The White Lotus’s Funniest Line Was Ad-Libbed

By Mark McKee | Published

jennifer coolidge the white lotus
Jennifer Coolidge in The White Lotus

HBO‘s The White Lotus is the newest hit for the network, starring Jennifer Coolidge in both seasons and acting as an anthology series. In the second season, the resort manager, played by Sabrina Impacciatore, improvised one of the best lines in the entire show, in which she asked Jennifer Coolidge if she was supposed to be reminiscent of Peppa Pig. She revealed the fact during an interview that was posted on TikTok

@accesshollywood #SabrinaImpacciatore AKA Valentina was shook to find out her Peppa Pig line made it into #WhiteLotus ♬ original sound – Access Hollywood

The scene in The White Lotus involved Jennifer Coolidge in all pink attempting to channel the aura of Monica Vitti, an Italian actress. Sabrina Impacciatore, instead of guessing her fellow actress, threw out the name Peppa Pig, the animated pig from the British animated series of the same name. According to the actress, the goddess and genius Jennifer Coolidge burst into laughter, and Impacciatore wasn’t sure they could use the scene. 

Sabrina Impacciatore in The White Lotus

In the TikTok, the interviewer asked the actor how she felt about the scene, only to find out she was surprised the scene made it in the final cut. She was excited when she discovered that her improved line was allowed to make it into the series since she got an opportunity to do it in front of her idol, Jennifer Coolidge. She revealed that the creator, Mike White, allowed them to improvise in the scene, and she took the opportunity to make Coolidge laugh uncontrollably. 

The White Lotus follows a week in the life of travelers as they spend idyllic days in exotic locals as darker secrets emerge as the days go by. Season 1 stars Connie Britton, Alexandria Daddario, Steve Zahn, Molly Shannon, and Jennifer Coolidge as they spend their week at the resort in Maui. Season 2 relocates the series to their Sicily property and turns over the cast with Aubrey Plaza, Theo James, Tom Hollander, and F. Murray Abraham, along with a returning Jennifer Coolidge. 

Jennifer Coolidge has become known as a character actor and became a household name when she appeared as Stifler’s Mom in the American Pie film franchise. She also starred in the Reese Witherspoon franchise, Legally Blonde, as Paulette Bonafonté Parcelle. Her appearance in The White Lotus solidifies herself as a newfound resource of talent for the industry as more than a character actor. 

Sabrina Impacciatore appears as the mostly-inept resort manager of The White Lotus in Sicily but gets an opportunity to play with someone she looks up to. In the TikTok, she describes how she feels about Jennifer Coolidge, saying she was intimidated by the actress and that she sees her as a goddess and a genius. She showed her excitement about the opportunity to riff off of her idol, thanks to the grace of Mike White for allowing their improvisation. 

The fact that the funniest scene in Season 2 of The White Lotus was ultimately improvised proves that sometimes the best moments happen accidentally. It also shows Sabrina Impacciatore to be a comedic genius that no one saw coming and one that the industry should pay attention to. The White Lotus is available to stream on HBO and is one of the year’s must-watch.