Who is that ‘White Lotus’ star? The full Season 3 Thailand cast and how you know them
It’s time to check in again with “The White Lotus.”
Writer, director and executive producer Mike White has reconvened the Emmy-winning series for a new murder mystery in opulence. Season 1 brought viewers to the White Lotus luxury resort in Hawaii, followed by Season 2 in Italy. Season 3 explores the tropical Thailand island of Ko Samui, starting Feb. 16 (HBO 9 EST/PST, and streaming on Max).
The tragic Tanya McQuoid (immortally played by Jennifer Coolidge) is not billed to make a miraculous reappearance after starring in both past seasons. However, Season 3 features the return of Natasha Rothwell as Belinda Lindsey, the visiting spa manager from the Hawaiian White Lotus.
Rothwell joins a cast that includes Carrie Coon, Walton Goggins, Patrick Schwarzenegger and Michelle Monaghan. Here’s a who’s-who of the star-studded Season 3 crew.
‘The White Lotus’ Season 3:Premiere date, time, trailer, cast and where to watch
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Leslie Bibb as Kate: The Austin, Texas-based socialite housewife has drifted from her childhood friends.
Who is Leslie Bibb? The “Palm Royale” star has had TV roles on “Jupiter’s Legacy,” “American Housewife,” “Crossing Jordan” and played ruthless cheerleader Brooke McQueen on the WB’s “Popular.” Bibb, 50, played journalist Christine Everhart in “Iron Man” (2008) and “Iron Man 2” (2010) and most recently played the jury foreperson in Clint Eastwood’s “Juror #2.” Bibb has been in a relationship with “Iron Man 2” villain Sam Rockwell since 2007.
Carrie Coon is Laurie: The straight-talking corporate powerhouse of the childhood friends.
Who’s Carrie Coon: The star of HBO’s “The Leftovers” and “The Gilded Age,” Coon, 44, played police deputy Gloria Burgle in Season 3 of FX’s series “Fargo.” In movies, Coon played Margo Dunne, the twin sister of Ben Affleck’s Nick Dunne in “Gone Girl” (2014) and Callie Spengler (Egon’s daughter) in “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” (2021). Coon has been married to actor and playwright Tracy Letts since 2013.
Michelle Monaghan is actress Jaclyn Lemon: The TV star is famous enough to be recognized by other guests (and paid for her childhood friends’ vacations).
Who’s Michelle Monaghan? Monaghan is best known for her role as Ethan Hunt’s wife, Julia Meade, in the “Mission: Impossible” film series. The actress, 48, starred in the 2011 thriller “Source Code” and played private investigator Angela Gennaro in the Ben Affleck-directed “Gone Baby Gone” (2011). On TV, Monaghan starred in Season 1 of HBO’s “True Detective” and as Sarah Lane in the drama series “The Path.”
Walton Goggins as Rick Hatchett: Behind the soulful eyes and seething anger are secret motives for visiting The White Lotus, a mystery to even Rick’s much younger girlfriend, Chelsea.
Who is Walton Goggins? Goggins, 53, looks quite improved over his Amazon “Fallout” character Cooper “The Ghoul” Howard (currently shooting Season 2). The actor has made a dramatic TV impact as Boyd Crowder in “Justified” and mercurial Shane Vendrell in “The Shield” — as well as going for laughs as Lee Russell in “Vice Principals” and Baby Billy Freeman in “The Righteous Gemstones.” Goggins has starred in two Quentin Tarantino movies, as Sheriff Chris Mannix in “The Hateful Eight” (2015) and evil Billy Crash in “Django Unchained” (2012).
Aimee Lou Wood as Chelsea: The free-spirited young woman from Manchester, England, has a mission to bring joy to the life of her morose older boyfriend, Rick.
Who is Aimee Lou Wood? The Manchester, England-born actress, 30, is best known for her screen debut as the popular “Untouchable” Aimee Gibbs on the Netflix series “Sex Education.” In movies, Wood played Margaret Harris in “Living” (2022) and Claire Wain in “The Electrical Life of Louis Wain” (2021).
Charlotte Le Bon as Chloe: A former model with a mysterious partner who befriends Chelsea.
