‘The White Lotus’ season 3 cast and characters: All about the stars relaxing (and raging) in Thailand

Natasha Rothwell as Belinda

We first met Natasha Rothwell’s Belinda in season 1 of The White Lotus, where she played a put-upon spa manager who dreams of starting her own wellness company. She nearly realized that dream with the help of Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge), but her potential benefactor let her down in the end. 

An actress and writer, Rothwell, cut her teeth cooking up sketches on Saturday Night Live (2014–2015) before making a splash as both a writer and performer on HBO’s Insecure (2016–2020). Since then, she’s appeared in Love, Simon (2018), Wonka (2024), and the Sonic the Hedgehog trilogy, and lent her voice to animated projects like Wish (2023), American Dad (2021–2022), and DuckTales (2018–2020). 

Ahead of season 3’s first trailer, Rothwell spoke with EW about what brought her character to Thailand. “She’s still working at the White Lotus, and she’s in Thailand doing sort of an exchange program to learn more about the wellness programs that the Thailand White Lotus offers,” she said. “She’s going to be a guest for the first time, even though she’s taking classes and it’s a work trip. She’s staying at the hotel, which is something that she hasn’t done before, and so we get to see her really dip her toe in the other side of life of the upstairs/downstairs of White Lotus.”

Rothwell also clued us in to what Belinda has been up to since we left her in Maui. “She was so devastated by Tanya taking what little hope she had and shattering it. Over the course of the Italy season of White Lotus in the world that we’ve created, she’s been trying to dig herself out of that sadness and really be inspired again. Her purpose for coming to Thailand is to have a dream again.”

Walton Goggins as Rick

A journeyman character actor with a distinctive Alabaman drawl, Walton Goggins first turned heads playing the kind of roughnecks you love to hate on FX’s The Shield (2002–2008) and Justified (2010–2015). Since then, he’s oscillated nimbly between the big and small screens, with roles in films like Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight (2015), Marvel’s Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), and series like CBS’s The Unicorn (2019–2021) and Amazon’s Fallout (2024). Of course, one cannot discuss Goggins without mentioning his gem of a turn as Baby Billy on HBO’s The Righteous Gemstones (2019–present). 

He arrives at the White Lotus as the (much) older boyfriend of Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood). His character, Rick, is described as “a rugged man with a chip on his shoulder,” and the trailer hints that his trip may be about more relaxation. In separate interviews, he described the season as “poetic chaos” and his experience filming it as “life-changing.”

Aimee Lou Wood as Chelsea

BAFTA-winning actress Aimee Lou Wood broke out as a star of Netflix’s Sex Education (2019–2023) and the film Living (2022), a modern adaptation of Akira Kurosawa’s Ikiru. Wood’s Chelsea arrives at the White Lotus on the arm of Goggins’ Rick, who, she reminds him, often gets mistaken for her dad. 

Though originally written to be an American, Wood revealed in an interview with the Radio Times that they preferred her English accent. “My character was meant to be American and then I did a self-tape, one in an American accent and one in my own,” she said. “They were like, ‘Yeah, we want your own voice,’ so my character is going to be from Manchester.”

Carrie Coon as Laurie

After years of performing on stage in Chicago, Carrie Coon established her onscreen career with roles in David Fincher’s Gone Girl (2014) and HBO’s The Leftovers (2014–2017). She’s since bounced between crowd-pleasing mainstream fare (Avengers: Infinity War, Ghostbusters: Afterlife) and darker, more cerebral works (Widows, His Three Daughters). She’s currently embroiled in the battle between new and old money on HBO’s The Gilded Age (2022–2023). 

Coon plays Laurie, a middle-aged woman reuniting with her old — sorry, “longtime” — friends for a rowdy getaway. In an interview with Town & Country, White cheekily describes Laurie as a “basic bitch.” Speaking of the “big, blonde blob” that is Laurie’s friend group, he adds, “You’re not exactly sure what the dynamic of these women is and where her character is going, but trust me, by the end it gets juicy. All of Carrie’s dramatic and comedic skills are put to use.”

Coon, meanwhile, offers a bit of insight into Laurie’s relationship with the gals played by Leslie Bibb and Michelle Monaghan. “(Sometimes) we have friendships that are out of habit as opposed to shared interests, and that isn’t always apparent to us when we’re spending our lives far from people we love,” she said. “It’s not until you share space with them that you come up against those issues.”

Michelle Monaghan as Jaclyn

Michelle Monaghan has been acting since the turn of the century, but she rose to fame kicking ass in action blockbusters like The Bourne Supremacy (2004) and Mission: Impossible III (2006), as well as the sublime Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005).

In 2015, the actress scored a Golden Globe nomination for her role opposite Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey in True Detective’s landmark first season. Last year, she navigated a sleazy ‘70s-era Los Angeles in Ti West’s MaXXXine and starred alongside Vince Vaughn in AppleTV+’s Bad Monkey. 

