Following the Bangkok premiere of The White Lotus: Season 3 on St Valentine's Day, a press junket was held at Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River. Eight cast members were paired up into four groups for roundtable interviews where they revealed BTS details and sang Lisa's praises. Here are the highlights.
Jason Isaacs plays wealthy businessman Timothy Ratliff and Patrick Schwarzenegger plays Saxton, Timothy's son.
This season explores various locations including Koh Samui, Phuket and Bangkok. Which is your favourite?
Isaacs: I like nature. I like climbing things and jumping off things and swimming through things. I like the sea. And you don't get an awful lot of that in Bangkok. If you jump off things, you're likely to splatter on the pavement. So yeah, I like Koh Samui. I like getting off Koh Samui. I actually like being out from the ocean and the beautiful islands that you have here and the very small communities of people in the villages who live on the island. So the further away from civilisation we get, the more I like it.
Schwarzenegger: They were all very different. My favourite was probably in Phuket as well. We got to spend a lot of time out on the, if you saw in the trailer on the yacht and we got to go to the Phi Phi Islands and film all around on the ocean. The hotels we stayed at were beautiful, but I too like to do excursions and kind of experience what I perceived as Thailand — that screensaver beautiful landscape of the ocean and the islands.
Do you have any preconceived notions about Thailand? And after experiencing Thailand first-hand, were any of them changed?
Schwarzenegger: When I was growing up I had the screensaver of the islands and stuff and to see it in person, when we were on the boat, it was just kind of a surreal, beautiful landscape during sunset hour it was gorgeous. So the beauty of Thailand lived up to the pictures that I had seen online as a kid and growing up. The food lived up to the hype as well.
Isaacs: It was the landscape I expected, but the people were not what I expected. There's a national characteristic. There's a gentleness and a humility that I found everywhere, not just in the hotels, out in the streets and travelling around the country. There's somehow the opposite of the Western aggressive nature of engaging with each other, a kind of not making eye contact and giving status, which I found very beautiful and I hadn't expected.
What is the craziest thing that happened to you during the filming of The White Lotus?
Isaacs: Kind of nearly. I hurt myself quite a few times. One time I stepped backwards to get out of the shot and I fell down into — thank God — it was not a very deep pool and hit my head on the statue. And another time they said, 'Jason, need you now'. When we were filming on the big boat and in a hurry, I ran straight into a glass door and knocked myself out, split my head open. They all found it hilarious.
Schwarzenegger: I guess probably the craziest thing was I had some sort of dish that was spicy to the point that I was dripping sweat and they had to bring me a glass of milk.
How does it feel to be part of a big franchise like The White Lotus?
Isaacs: You know, it's an odd thing. I've been in a couple of things before that were very successful, and I was sometimes asked about the Harry Potter upcoming series. What does it feel like to be part of a big franchise? I'm not. I'm a storyteller. I went to a set, I put on the costume. I told the story. We went to Thailand, and we told some stories. The rest of it belongs to, I guess Mike, HBO and Max and the rest of them. So I don't know what it feels like because this is a kind of side benefit, the fact that we get to travel around and hang out together, but we're actors. The real effect in my life is that most of my friends hate me because I won't tell them the story. So it has lost me a lot of friends.
Schwarzenegger: For me, it's completely different. I've never been part of a show like this that I had been a huge fan of it from prior seasons. And for me, it's a real moment to be part of the show and to get to film with such great talent and actors and someone like Mike. And I know this is a second part of our job to come here, but this for me is a really amazing experience to get to come back here to Thailand and to do the premiere last night [St Valentine's Day] and just kind of experience this whole press tour or whatever you want to call it so.
Isaacs: I'm aware lots of my friends say, will you speak to my kids? They want to be actors and it's because they see things like this. They think this is what acting is. Acting is what we did in, you know, seven months ago or for seven months in Thailand. And this is another skill. He's very good at it, but it's not what we do.
What is it like working with Mike White?
