Scott Glenn almost never played Jim Hollinger in season three of HBO’s The White Lotus, dismissing the role he was offered as just another old guy part until he sat down and watched the show.
Appearing on Thursday’s episode of The Daily Show, Glenn revealed that when he was first offered the part of Hollinger, he turned it down. “I just finished a film called Eugene the Marine that was tons of martial arts and dancing and shit like that, and it was basically about ageism and how you deal with it when you’re old and still have a life left in the tank,” the actor said. “And [The White Lotus producers] sent me a description of this old guy with a cane, and I thought fuck that.”
The veteran actor, who starred in classic films like The Right Stuff, Silverado, Nashville, and Backdraft, quickly changed his mind, however, after watching the show. “So that night, Carol, my wife and I watched the show and inside, probably 15 minutes — I was sucked right into it. [And I thought], you know, I think I want to be a part of this deal. I talked to [creator Mike White] the next morning.”
Daily Show host Michael Kosta then asked Glenn specifically about his mysterious character. “We don’t know if he killed the dad, if he’s Walton Goggin’s dad… What can you tell us, or are you acting right now by not giving it away?” asked Kosta.
“I can tell you, stay tuned,” said Glenn with a smile.
Later in the interview, Kosta returned to White Lotus, and asked Glenn his thoughts on the show grappling with men who have a litany of issues. A somewhat pleading Kosta asked, “In The White Lotus, there’s a spectrum of men with issues that are complex: They’re seeking revenge. They have depression, and I just, you know, I feel, men right now are struggling. There’s a male friendship recession. Depression rates are high. This part isn’t really funny, um. Suicide rates [are high]. I’m very curious. I love the masculinity you portray, but what are your thoughts on men today? What can we steal. What can we learn from an older generation that would help us?”
Once again, Glenn, famed for his intense and understated acting style was giving nothing away, replying simply: “Never pay a tariff.”
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