The Season 3 theme song may not hit as hard as the last one, but this cast is still stacked.
Like the thawing of snow or the absent shadow of The Groundhog, a new season of The White Lotus clangs the bells of Spring, ushering dewy flower buds and fresh murders at a luxury resort.
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While we do have a couple of returning cast members this season, almost the entire cast is new to the series. So if you've been watching like, "waaaaait a minute, I SWEAR I've seen this person before," I've got you covered.
Here's where you've seen the cast of The White Lotus Season 3 before:
Natasha Rothwell (Belinda Lindsey)
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If you watched the first season of White Lotus, then this smiling face should already be familiar. Reprising her role as spa manager Belinda, Natasha Rothwell has an impressive resume both on and off camera. You might remember her as Kelli from Issa Rae's Insecure(which she also wrote on!) or as the no-nonsense drama teacher in Love, Simon. This Emmy-nominated actor also created her own show in 2024, How to Die Alonewhich won Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series at the 40th Independent Spirit Awards. Come on, Natasha!
If none of this is ringing a bell, then how about her role as Rachel in all three Sonic the Hedgehogmovies or her voice work in all of your fave cartoons like DuckTales, Tuca & Bertie, and BoJack Horseman? And I didn't even mention she used to be a writer on Saturday Night Live! Like, what can't this woman do?
Parker Posey (Victoria Ratliff)
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Every season of White Lotusneeds an unhinged woman who is one missed pill away from burning down an entire city, and thankfully, in Season 3, we have Parker Posey reporting for duty. If you don't remember her work, I actually feel sad for you, so let me give you a refresher. In her early career, Parker was the indie darling of our dreams, appearing in cult hits like Dazed and Confused, Party Girl, The House of Yes, and Clockwatchers(if you don't understand how ICONIC this string of movies is, you need to plan a marathon NOW). Should you be a comedy nerd, you probably remember her from her roles in Cristopher Guest's somewhat-scripted/mostly-improvised movies likeWaiting for Guffman, A Mighty Wind, or the dog show mockumentary Best in Show (if you don't remember the hunt for Busy Bee, I don't know what to tell you!!!).
Pivoting more to her mainstream success, you'd know her from playing the actress playing Gale Weathers in Scream 3or from her absolutely inspired performance as the megalomanic Fiona in Josie and the Pussycats. If you're a baby, you might only know her from her turn as Dr. Smith in Netflix's Lost in Spaceseries, but honestly, this powerhouse actor has so many IMDB credits you might know her from literallyanything!
Jason Isaacs (Timothy Ratliff)
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If you've been watching White Lotuswondering why this man is kind of giving you scary vibes but you can't quite put your finger on it, just imagine him with long blonde hair. That help? That's right, Daddy Isaacs is Draco Malfoy's father Lucious! And that's on the power of wigs, mawma! If you're not a Harry Potter fan, then maybe his militaristic turns in The Patriot or Blackhawk Down will jog your memory. But if you're like me and literally never want to watch a movie about a war, maybe the softer side of his career will speak to you. In 2003 he took on the role of Captain Hook in Peter Pan (formative!) and voicedAdmiral Zhao in Avatar: the Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra.
If you've spent any time in Netflix's comment sections screaming, "Save The OA!!!!" then you already know him as Hap from the ill-fated supernatural series, and if other sci-fi shows are of interest to you, maybe his time asCaptain Gabriel Lorca in Star Trek: Discoverywas your introduction to him. Even if you've never watched a single TV show or movie in your life, this man could have still found his way to you by voicing Lord Enver Gortashin in one of the most celebrated video games of 2023, Baldur's Gate 3. The versatility of it all!
Patrick Schwarzenegger (Saxon Ratliff)
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Following in the footsteps of Jake Lacy and Theo James as The White Lotus's resident douchebag, Patrick is more than just his good looks and family name. I mean, he is those things too, but you'll know him from more than just being hot and having famous parents, I swear! After a string of small roles in projects like The Benchwarmers, Grown Ups 2, and a one-episode appearance as Glen Powell's brother in Scream Queens, baby Schwarzzy landed a starring role alongside Bella Thorne in the coming-of-age drama Midnight Sun (NOT the Edward-POVTwilightentry). His performance even earned him a Teen Choice Award Nomination, and you know you gotta get the youth vote! Leaving the teen drama world, he did a stint in the miniseries space, starring in the TV adaptation of The Long Road Home and the scripted version of the coo-coo-bananas true crime story,The Staircase. He's building quite the resume for himself!