Isaacs: Well, nothing like I expected. I knew he was a fantastic writer because I've followed his career. I've watched all of his indie movies. I watched Enlightened, which I loved, but I didn't know what he'd be like as a director. And as a director he not only can play all of our parts brilliantly, but he's this kind of mad, demonic, cackling, trouble-making presence. He wants to stir things up. So he's behind the camera shrieking with laughter often and then throwing out ever more insane suggestions for you to try. And I think, honestly, there's no other director I've ever worked with that I would have tried them because we're hired for our taste and our decisions. But, with him, I felt like, well, we're in your hands. This is your world, your tone, you understand it. And I'll give you things I wouldn't normally give another director. And I trust you to make the choices at the end. So it was far freer and more anarchic on set than I imagined.
Schwarzenegger: I've been a huge fan of Mike's for a long time. It was amazing to get to work with the director that also has an acting background. He's the writer, the creator, the producer, the showrunner and the director. He really has a clear vision of what he's looking for. And you know, as an actor, we get hired to, like Jason said, have our own interpretation of the role and bring our version or our take of the character. But working with Mike, he really knows what he wants and he literally will act it out of what he's looking for. This is a unique and strange way to work with actors, but at the same time, it's very, I guess, helpful or beneficial because you get to see a different perspective. He just articulates it in a very different way than I had been used to working with directors. So it was an amazing experience.
Natasha Rothwell plays Belinda Lindsey, The White Lotus Resort & Spa Maui's spa manager from season 1. Parker Posey plays Victoria Ratliff, Timothy's "deluu" wife.
Belinda from season 1 returns. How does it feel to be back on The White Lotus again?
Rothwell: It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I've had twice. I don't know what I did in my previous life to deserve this, but I'm grateful for whatever they did to get me here. And it's a privilege to work at this level with so many talented people. I really believe iron sharpens iron and people become better by working with the best. And I feel like if you look at this call sheet — every actor, every crew member, every executive producer, every editor, every AD — they're at the top of their game. It's just an honour to be able to work alongside these people and grow my experience as an actor and connect with Mike on so many levels. You know, we're both writers, actors and directors. And so to watch him work, you know, it's a master class.
How about you, Parker? What can you tell us about your character?
Posey: I play Victoria Ratliff. My husband Timothy is about to experience an upset in his business. So it's a family that's about to lose everything. What I love about Mike White's writing is there's so much room for subtext and what the person is on the inside. I get to have a dream where we see my husband pacing in this colonial house while my father is behind him. And I was like that is such a gift in writing. Victoria's father has just passed away. We see her in a really sensitive time with a lot of fear and a strong need to control, wanting her children to remain close to her. It was really a multi-layered character and family dynamic. And I think that's what I love about the writing — it almost feels like theatre. You get to play characters that are never stereotypes. As for my role, I'm the delulu one, and by the way, I do have a pitch for Jennifer Coolidge to appear as a ghost.
Victoria seems to be another strong, complex woman in 'The White Lotus' universe. How do you describe her and how do you connect to her?
Posey: Oh God, being able to play a complicated, southern woman, the Steel Magnolia, the one who's so feminine and almost like a wilting flower but then there's this ferocity that comes out and you know that she holds a lot of power within the family. I love that arc that happens with her as someone who's kind of asleep, but I also think the way she sees her family and her life is distorted. I don't think she's living in her truth. And there's a lot to unfold with her. There's a lot of sacrificing of herself that she's done in her family and with her husband. You know, men and women are so different. Men have dopamine and women have oxytocin. Like we're not made to work in the same way. And I think Victoria has sacrificed a lot of herself in the man's world. That's what I was taking in the writing and that I love to portray, but also the other projections that mothers have on their children when there is strong love and strong fear of not wanting them to leave.
Were there any challenging or emotionally draining moments filming the show?
Rothwell: How do I talk about this without spoiling anything? I’ll say that the moments of emotional catharsis felt like excavating my own personal experiences. As an actor, you're always reconciling who you are with who the character is, bridging the gap between the two. In the Venn diagram of Belinda and myself, there’s some overlap, but there are also parts of her that reflect an unhealed version of myself. I'm like a recovering people pleaser. And Belinda is not in recovery for that. She's a people pleaser. So those scenes, even though they may not look challenging, it's triggering for me because I know that if I were in that situation, I would use my voice. It's like remembering those times in my life when I didn't use my voice or stand up for myself. And I think, as painful as it is revisiting them, it is a reminder of how far I've come. And so I do love Belinda for that reason. I hold her close because she is me in a lot of ways.
