The White Lotus Casting: Secrets, Stars, and Chance Encounters

On the day following the resolution of the 2023 actors’ strike, the production team responsible for The White Lotus disclosed all open roles for season three.

Reflecting on the past, casting director Meredith Tucker, longtime friend of creator Mike White, recollects that our approach might have been overly daring. After all, it was a highly sought-after show, and reportedly, one of the first episodes to air following a breakdown in production. The atmosphere was electrifying with everyone harboring immense energy. To put it simply, it was an overwhelming experience, almost like wishing you could vanish beneath your chair.

For the following months, she and her team will scrutinize audition videos meticulously. Regardless of past accomplishments, every contender must try out for “The White Lotus”. If chosen, they all receive the same pay (not substantial for many), and their credits are listed in alphabetical order rather than by status. According to producer David Bernad, this approach ensures that people join the project with genuine motivation.

As we gear up for the Grand Finale on April 6th, I can’t help but share some fascinating tidbits about our journey to Thailand for Season 3. Each one of us, the actors, has an intriguing story about how we ended up in this tropical paradise. Can’t wait to spill the beans!

“The Big Blonde Blob”

The group that White nicknamed “the large, blond figure” needed to be composed of women who were similar in appearance and approximately the same age. Tucker received numerous video submissions from younger women, but White favored women in their forties instead. Leslie Bibb, with help from her partner Sam Rockwell and friend Chris Messina for her audition tape (which featured the well-known Trump scene), was the first to join the team, and the rest of the group was built around her.

The role portrayed by actress Jaclyn, who was generously hosting her friends during this vacation, turned out to be the most challenging to perfect. As Tucker explains, “It’s quite a tough task to determine how much of an act is the real actor acting.” Eventually, Tucker decided on Michelle Monaghan for the part. At one stage, several months into production, Monaghan and her fellow actors, including Carrie Coon, questioned what kind of television series Jaclyn’s character was meant to star in.

On the night when Trump was making a scene, we were heading to our set in the dead of the night. Turning to Mike, I asked, ‘By the way, which show is she on? Everyone seems intrigued,'” Monaghan remembers. “He replied, ‘I’m not sure. It doesn’t matter. She’s simply amazing!’ That was all that mattered to me.

The “Soulmates”

Rick Hatchett’s role was crucial, yet its formation took time rather than expected. Originally, Woody Harrelson had agreed to take the part, as reported by several sources; however, when that didn’t materialize, the team shifted their focus. The producers and Tucker envisioned a less flamboyant, more introspective character for Walton Goggins. They were so confident in Goggins’ abilities, given his impressive previous performances, they extended the offer directly to him without the usual audition process.

In a restaurant, the actor from Fallout was having dinner with his representatives when they broke the news to him. “I went outside, phoned my wife, and cried profusely,” he recounted. The producers made it a condition that he read all eight episodes before agreeing to the role, which he did during a long flight. He not only enjoyed what he read, but he also felt overwhelmed by the parallels between the character’s dismal past and his own experiences.

Initially, Tucker and his team were primarily interested in actresses around their mid-thirties to late thirties for the role of Rick’s supposed soulmate, Chelsea. However, they later changed course and considered a younger actress. To increase her chances, Wood submitted audition tapes in both her American accent and her native one. Tucker and White, who appreciated Wood’s performance in Sex Education, ultimately found the native version more compelling.

Wood often describes herself as someone who easily adapts to situations, but securing her dream role on her favorite show was not a casual matter for her. She shares that she was asked to emulate a young Goldie Hawn, whom she admires greatly, and the character’s interest in astrology, like hers, made it even more enticing. As luck would have it, Wood found out she got the part while at a pub, and soon enough, the tune of “The White Lotus” was filling the air to mark the celebration.

Mr. & Mrs. Ratliff

Even though other actresses were being considered for the role of Ratliff matriarch, White had long been interested in Parker Posey. This was after they crossed paths at Jennifer Coolidge’s well-known Halloween party in New Orleans, where the theme was Grimm’s Fairy Tales. On that night, White was dressed as Hansel and Posey was Cinderella. They exchanged a few words. Or, as Posey remembers it, “I found myself alone at a cheese table past midnight, pondering, ‘Should I have another serving of cheese?’ Just then, White was about to leave and said, ‘Hey, just wanted to tell you that you’re doing an amazing job lately.’ Blah blah blah. See you later!’ It suddenly dawned on me: Maybe I’m going to be part of White Lotus. My friends replied, ‘Of course you are.’

Despite not being an obvious choice, both Tucker and Bernad were deeply captivated by Jason Isaacs’ performance in the 2017 black comedy “The Death of Stalin”. They were so intrigued that they wanted him to audition. Isaacs initially thought he had botched it, but evidently, he hadn’t. At that time, however, he hadn’t watched the first two seasons of “The White Lotus”. This didn’t prevent him from expressing his gratitude to White for being a part of what he considered “the best TV show”. After reading the scripts for season 3, he went back and watched seasons 2 and 3, and was glad to find out that he had indeed been truthful in his praise.

The Rat-liff Pack

According to Tucker’s account, the Ratliff siblings required more time for their casting due to their lesser-known status and the need for them to appear as a family unit. Schwarzenegger submitted an audition tape inspired by a brief character description of Saxon, the eldest Ratliff child, which was something like “a finance broker from the South who works for his father and is quite the charmer.” The producers felt Schwarzenegger had to surmount the challenges posed by his famous surname, a hurdle he overcame swiftly. In reality, he followed the advice of his brother-in-law, Chris Pratt, an actor, who urged him to make his audition tape stand out. To achieve this, Schwarzenegger “flirted” with the camera, as he put it, which undeniably left a lasting impression on the producers.