Sam Nivola (Lochlan Ratliff)
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If every season of White Lotushas to have a "woman on the brink" and a "sleaze-bag bro being gross at women", then the third archetype may be the "impressionable little brother who will probably disappoint us all." Sam fits the bill perfectly. While the 21-year-old baby is still in the dawn of his career, that doesn't mean he hasn't stacked up a few impressive projects that will have you like "Ohhhh yeahhhhh! He's from that!" Taking it to the world of film, Nivola appeared in Noah Baumbach's adaptation of White Noise, the Spirit Award-nominated Eileen, and Bradley Cooper's Oscar-nommed Maestro. Ok, this kid has TASTE, buuuuut he's not afraid to go a little bit more low-brow, too. If you're like me and watch more trash TV than award-winning films, then you probably remember him as Will from Netflix's The Perfect Couple. He did great in that opening dance number!
Sarah Catherine Hook (Piper Ratliff)
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So far, Piper seems like one of two people staying at The White Lotus who are even remotely normal, but don't fret; I'm sure that instinct will be proven wrong in time! Another relative newcomer to the Hollywood machine, Sarah got started in the biz by getting cast in a few small roles in the shows Monsterland,NOS4A2, andImpeachment: American Crime Story. Working with Ryan Murphy is not a bad way to get your foot in the door! Vampire fans probably remember her most from the gone-too-soon sapphic Netflix series First Kill, playing teen vampire Julliet Fairmont. As much as people are screaming, "Save The OA!!!" in Netflix comment sections, the "Save First Kill!!!" girlies might be even louder, and rightfully so. Netflix really fumbled the bag with that one. In 2024, Hook was cast in the Sarah Michelle Gellar role in the Prime reboot series Cruel Intentions, which didn't really make many waves culturally, but it's still pretty badass to follow in SMG's footsteps, both in the role and as a fellow three-named Sarah.
Patravadi "Lek" Mejudhon (Sritala Hollinger)
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From the first moment Lek's character appeared on screen, you could feel the cultural collective forming the question: Who is this diva? If you're in a Western audience, there's a good chance you haven't seen this actor before, but that doesn't mean you can't learn something today! The White Lotus Thailand'sgrande dame is a storied Thai actress who gained notoriety early in her career, winningBest Actress at the Takkata Thong Awards for her role in Mai Mee Sawan Samrab Khun and is now having her own sort of renaissance, more recently starring as the steely matriarch in theThai-Chinese family drama series In Family We Trust. Outside of acting, Lek is known for teaching the dramatic arts at the school inside the Patravadi Theatre. As if acting and teaching weren't enough, she's also a highly respected playwright, named Thailand's National Artist in Performing Arts in 2015. Bow down to the queen!
Carrie Coon (Laurie Duffy)
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Carrie Coon's Laurie delivered the sob heard 'round the world, creating one of the most meme-able moments of the new season so far, and I for one am thankful for that. If you don't recognize her as being a reflection of yourself (I mean, we're all a little bit Laurie), then you've GOT to know her from one of her other roles because she is so GOOD in everything. The first movie role she ever landed was as Margo in a little movie called Gone Girl. Heard of it? I mean, what a way to tell the world "I'M HERE!" If you're like, "I haven't watched that movie in so long," then allow me to remind you she was Nora in HBO'sThe Leftovers, Gloria in the third season of Fargo, andBertha in The Gilded Age. I guess this woman just never misses?
Even though she takes on more depressing projects like starring alongside Elizabeth Olsen and Natasha Lyonee in His Three Daughters, she's not afraid to have a little fun in movies likeGhostbusters: Afterlife and Ghost Busters: Frozen Empire. If you're feeling like, "OK, I don't recognize her face so much, but I know I know her," it's probably because you're a fan of her as Proxima Midnight in Avengers: Infinity War! Just picture Proxima without her blue horns and scary yellow eyes, and you've got Carrie. And we haven't even gotten to the fact that she's a Tony-nominated actress from her time as Honey in Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf! This woman is a STAR!