Patravadi "Kru Lek" Mejudhon plays Sritala Hollinger, the owner of The White Lotus Resort & Spa Thailand. Dom Hetrakul plays Pornchai, the resort's hunky spa therapist.
What part of Thainess will be represented in this show?
Patravadi: Oh, everything — the monkeys, the snake, everything. And even us, there are many Thai actors, both main ones and supporting ones, big and small. You know, it’s all about Thailand. I’m very honoured, and he [Mike White] understands our culture very well. He presents it with great respect and in an artistic way, which is surprisingly impressive as well.
What was the first thing you did when you found out that you were part of 'The White Lotus: Season 3'?
Dom: I watched the trailers from both seasons. And it was like, 'Oh, OK, this is a rich blend of culture, the guests, the hotel management, and so on, all with different backgrounds.' So, for me, The White Lotus represents a peaceful place, like sitting in a lotus pond, but with deep, dark, cold water underneath, with all the vines and stuff. It's more complicated than what you see on the surface. The White Lotus sits peacefully on the surface, but beneath, there are darker, deeper secrets. It’s very much a dark, black comedy. That’s how I understand it.
Patravadi: I watched season 1 and season two, especially season two. I love the music and the way they interpreted the Italian characters, among other things. I read the script, but as you know, a script is just a script. I have to see how it comes to life, especially with the kind of music they’re going to use. A lot of people use Thai music in a traditional way, but I wanted to see how Mike was going to approach it. And we were surprised, and I loved it. Maybe you don’t know Thai music, but I’m sure every Thai person will enjoy listening to the music he used for season three.
How does it feel to be part of 'The White Lotus'?
Dom: It's an honour. We have so many cast members from around the world. It’s such an honour to work with all of them. And there are even more cast members — more surprises in this project. As I read through the entire script, I discovered even more twists beyond what’s shown in the trailer. It’s truly something special.
Patravadi: I had a great time staying at the Four Seasons Hotel. The food was excellent and they treated me very well. It was actually the first time I couldn’t even go to a 7-Eleven by myself. They really took care of me — holding my hand, taking me everywhere and even calling to check in on me, asking, 'Where are you?' At my age, you know, you can’t just walk out of the hotel on your own. But they truly care about my well-being and how I feel, and that’s really nice. It’s wonderful to be working in an environment like that. And Mike is always so bubbly and happy — I’ve never seen him upset, not even once.
How was working with Lisa like?
Patravadi: She's polite, well-mannered and well brought-up. I told her mother how grateful I am that she raised such a wonderful young woman. I also thanked the teachers at her school, as well as her for maintaining all those good qualities, even though she’s so internationally known and famous. To me, she’s still a kind, humble Thai girl, and that’s very heartwarming. It’s inspiring to see a young person who is so talented and famous but yet still a nice young girl.
Dom: She’s very humble, disciplined and hardworking, yet still ambitious in a way that drives her to be a fast learner. Whatever you throw at her, she handles it with ease. She just needs a little time to practice, but honestly, not for long. She’s incredibly talented.
Patravadi: One night I was watching her doing the Thai classical dance over and over because they're shooting somebody else and she's just in the background. But with every retake, she danced with the eyes, with her body. I said, you know, they're not going to see much of you. They're over there but she's still having a good time performing. She is a real artist. She loves what she's doing. Even though nobody sees her, she's still having a good time. So I really respect this lady.
Sam Nivola plays Lochlan Ratliff, the middle child of Timothy and Victoria. Sarah Catherine Hook plays Piper Ratliff, the youngest (and probably the most normal) of the Ratliff siblings.
Can you share with us the casting process?
