Jennifer Coolidge Nearly Turned Down White Lotus After '30 To 40 Lb.' Weight Gain During COVID

Sometimes we ALL need that one really good friend who can tell it like it is and set us straight!

Jennifer Coolidge is feeling that vibe right about now, after she revealed how the COVID pandemic nearly caused her to turn down her iconic role in White Lotus for some very interesting reasons.

The incredibly talented 60-year-old star opened up to Page Six on Monday night about how she nearly passed on her part on the HBO series after struggling with her personal health and well-being during the persistent coronavirus pandemic.

Explaining how the stuck-at-home lifestyle she experienced (like all of us experienced!) during the pandemic affected her weight, mental health, and overall well-being, the Fungies actress explained:

“I just didn’t want to be on camera that fat because of my excessive eating during COVID. I thought we were all going to die, I really did, so I was just eating myself to death. Vegan pizzas, sometimes five or six in a day.”

OMG!

The Legally Blonde star told the outlet that she thinks she put on “between 30 to 40 pounds” during the pandemic as she tried to deal with all the news coming out throughout the early part of the ordeal.

Then, when White Lotus creator Mike White came to her with the offer to join the now-popular TV show, she was “ready to concoct some phony story” so that she didn’t have to see herself on camera after having gained weight.

Coolidge explained that she was all but ready to do that in a conversation with White, and officially nix the offer to join the cast, before an unnamed friend of hers set her straight with some real talk:

“I’m fat right now. And she [the friend] said, ‘Jennifer this is all you have! What the f**k?’ She was like, ‘These opportunities don’t come around, you idiot!'”

Whoa! Very straightforward, indeed.

But as Coolidge explained, it actually was exactly what she needed to get past her hang-ups and take on what ended up being an amazing opportunity for her!

The Cinderella Story actress went on to reflect on the importance of having a good friend like that, saying:

“We all need these friends. A lot of actors make huge mistakes, I don’t know why, we want a great moment to happen but then when it comes along we somehow talk ourselves out of it, I think that’s very typical of an actor, to screw it up for themselves but I had a great friend that stopped me from doing that.”

Very wise! And very true!

Ever the sarcastic queen in addition to being supremely talented on camera, Coolidge also quipped that she wasn’t going to end up being too worried about the situation, anyways, closing out with this line:

“I was always kind of pudgy anyway so what’s another 40 pounds. It’s all in our head. I’m just glad I had a good friend who talked me off the ledge and didn’t blow a really cool gig. If I had watched White Lotus and realized I [could have done it] I would have jumped off a bridge.”

That’s an intense comparison, but the point stands — she conquered a totally understandable personal hang-up with the help of a good friend, and she reaped the benefits of taking a chance and betting on herself.

Good for her! (And that friend!!!)

[Image via WENN/Avalon/HBO/YouTube]