Leslie Bibb (Kate Bohr)
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Some actors are just good at playing mean girls who talk behind your back while smiling to your face, and Leslie has made a career out of it. From the very beginning of her career as Brooke in Ryan Murphy's batshit teen drama Popular, Bibb has delivered time and time again as the HBIC (if you don't know this acronym, learn something today, child!). You could say she's typecast, but you can't help when you're good at what you do. You might remember her as Meegan in The League, Amanda in Good Christian B*tches, or more recently as Dinah in the Kristen Wiig dramedy Palm Royale. Leslie is certainly not afraid to take on the funny either, appearing in the Will Ferrell vehicle Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobbyand the cult-hit Bachelor parody web seriesBurning Love. Like her White Lotus costar Carrie Coon, Leslie also did a stint with Marvel Studios, portraying journalist Christine Everhart in the first two Iron Man movies. Get that Marvel money, ladies! And if you're a horror girlie, then you might know her as the mom in the Netflix movie franchiseThe Babysitter. This woman's career has been scary good.
Michelle Monaghan (Jaclyn Lemon)
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Personally, I love to see actors playing actors in TV shows and movies. Fake celebrities are a character category we really just don't celebrate enough, and so farMichelle Monaghan is killing it as Big Hollywood Actor Jaclyn Lemon. But as a real-life actor, Michelle got her start in shows like Law & Order: SVUandBoston Public, and movies like The Bourne Supremacy and Mr. & Mrs. Smith. In 2005, she starred alongside Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and the following year showed up as Ethan's fiancé Julia in Mission: Impossible III. Come on, action movie diva! Still feeling in the dark? Do you remember her as Angie in Gone Baby Gone? Or as Violet in the Adam Sandler video game comedy PIxels(I watched this movie on mute in a bar once, and Michelle was still great in it). OK, oK, you probably know her most from her performance as Maggie Hart in the first season of True Detective. You didn't watch that??? OK, what about her role as Sarah in the Hulu show The Path?? You're killin' me! If you don't know her from these projects, or even as the detective in MaXXXine, then I think you might just be a lost cause.
Lalisa "Lisa" Manobal (Thidapon "Mook" Sornsin)
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Ok, maybe you don't know her as the actor Lalisa Manobal, but there's, like, no way you don't know her as Lisa from the K-pop group BLACKPINK. Yes, yes, she's THAT Lisa. The White LotusSeason 3 may mark the Thai singer/rapper/dancer's acting debut, but she has been in the business of entertaining for nearly a decade already. You probably know some of BLACKPINK's songs like "Whistle," "Kill This Love," or "Ice Cream." But if you're not overly familiar with the group's work, maybe you'd know Lisa's solo material, like the viral hit "Money," which made the rounds on TikTok near the end of 2021. Last summer, she put out "Rockstar," which I personally heard at about one thousand Pride events, and just earlier this month put out a song called "Born Again" with Doja Cat and Raye. It seems this woman's dedication to her craft shines through in all her work, because if you didn't know she was a pop star going into White Lotus, you'd think she'd been acting her whole life.
Aimee Lou Wood (Chelsea)
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One of the more charming guests to ever check in to the White Lotushotel, Aimee Lou Wood's natural charisma is a breath of fresh air among a cast of high-strung and (purposefully) unlikable characters. If you're scratching your brain thinking, "This is the kind of person who should be unforgettable, and yet here I am forgetting. WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME?" don't fret. It's probably because you watched her as Aimee in Netflix's Sex Education. If you're a British television nerd,you might also know her as Gemma from BBC comedyDaddy IssuesorMaya in the Channel 4 miniseries Alice and Jack. Amazingly, Sex Education was Aimee's first onscreen role, so being as new as she is to the Hollywood game, adding White Lotusto her list of credits should ensure we'll know her from many more projects in the future. And I want to see THAT!
Walton Goggins (Rick Hatchett)
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Firstly, I want to acknowledge how fun it is to say his last name. Goggins. Love that shit. Secondly, this man has been working in the biz for over three decades and has racked up an impressive catalog of work in both film and television. After a bunch of bit roles in shows like Beverly Hills, 90210, JAG, and NYPD Blue, Goggins (still fun to say) landed the role of Shane in the crime series The Sheildon FX. That wasn't his only TV success, however. The actor also had successful runs on shows like The Sons of Anarchy, Justified, and Vice Principals, and has roles in multiple shows that are still airing, like The Righteous Gemstones, Invincible, and Fallout. The secret king of TV, methinks. If you're sitting there thinking to yourself, "No, no. I know this man from the MOVIES," allow me to jog your memory. He was "The Sheriff" in The Hateful Eight, Billy Crash in Django Unchained, and Sonny Birch in Ant-Man and the Wasp. OK, wait, is theWhite Lotus/Marvel crossover kinda wild, or is this just the current state of Hollywood? Hard to say!