One-time model Charlotte Le Bon is a Canadian actress and filmmaker known for the romantic comedy “The Hundred-Foot Journey” (2014), “The Walk” (2015), and “Anthropoid” (2016). Le Bon made her directorial debut with “Falcon Lake” (2022), which premiered at Cannes. Fun fact: Le Bon voiced Joy (Joie) in the French and Quebec French versions of Pixar’s “Inside Out.”
Jason Isaacs as Timothy Ratliff: The wealthy Durham, North Carolina businessman vacationing with his beloved wife and three children secretly deals with a life-altering scandal exploding at home.
Who is Jason Isaacs? Don’t be fooled by the North Carolina accent. the English actor Isaacs, 62, specializes in British villains like the dark wizard Lucius Malfoy in the “Harry Potter” film franchise, Captain Hook in 2003’s “Peter Pan” (as well as Mr. Darling) and the dastardly Colonel William Tavington in “The Patriot” (2000). Isaacs also played Col. Michael Steele in “Black Hawk Down” (2001). On TV, Isaacs starred as Captain Gabriel Lorca in “Star Trek: Discovery” and Hap in Netflix’s “The OA.”
Parker Posey as Victoria Ratliff: Timothy’s self-medicating wife is unaware of her husband’s brewing scandal. Socially anxious and snobby, Victoria is dedicated to keeping her three children on the same affluent life path she’s followed.
Who is Parker Posey? Posey, 56, earned the “Queen of Indies” title after roles including Darla Marks in “Dazed and Confused” (1993) and the rebellious Mary in “Party Girl” (1995). Posey showed her comedy improv chops in the Christopher Guest-directed movies “Best in Show” (2000), “Waiting for Guffman” (1996) and “A Mighty Wind” (2003). Other mainstream movie roles include Patricia in “You’ve Got Mail” (1998), Jennifer Jolie in “Scream 3” (2000), and Lex Luthor’s henchwoman Kitty Kowalski in “Superman Returns” (2006). On TV, Posey starred as Dr. Smith in Netflix’s “Lost in Space” series and starred in HBO’s “The Staircase.”
Patrick Schwarzenegger as Saxon Ratliff: Supremely confident and hedonistic, Timothy and Victoria’s oldest child works for his father’s company and takes care of his physique.
Who is Patrick Schwarzenegger? Schwarzenegger, 31, the oldest son of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver, starred in the 2018 drama “Midnight Sun.” On TV, Schwarzenegger appeared in Amazon’s “The Terminal List,” played Tim Tebow in FX’s “An American Story” and starred in HBO’s “The Staircase” (along with his “White Lotus” TV mother Posey).
Sarah Catherine Hook as Piper Ratliff: The college senior’s quest for deeper meaning in life through Buddhism — and a planned thesis paper on a respected monk — propelled the family trip to Thailand.
Who is Sarah Catherine Hook? The Montgomery, Alabama-born actress starred as manipulative Caroline Merteuil in the 2024 Amazon series “Cruel Intentions” and as a teenage vampire in Netflix’s “First Kill.” In movies, Hook, 29, starred as Debbie Glatzel in “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It” (2021).
Sam Nivola as Lochlan Ratliff: The high school senior, Timothy and Victoria’s youngest, is pulled between following the life path of his older sister and brother while deciding his major life decision: Whether to go to Duke or the University of North Carolina.
Who is Sam Nivola? The son of English actress Emily Mortimer and Alessandro Nivola starred in Noah Baumbach’s 2022 drama “White Noise” (Nivola’s real-life younger sister May played his screen sister). Nivola, 21, appeared as Alexander Bernstein, the son of Bradley Cooper’s composer Leonard Bernstein, in “Maestro” (2023).
Lalisa Manobal as Mook: The smiling “health mentor” for White Lotus guests has a budding relationship with her longtime friend and resort security guard Gaitok (Tayme Thapthimthong).
Who is Lalisa Manobal: The Thai rapper and singer, who makes her acting debut with “White Lotus,” is a member of South Korean K-pop group Blackpink, where she goes by the stage name Lisa. The performer, 27, will release her first solo album, “Alter Ego,” on Feb. 28.