On The White Lotus, she joins Coon and Leslie Bibb as one-third of a reuniting friend group. “It’s such a fun, juicy character,” she told Collider. “They all are. Everybody has their moments.” She went on to call the season a “beast,” adding, “I mean, it is big. We do so much. The scope of season 3 is bigger than season 1 and season 2, the cast is bigger as a result. It’s really special.”

Leslie Bibb as Kate

Leslie Bibb had already been acting for years when she scored a leading role on The WB’s Popular (1999–2001) and a recurring spot on ER (2002–2003). Since then, she’s appeared in dozens of films and series, including Talladega Nights (2006), Trick ‘r Treat (2007), and the first two Iron Man films. Most recently, she costarred with Nicholas Hoult and Toni Collette in Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2 (2024). 

Bibb’s Kate is, like Coon’s Laurie and Monaghan’s Jaclyn, testing the limits of a friend group that may be past its expiration date. “Friendships are complicated, and this journey explores whether these women can rediscover and accept each other,” she recently told Gotham of the season. 

“The story is about friendship. It’s about spirituality. It’s about what you believe. It’s about intimacy — and also being okay with who you are,” she added. “Art and life started to mirror each other. You’re in a foreign country, so far removed from the world, and it makes the work better. The edges between Leslie Bibb and Kate, my character, became so blurred.”

Lalisa Manobal as Mook

The White Lotus marks Lalisa Manobal’s first acting gig, but she’s no stranger to performance, having been a member of South Korea’s Blackpink since the massively popular group’s 2016 debut. 

She plays Mook, a staff member at the resort. “It’s pretty new to me, but I think it’s similar to shooting music videos,” she told Rolling Stone. “I’m excited for my fans to see it. I feel like people are going to fall in love with Thailand even more.”

Tayme Thapthimthong as Gaitok

Tayme Thapthimthong is a British performer who first appeared onscreen in an X-Factor-like Thai reality singing competition, Academy Fantasia (2013), before scoring his first proper acting role in Skin Trade (2014). The actor is also a veteran of the Royal Thai Army, having worked for its counter-terrorism team. Before getting cast on The White Lotus, he worked private security contracts, including being a bodyguard for a Thai rapper.

One can imagine he’s more competent than his character, Gaitok, a security guard at the resort who makes more than a few mistakes throughout the series. “I’ve always seen myself as an action guy because I have weapons skills,” he told TIME. “But now with The White Lotus I’m willing to give anything a go. I love it.”

Jason Isaacs as Timothy

Jason Isaacs has been acting since the ‘80s, though he’s probably best known for playing the malevolent Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter film series. Isaac is also a mainstay on television screens, having appeared in series like Netflix’s The OA (2016–2019) and CBS’ Star Trek: Discovery (2017–2018). He’s lent his voice to animated projects such as Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005) and Star Wars Rebels (2014–2016).

White loves a wealthy elite in turmoil, and Isaacs appears to be filling that role on this go-around. “We’re poor now and Daddy’s going to prison,” he grouses in the trailer, giving us the impression that Timothy could very well be the one in a body bag by season’s end.

Parker Posey as Victoria

A Gen X cinematic icon, Parker Posey starred in some of the ‘90s most daring and provocative indies — Dazed and Confused (1993), Party Girl (1995), Waiting For Guffman (1996), The House of Yes (1997) — before hitting the mainstream with roles in You’ve Got Mail (1998), Scream 3 (2000), and Superman Returns (2006). She remains a beloved screen presence, anchoring the most hilarious (and distressing) scene in Ari Aster’s excellent Beau Is Afraid (2023). 

If there’s one thing we know about Victoria, the Ratliff family matriarch, it’s that she really loves being rich. “What if we lost everything?” Timothy asks her in a recent episode. “Honestly, I don’t know if I’d want to live. I just don’t know if I have it in me,” she replies. Certainly not the response one wants to hear.

Patrick Schwarzenegger as Saxon

Yes, Patrick Schwarzenegger is the son of that Schwarzenegger, but he’s not content to live in his father’s formidable shadow. Since first gracing the screen in 2006’s The Benchwarmers, the actor has had sizable roles on several well-regarded shows, including HBO’s The Staircase (2022) and Gen V (2023), Amazon’s spinoff of The Boys. 

As the eldest son of Timothy and Victoria, Schwarzenegger’s Saxon appears to be the kind of rich, handsome kid you love to hate. In an interview with E! News, he described his experience filming the show as “surreal” and “life-changing,” echoing costar Goggins.

Sarah Catherine Hook as Piper

Born in Alabama, Sarah Catherine Hook appeared in The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021) before scoring notable series roles on Netflix’s First Kill (2022) and Amazon Prime Video’s Cruel Intentions revival (2024).

She plays Piper, the Ratliff’s middle child. Her character rebels against her family’s Christian sensibilities with her interest in Buddhism, leading her to explore a nearby Buddhist temple.

“With Piper, I kind of put her in the category of these young kids who go off to liberal arts schools where they learn a whole new world,” Hook recently told The Playlist. “I think… she fits in the category of, I love my family, but I’m a little embarrassed by them, and I’m trying to control their behaviors, like micromanaging everyone, like, ‘Please don’t embarrass me at the temple.'”

