‘The White Lotus’ Fans Have Discovered Jon Gries’ Role in a Cult Classic 2000s Movie — Here’s Why He Looks So Familiar
The White Lotus premiered on HBO in July of 2021. The Emmy-winning series became an instant sensation, and fans and followers were thrilled to see The White Lotus return for another season.
With many new names and faces on the season two cast, fans were excited to see some familiar fan favorites. Of course, the beloved and hysterical Jennifer Coolidge was one of the returnees. Coming back with her was Greg, Tanya’s unconventional husband.
Greg, who Jon Gries portrays, has been a bit of a controversial character. Even though fans may be unable to figure out how they feel about Gries, they may have figured out why they recognize the elusive man from The White Lotus.
Jon Gries as Greg in ‘The White Lotus’
Fans and followers of The White Lotus first met Greg in “Recentering.” The Season 1 episode showed Tanya’s almost instant infatuation with Gries’ character. However, Greg’s cough made it very apparent he was very sick.
With the help of Tanya’s wealth, Greg returned for Season 2 of The White Lotus looking much healthier and, to no surprise, as a husband. Unfortunately, it soon became apparent that Gries and Tanya weren’t exactly a happy couple. The infamous and secret phone call Greg had on the balcony made viewers everywhere raising their eyebrows.
Many people have been speculating and wondering, but as Gries pointed out in his interview with EW, there is always more than meets the eye in The White Lotus. The actor explained, “You just don’t know. And that’s the thing. Mike White plays multilevel chess. It’s 3D chess. It’s not just one board, it’s layers.”
Without giving any spoilers, while speaking about Season 2, Gries said, “There’s going to be something that everybody’s going to learn about a lot of these relationships, and something will be illuminated about the relationship with Tanya and Greg.”
There has been a ton of discourse over whether or not Greg is a trustworthy character, and as fans and followers wonder about Greg and his future with Tanya, they may have realized the actor was featured in this 2000 classic blockbuster.
Fans of ‘The White Lotus’ may remember Jon Gries from this classic 2000s movie
The 2000s were a great time for comedy classics. Old School, Knocked Up, Super Bad, and Step Brothers are just a few. Napoleon Dynamite was another movie from this era that made a lasting impact on audiences and pop culture.
The 2004 movie directed by Jared Hess told the tale of quirky and eccentric teenagers navigating high school while trying to win a school election. Playing Napoleon himself was Jon Heder. Efren Ramirez, Tina Majorino, and even Haylie Duff, Hilary Duff’s sister, were cast in Napoleon Dynamite.
Believe it or not, as many of The White Lotus fans have realized, Gries was also cast in Napoleon Dynamite. Playing the part of Uncle Rico, Gries and his character fit into the outlandish plot and film perfectly.
Ned Hardy‘s feature recapped the anecdote behind how Gries landed the role, and as the story went, when they couldn’t find anyone to fill the role of Uncle Rico, they called up Gries. After reading a few pages of the script, Gries remembers laughing out loud and calling the Hess back to let him know he was in.
Jon Gries’ vision for the future
The White Lotus‘ fatal finale premiered on December 11. With all eyes on Gries, many wonder what the star’s future holds. While celebrating and reflecting on his remarkable 50-year career, the star shared his hopes and dreams for the future.
Gries told The Westside Gazette, “I would love to either be in a Broadway play or direct a Broadway play. I’ve directed plays before. I think it would be a lot of fun. I don’t mean a Broadway musical. I’d like to do a classical piece of theater.”
