I’ve been attempting very arduous to get some issues going. We might like to get Bug accomplished in New York. We did it in Chicago proper earlier than the pandemic and proper after the pandemic. But it surely’s arduous to get that form of artwork made, as a result of individuals don’t wish to do political theater. They don’t wish to do theater that’s confrontational typically. And likewise, due to the commodification of artwork, you additionally want larger and larger stars to get performs accomplished in New York.

Now, in Chicago, we nonetheless have an actual grassroots, ensemble-based theater scene. That’s not true in New York. It’s very a lot a star system. And so, for anyone like me, I’ve to be on, you understand, a wildly profitable present like The White Lotus earlier than anyone will put me into play, as a result of they’ve to fret about their backside line.

I like getting again to the theater. One of many causes is as a result of we truly get to inform a narrative so as. You already know, on The White Lotus, on my first day of labor, I shot from three or 4 episodes. That’s actually arduous. You haven’t even walked round but as this [character] or opened your mouth, after which all of a sudden, you’re capturing the top of the season on day one — which makes it really feel prefer it’s a miracle something is sweet and that it may all be higher.

That mentioned, a theater schedule is in some methods robust. When you’ve gotten younger youngsters like I’ve, you’re employed on the weekends within the theater. You rehearse throughout the day after which it flip-flops, and you’re employed at night time and you’re employed all weekend. And that’s not an incredible schedule for little youngsters. So, I’ve to say it’s truly tougher to get again on stage as a mother than it’s to do TV and movie, which is bizarre. You would possibly suppose it’s the opposite approach round. However I really feel so grateful to be doing any of it. It’s not straightforward to succeed.

I just lately spoke with the creative administrators at Steppenwolf, and so they have an ensemble season deliberate for the theater’s fiftieth anniversary beginning this fall. They mentioned there could be some shock appearances… Are you one of many surprises?

I imply, it’s not that we didn’t strive. We’re all the time attempting. I’m all the time attempting to get again. However once more, I’ll reiterate that my youngsters are small. I’m in New York for The Gilded Age. There’s a world the place we get to return again to the Midwest, which is the place my coronary heart completely is. Tracy and I are going to do our greatest to help the theater this 12 months and hopefully get again for the gala.

You talked about your husband, Tracy Letts, who’s additionally a fixture in Chicago’s theater scene. You might have a repute for enjoying complicated characters. Is your collection of roles associated to having a husband who additionally has a eager eye for storytelling? Are your alternatives a staff effort?

Effectively, I’ll say that we’re snobs on the subject of materials. Like, we perceive the expression “If it’s not on the web page, it’s not on the stage,” and that’s true for movie as effectively. So, if I’m on the fence a few script, I’ll make Tracy learn it if I simply don’t know if the whole lot’s there or what wants to vary. And so, I’ll contain him typically in these choices.

And we’re balancing two careers: Tracy’s additionally doing numerous movie performing proper now and tv performing. He’s not simply writing. We kind of got here up by means of TV and movie on the similar time, although we’re 15 years aside. And so, I’m additionally balancing his profession. So, we’re all the time asking, “What’s the plain job and the way can we make it work?” The White Lotus was an instance of a kind of plain jobs.

Mike Davis is a theater reporter who covers levels throughout Chicago.