Simultaneously, Sam Nivola was impressed by the writing quality. He remarks that even the audition scripts were exceptionally good, which is rare. “Often, you have to deal with subpar writing and think, ‘It’s a struggle to make it sound decent.'”, he says. Additionally, he mentions that his contract did include some explicit, same-sex scenes, but admits, “I wasn’t anticipating that.” On the other hand, Sarah Catherine Hook describes her casting process as taking longer than she preferred because the role seemed like a dream part from the get-go. After finally being cast, she watched White’s ‘School of Rock’ with her family to celebrate.

The Love Birds

Lalisa Manobal, popularly known as Lisa of Blackpink, yearned for a fresh endeavor, and acting appeared to be a logical progression for the K-pop artist. With The White Lotus, one of her favorite series, announcing auditions in her homeland Thailand, she seized the opportunity by recording an audition tape and sending it across. This action led to a formal audition in Phuket before White and Bernad. Admittedly, Manobal was apprehensive. Admittedly, White had doubts.

If an opportunity for more acting arises, I would be thrilled to take it. At the moment, there’s nothing in the pipeline, but I remain open!

Tayme Thapthimthong wasn’t acquainted with the HBO drama when the local casting director contacted him. “I primarily watch spy thrillers and action movies, not shows where you need to pay close attention,” he chuckles. “So, I watched the first season to prepare, and I didn’t quite grasp it. What’s the plot? Who’s the villain? But by the third or fourth episode, I figured out that it’s all about building tension.

About a decade ago, he collaborated with the casting director for a movie titled “Mechanic 2”. However, since then, he had chosen to pursue an army career and private security work. At that moment, the casting director contacted him about playing the character of Gaitok, whom Thapthimthong describes as the least effective security guard. “She asked me, ‘I heard you’re no longer in the army, are you interested in returning to acting?'” he recounts. “The timing was ideal because I truly desired it.

The Return of Greg (or is it Gary?)

Jon Gries frequently returns to the series “The White Lotus,” a surprise given that he wasn’t anticipating an invitation for the first season, let alone the second. As the actor reminisces, he shares that initially, the character who ended up in the bag was meant to be his, but the creator decided against it mid-production as they felt it would be too obvious.

When White contacted about season two via text, he inquired if Gries could participate. He didn’t want to include Greg if the actor wasn’t going to be present. “I replied, ‘You’re joking? I’m there.’ He said, ‘Okay, it will be Sicily in March. By the way, Greg is wicked.’ That was all,” says Gries. The offer for season three also arrived via text, and the arrangement was to keep it a secret, which everyone involved made sure happened. In fact, he informed everyone he knew that he was going to the Philippines to shoot a new TV series for a European network. Now, Gries admits: “I’m using this as an opportunity to apologize to everyone I deceived.

Belinda, Belinda, Belinda

Natasha Rothwell dined with White when he was visiting for the 2022 Emmys, as his show had been nominated, along with several of its cast members, including Rothwell herself. He’d hinted to her about considering the return of Belinda, but now he was decided on it. However, he hadn’t yet decided where in Asia they would film — at that time, White was keen on Japan — but the upcoming season would delve into spiritual themes. “I’ll be there,” she replied. A formal announcement followed shortly afterward, but then a writers’ strike occurred and it wouldn’t be for many long months before other actors joined Rothwell.

As a dedicated admirer, I’d like to highlight Rothwell’s extraordinary collaboration with White. She values my unique viewpoint as a Black woman and a writer/showrunner, and this is evident in our creative process during seasons one and three. Before filming my scenes, we would go over them together, and I would suggest ways to make them more genuinely reflective of my personal experiences. As I explain, “Mike’s talent is unparalleled, so it’s not about me critiquing his writing. It’s about me presenting ideas, and he brilliantly brings them to life.

The New Girl

Initially, another actress portrayed the character Chloe during pre-production weeks. However, it soon became noticeable that this actress seemed too youthful and petite, especially considering she shared significant screen time with taller actors like Wood, Nivola, and Schwarzenegger. As a result, Charlotte Le Bon was requested to audition via video tape. She studied her lines during her flight back from Paris and began working on her submission as soon as she returned home.

Three to four days following our conversation, Le Bon narrates, it was me who was discussing my travel plans to Thailand. Not long after arriving, I found myself tasked with shooting an ‘odd’ threesome scene. Despite this, the main difficulty lay in my late arrival on set because strong bonds had already been forged among a cast that had been together for several weeks. In fact, she admits, ‘I cried quite a bit during the first week.’

The Monologue-ist

Harrelson had initially been considered for the role of Frank, but due to a change in production schedule, he was unable to participate. Rockwell then emerged as the ideal choice for the producers. They had several advantages: White had previously worked with Rockwell, and Bibb was his partner while Goggins was one of his good friends. However, according to Bernad, Rockwell initially declined. As the producer put it, “We didn’t give up on him. We kept saying, ‘Great, when are you joining us?’ Eventually, he agreed.

Admit it, I wasn’t entirely confident I could pull this off. At the time, I was filming a movie directed by Gore Verbinski called Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die in South Africa, and as you can see now, the monologue was quite substantial,” says Rockwell. He goes on to explain: “I proposed some ideas to Mike, we went over them, and he agreed with my interpretation of this character. We aimed to make him appear possibly ex-military, extremely masculine, and somewhat casual. This approach contrasted nicely with Mike’s writing in the scene.

2025-04-03 17:55