Natasha Rothwell as Belinda Lindsey: The visiting spa manager from the White Lotus resort in Hawaii had made plans with Tanya (Coolidge) to open their own spa. But the billionaire heiress disappeared (as Season 2 viewers know). Belinda hopes to learn new skills at the Thailand White Lotus to bring back to Hawaii.
Who is Natasha Rothwell? Rothwell was a writer, producer, and actor on Issa Rae’s HBO comedy “Insecure,” playing Kelli Prenny. The actress, 44, wrote and starred in the Hulu series “How to Die Alone.” In movies, Rothwell starred as Rachel in “Sonic the Hedgehog” franchise, Carol in “Wonder Woman 1984” (2020) and Piper Benz in “Wonka” (2023).
Meet the three friends reuniting on a girls’ trip to the healing spa
Here’s the mysterious couple on ‘White Lotus’
The rich North Carolina ‘White Lotus’ family includes a Schwarzenegger
The White Lotus staff
‘The White Lotus’ Season 3 Character Guide: Who’s Who in Thailand?
Another luxe resort, another batch of troubled travelers.
Welcome to “The White Lotus” Season 3, which takes Mike White’s vacation dramedy to the Thai island of Koh Samui. This season is farther from America (the first two seasons took place in Hawaii and Italy) and also bigger, with more characters and eight episodes. (Plus, a different theme song, much to the chagrin of those excited to sing along in their living rooms.)
There’s the Southern family with uncomfortable sibling dynamics. The three middle-aged women on a reunion trip fraught with tiny points of tension. The bubbly girlfriend and the miserable boyfriend. Plus, Belinda (Natasha Rothwell) is back from Season 1, and there’s a wide ensemble of hotel staffers like Mook (Lisa, from the band Blackpink) and Valentin (an often shirtless Arnas Fedaravičius).
It’s a lot to keep track of — especially with vacation brain — so use this guide to freshen up on all the main characters in “The White Lotus” Season 3.
Happy travels!
Belinda, the spa manager from Season 1 of “The White Lotus,” travels from Maui to Koh Samui to embark on a three-month wellness program, learning the Thai tricks of the trade. Back in Hawaii, Belinda befriended Tanya McQuoid, the wealthy heiress played by Jennifer Coolidge, who promised to help her open her own spa one day. (Those plans went out the window.) It’s unclear whether Belinda knows about Tanya’s demise at the end of Season 2.
The patriarch of the Ratliff family, Timothy is a wealthy businessman who struggles with the resort’s emphasis on unplugging. He just wants to go to the gym and hang on to his phone. He seems like a nice man who loves his family, but things start to come into question when he starts getting calls from prying journalists.
A Xanax mom with a Southern drawl, Victoria is the over-the-top Ratliff matriarch who can’t seem to overcome her jet lag. She’s skeptical of her daughter Piper’s thesis and interest in Buddhism, and she laughs at all of Saxon’s off-color jokes. She loves her family, and reminds Timothy “how great of a man” he is.
The eldest Ratliff sibling, Saxon is a headstrong, finance bro who works for his father. (He also dresses like him, in a tucked-in athletic polo.) His main concern on his family vacation is getting himself and his younger brother, Lochlan, laid. He doesn’t exactly subscribe to the Buddhist ideals of Thailand, telling Lochlan that “getting what you want in life” — namely, money and women — “is true happiness.”
The middle Ratliff child, Piper is a Buddhist convert with a keen interest in Eastern spirituality. Her interview with a monk for her college thesis paper is the reason her family traveled to Thailand. She’s embarrassed by her older brother’s crude jokes and is uncomfortable about her parents’ wealth, bringing her closest to Lochlan.
Lochlan (or as his siblings call him, Lochy) is the baby of the Ratliff family, a high school senior saddled with the decision of where to go to college. A shy teen in a family of strong personalities, Lochlan is stuck between Duke (where his dad went) and UNC Chapel Hill (where his mom went). He’s also caught between his kindhearted older sister, who prefers meditation and yoga, and his douchey older brother, who’d rather get drunk and hit on women.