Sam Nivola as Lochlan

The son of actors Alessandro Nivola and Emily Mortimer, Sam Nivola appeared in two recent notable literary adaptations — Noah Baumbach’s White Noise (2022), adapted from Don DeLillo’s 1985 novel, and William Oldroyd’s Eileen (2023), based on Ottessa Moshfegh’s 2015 book. He also starred in the 2024 Netflix miniseries The Perfect Couple.

As the Ratliff’s scrawny, shy Lochlan, Nivola navigates some stormy waters, especially his character’s disquieting relationships with siblings Saxon and Piper.

To prepare for the role, Nivola said White encouraged him to watch the Bravo reality series Southern Charm. “In fact, Jason Isaacs, who played our dad, kind of modeled his whole accent and character off of (that show),” he said.

Jon Gries as Gary

Jon Gries has been a “that guy” actor for decades, having appeared in dozens of films (The Monster Squad, Get Shorty) and series (Martin, The Pretender). He’s likely best known for playing Napoleon Dynamite‘s football-toting Uncle Rico and his recurring role as Roger Linus on Lost (2007–2010).

The only actor to have appeared in all three seasons of The White Lotus, Gries plays Gary — formerly known as Greg — the ex-husband of Jennifer Coolidge’s Tanya (and likely architect of her demise).

But even if he’s responsible for her death, their relationship was still arguably nuanced. “Could it actually be argued that, yes, Tanya is incredibly endearing and adorable, and yet at the same time, she’s a chaotic mess,” Gries previously told EW. “I mean, Greg is unkind, there’s no question, but I think he’s at his wit’s end a little bit, at least, that’s what I think the intention was: for it to show that he actually could be at his wit’s end, or is he just done? I think he really does love her, personally.”

Sam Rockwell as Frank

A journeyman actor who can bounce between low comedy and high drama, Sam Rockwell won an Academy Award for his performance in 2017’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, as well as an Emmy for his portrayal of influential dancer and director Bob Fosse in Fosse/Verdon (2019).

His other notable credits include Galaxy Quest (1999), Iron Man 2 (2010), Vice (2018), and Jojo Rabbit (2019). Last year, he appeared in Matthew Vaughn’s Argylle and John Krasinski’s IF.

Rockwell, whose casting wasn’t previously announced, surprised audiences when he appeared in the season’s fifth episode as Frank, an old associate of Rick’s who, in a delirious monologue, discusses his sexual fantasies, sobriety, and conversion to Buddhism.

Leslie Bibb, Rockwell’s real-life partner, previously told EW she nothing to do with his casting. “No, they came to me and they were like, ‘We’re going to offer this to Sam,'” Bibb said. “I was on the treadmill and (producer) Dave Bernad came to me. But I was like, ‘Sam is wild as a buck. Listen, I don’t know what he’s going to do. He’s doing a movie in South Africa, he likes time to prep.’ And he was very nervous about that prep time.”

“Sam is an actor’s actor, and if it’s well-written and it’s a cool story and especially if he hasn’t really done it before, he’s down to do it,” said Terry Knickerbocker, an acting coach who worked with Rockwell on his White Lotus character, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “I thought it was definitely worth working on. And the monologue was the selling point.”

Lek Patravadi as Sritala Hollinger

Lek Patravadi is cultural royalty in Thailand, having been named one of the country’s National Artists. An actress, director, playwright, producer, and teacher, Patravadi is the founder and artistic director of Bangkok’s Patravadi Theatre.

She plays a similarly prolific artist on The White Lotus. Her Sritala is a singer and former Thai film star who owns the White Lotus resort along with her husband, Jim.

Patravadi spoke about the series in a recent interview. “You can get Asian-looking people in America, but (Mike White) cast Thai people because he wants us to represent the Thai insight in these characters,” she said. “It’s all about Thailand. If you want to learn about culture, you should watch this, and then you’ll get used to those monkeys and lizards.”

Scott Glenn as Jim Hollinger

Scott Glenn has been acting for quite some time, having made his debut on The Patty Duke Show in 1965. His film credits include classics like Nashville (1975), Apocalypse Now (1979), The Right Stuff (1983), and The Silence of the Lambs (1991). He’s been more active on TV over the last decade, having appeared in series like The Leftovers (2014–2017), Marvel’s Daredevil (2015–2016), and Bad Monkey (2024).

Glenn appeared in the penultimate episode of The White Lotus as Jim, the rich and successful husband of Sritala. Speaking with Variety, he said he believes that Jim is the one who named the resort.

“My guess is that (Jim) named the hotel chain the White Lotus,” he said. “Turns out, the lotus is the ultimate symbol of enlightenment. The red lotus represents love and compassion. The blue lotus is wisdom and intelligence. The most important and rarest of all is the white lotus — it stands for mental purity and spiritual perfection. I believe that Jim has lived with the rhythms of Thailand for so long, that he’s come to accept all of this.”