Nivola: It was actually very simple because I think Mike knows exactly who he wants. He casts based on who fits the character best, not based on whoever is the most famous person at the time, which is why I got the job. And so the audition process was really smooth and really quick. We did one or two auditions and then a Zoom with him and then the next day we got the jobs. It felt so surprising because I've done a million audition things where you spend five months auditioning for something and then you don't get it.
Hook: It's kind of unheard of. For a show this massive, I expected us to do it like at least chemistry reads with each other. But like Sam said, Mike is just so instinctual with his decisions. And I honestly think he saw most of our first few tapes and he was like, 'That's the guy. That's the girl.' And then the director session that we all had with him individually to make sure we weren't crazy people.
Do you remember the first day on set?
Nivola: We shot this scene by the pool, just the three of us—Patrick, Sarah and I. It perfectly established the dynamics between our characters, where I'm kind of stuck in between them as they fight with each other. It was a perfect microcosm, a metaphor for what we would go on to experience over the next six months.
What do you love most about your characters?
Hook: I really admire her devotion to her interests and her curiosity. I love how smart she is and how she’s determined to do something completely different from her upbringing. The fact that she was somehow able to convince her whole family to go to Thailand with her—like, ‘Oh, come on, it’ll be a great experience!’. Honestly, I loved her from the moment I met her at the audition and saw such a similar spirit in myself.
Nivola: I feel like my mannerisms and the way I physically exist in the world are somewhat similar to Lochlan’s, unfortunately. Hopefully, I don’t share too many of his emotional traits. What I do relate to, though, is his openness and his understanding that the only thing he truly knows is that he doesn’t know anything. He’s kind of going through life, searching for an archetype to latch onto. Eventually, he realises there’s no such thing, and that’s a reductive way to approach life. I actually agree with that.
Were there any challenges that you faced while portraying your characters?
Hook: Piper is not as wacky as the rest of her family. I was so tempted to jump into that energy, but I had to stay grounded in Piper’s character, which was essential for the role and the family dynamic. But I’ll admit, I was jealous at times. How about you? [to Nivola] Was it difficult to play your character?
Nivola: I think it’s always difficult, honestly. If it’s not difficult, then you’re probably doing something wrong, right? But the nice thing about the casting process, which we mentioned earlier, is that the characters Mike casts tend to have an innate similarity to us, whether we like it or not. I think that makes this project, in particular, a bit easier compared to others, where you might have to be more of a chameleon. Here, we can lean into our own instincts a lot more.
With a big ensemble cast, who surprised you the most on set?
Hook: Lisa's really good. Not that we acted with her, but seeing her, like watching her in the episodes.
Nivola: I was totally surprised by how good she was because she — and that's nothing against her — never acted before. It's crazy to see someone come into their debut role and be so natural. She was able to perform in front of hundreds of thousands of people without seeming nervous at all. I couldn't help but think, 'Wow, I'm such a mess in comparison.' I mean, I'm nervous every time, and this is my job, something I do every day. But she was doing it for the first time and just nailed it.
Hook: We're very pleasantly surprised. Not that I expected anything negative. but it was just like, 'Wow, she's truly cool, wonderful, and really good at her jobs'.
What surprised you the most about Thailand?
Nivola: I feel like probably just that the people are so nice. I'm from New York, everyone's an a**hole, and I love that too. I love New Yorkers. But yeah, people, it's so refreshing to just be in a culture where the norm is being considerate and compassionate and nice. It's just relaxing. It puts you at ease.
Hook: Everyone is so nice, and personally, I really love the language. I didn't know you could take the same word and change its meaning just by adjusting the tone. Since I sing, it made me think of how the language has a sing-songy quality, where you can almost hear a tune when you speak. I'm really fascinated by that.
What was it like working with Mike White?
Nivola: What surprised us most about his direction is that he knows what he wants. Every good director does, but he's not really a control freak. There were times when he'd be like, this is what I want you to do, and you'd do it. And then there were also times where he'd be like, I don't actually know what this scene is yet and let's figure it out together. And that's such a rewarding experience as an actor. And to be given that freedom is so exciting and lets you sort of exercise your chops.
[Photos: Max Asia]