Jaclyn is a famous actress who has traveled to Thailand for a girls’ trip she’s funded for her childhood best friends, Kate and Laurie. It’s been awhile since they’ve seen each other, so they’re eager to celebrate each other’s successes — for instance, besides her career, Jaclyn has just married the love of her life. But there’s something cattier going on beneath the surface, as she and Kate keep forgetting to include Laurie in their mutual praise.
Kate is at the White Lotus for what she calls a victory tour, even if her husband is calling it a midlife crisis trip. She’s excited to catch up with her childhood friends Jaclyn and Laurie, who she hasn’t seen in years. But she also seems to be digging for gossip, telling Jaclyn how great she looks before asking, “Who’s your doctor?”
Laurie starts to feel like the odd one out very quickly on her trip with her childhood friends Jaclyn and Kate. She’s grateful to Jaclyn for paying for their stay at the White Lotus and happy to see Kate, but her normal corporate career makes it hard to keep up with their conversations about plastic surgery, Hollywood and life as a socialite. It doesn’t help that Jaclyn and Kate keep heaping each other with compliments before having to remind themselves that Laurie’s in the room.
Chelsea is a free-spirited young woman from Manchester who’s always looking for signs from the universe. She’s a former yoga teacher, so she fits in perfectly at the wellness-focused White Lotus. The problem is that she has no idea why she’s there, having been dragged along by her miserable, tightlipped life partner, Rick, who is two decades her senior. She meets and makes friends with Chloe at the hotel bar while both of their boyfriends mope and self-isolate.
Rick is Chelsea’s older boyfriend. The White Lotus is just one in a string of many exotic locales he’s whisked her away to, but don’t mistake him for a romantic — beyond his standoffish demeanor, he seems to be involved in something shady, as Chelsea suspects that he’s wanted for arrest when he says he can’t take her to Australia. He refuses to tell her why he chose to come to Thailand, but reacts with outsized anger when resort employee Mook says that the owner’s husband, an American named Jim Hollinger, is away in Bangkok. He fixates on Hollinger, secretively looking up photos of him online later in the day.
Chloe frequents the White Lotus, but she isn’t staying there as a guest — she lives in a house just up the hill. Like Chelsea, she’s a young woman with a much older boyfriend who brought her to Thailand a year ago. Chloe, who says she’s a model, bonds with Chelsea over the difficulty of dealing with their grumpy partners when they meet at the resort bar.
Mook is a kind, young health mentor at the White Lotus. She’s friend’s with Gaitok, one of the resort’s security guards, who helps her get to work on time on his motorbike after hers breaks down. She’s impressed by the resort owners’ bodyguards, who get to travel the world, but it’s Gaitok she has a soft spot for.
Gaitok works at the White Lotus as a security guard. He seems to have a crush on his friend and co-worker Mook, calling her his princess and getting intimidated when he sees her chatting with the resort owners’ bodyguards. He tries bragging about his own “exciting” job, as he once saved a man from drowning — but that was two years ago, and he spends most of his days welcoming cars onto the resort property. Still, Mook is charmed.
Sritala is the glamorous boss of the White Lotus in Thailand, which she owns with her American husband Jim, who is recovering from a recent stroke in Bangkok. In a past life, Sritala was an actor and singer who wrote books and achieved moderate fame in Thailand. She says she pioneered the wellness program at the resort after she was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder.
Fabian is the sniveling, somewhat awkward general manager of the White Lotus in Thailand. He greets the vacationers upon their arrival and eagerly seeks the approval of his boss, Sritala.
Pornchai is the wellness expert assigned to train Belinda as she visits from the White Lotus in Hawaii for a fellowship of sorts. He teaches Belinda new massage techniques and makes her feel at home in Thailand.
Valentin is a young man from Russia who works at the White Lotus in Thailand as a “health mentor.” According to resort owner Sritala, “Everyone requests him because he’s handsome,” and it’s true: The second Jaclyn, Kate ladies lay eyes on his chiseled abs, they swoon.
Zion is Belinda’s adult son, who visits her from law school while she’s training in Thailand. In the first scene in Season 3, a flash-forward one week after the vacationers arrive in Koh Samui, Zion’s meditation session is interrupted by gunshots at the resort. Worried about his mom, Zion jumps into a pond and prays to a Buddha statue that she will be safe.
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