So we can all agree that we’re collectively anticipating the drop of each episode of The White Lotus season 3, yes? As we bid addio to Sicily and Tanya McQuoid (played by Jennifer Coolidge), we say sawatdee kha to Thailand and Saxon Ratliff (played by Patrick Schwarzenegger), the latest edition of the anthology is set to enthrall viewers with not only stunning views of the tourist hotspot, but also nail-biting drama that goes on between the guests and staff members of the titular resort.
Where the first two seasons followed characters that are on their honeymoon, or in search of long lost family, or even your average family vacation, one thing remains the same. Each of the visitors live lavish lives beyond the grounds of the hotel, and is promised to have a transformative experience. This season, we follow the Ratliffs as they check in to The White Lotus to follow Piper Ratliff (played by Sarah Catherine Hook) as her studies take them to the tropical country. There’s also a threesome of girlfriends that opted to the resort for their girls’ trip. Of course, every White Lotus edition needs a couple, and that’s where Chelsea and Rick Hatchett come in.
And as usual, there will be guests that get absolutely blown by the beauty and hospitality of The White Lotus, while others that are completely unfazed by it. And the standout characters will be downright abrasive as they sip and feast at the luxury establishment. But if you ever wondered what the actors of the show actually feel about the location where they got whisked away to, we got just the scoop for you.
The cast, who spent months on location for the filming, returns to Bangkok for the season premiere and we caught up with several of the cast members, particularly members of the Ratliff family, as well as Natasha Rothwell, who joins to recur her role as Belinda Lindsey. After her plans with Tanya did not come into fruition in season 1, she graciously arrives to Thailand in hopes to expand her knowledge.
The Ratliffs’ primary purpose, on the other hand, is to turn Piper’s educational pilgrimage into a whole family vacation. As of writing, only two episodes were out, and it appears that Lochlan Ratliff (played by Sam Nivola) is taking the time off to decide between two schools. Saxon seems eager to maintain his fitness routine while he checks out female guests for potential conquests. As for parents Victoria and Timothy Ratliff (played by Parker Posey and Jason Isaacs respectively), they seem to be content with the family time, though Victoria comes across as lethargic at all times.
What the Cast of The White Lotus Season 3 Loved about Thailand
Piper Ratliff — Sarah Catherine Hook
The composed Piper arrives to The White Lotus with one goal: to secure an interview with a monk that lives in a nearby monastery. But in reality, Hook had a rough night arrival: her suitcases went missing, and she thought she would never see them again. “I didn’t know if I was going to get them back, so the hotel provided some really cool Thai outfits for me,” she remarked. But come daytime, the Cruel Intentions actress finally got the chance to bask in the beauty of the location. “The next morning, I woke up in paradise. It was really spectacular.”
One of her favourite scenes to shoot is the one in episode two. The water hammocks were a spot she favoured. “I think because it was such a big show, I went into it thinking it was going to be really high pressure all the time. But he [show creator Mike White] just really wanted to have fun.”
Timothy Ratliff — Jason Isaacs
While Timothy Ratliff is always on edge, waiting for a damning phone call in almost every scene, English actor Jason Isaacs actually had it easy during his time on set. In fact, in preparation for the role, he went to town with Thai food. “I ate. I thought of Timothy as a fat cat,” he said. How much, you ask? Well, enough for him to complain about shedding the weight. “It’s been bracing trying to reverse that.” And who can blame him? Thailand is, after all, home to 36 Michelin starred restaurants, and even the average fare is a flavour bomb.
Lochlan Ratliff — Sam Nivola
The last child of the family, Lochlan Ratliff, is pulled in every different direction by each member of his family. Mum wants him to go to Tar Heel (AKA University of North Carolina) while Dad wants him to head to his alma mater Duke University. His brother and sister seem to be beefing over who can be crowned as Lochlan’s favourite sibling.
But what does Nivola like? A highlight for him was his appointment with the one and only Thai icon Moo Deng, which he took right before the premiere. “It was freaking amazing. It was one of the best days of my life. I freaked out,” the The Perfect Couple actor raved. Fellow cast member Hook went to see the famous hippo too, but claimed that “Sam’s love is unmatched.”
Victoria Ratliff — Parker Posey
Matriarch to the Ratliff pack, Victoria Ratliff arrives at The White Lotus with her family. While her excitement seems lukewarm (because it’s not the usual Caribbean escape), Parker Posey is the opposite of that. The role has her living in Thailand for the better part of the year, and her return for the premiere has her gearing up for more. “I’m going back to Koh Samui right after this!” she enthused.
While the Beau Is Afraid actress remarked how hot the city can get—”…it’s hot, hotter, and hottest here!”—it didn’t deter her from exploring what she could while she was filming the show. After a while, Posey got acclimated to the weather, and that’s when the adventure began. Once she got the routine down, she was off. “We’d get on the bike and get coffee or little treats around town, or just ride the bike. I fell in love with it. The people, the way the greet each other, the food, the vibe.” But it goes beyond just that.
“There’s so much reciprocity here,” she began. “Give and take seems to be part of the flow of the culture here, where in America, it can feel very transactional. Learning about the culture in Thailand… I wish there was that in America. For example, when you’re a teenager, you live in a monastery and you lie off the generosity of other people.”
Belinda Lindsey — Natasha Rothwell
As a returning character, Natasha Rothwell knows how it’s going to play out when she’s on set. Her character, Belinda Lindsey touches down in Thailand for an educational experience that she hopes to take with her back to Hawai’i. In a way, the spa manager now gets a taste of what it’s like to be a guest at The White Lotus, so she’s excited for that, especially with the opportunity to bring her son along for the stay. This is something that Rothwell herself resonated with. “I’ve missed it so much here. The moment I stepped off the plane and heard my first sawatdee kha, I was like, ‘yes!’” she started.
The How to Die Alone creator is also a writer. Being in the country was an eye-opening experience for her. Taking everything in, she mentioned how she “could make something pretty special here.” On top of the serenity, she also noted the hospitality extended to her. “The care that was given? I mean, they had us through sickness, answered our questions, translated things for us,” she said. “It’s no easy feat to be on these sets and to have to translate and understand Western actors. But I think we all speak the language of creativity and making art and film.”
Saxon Ratliff — Patrick Schwarzenegger
Obviously, the heartthrob of the season goes to Patrick Schwarzenegger’s Saxon Ratliff. Schwarzenegger plays the son who wants to emulate his father and earn his younger brother’s adoration. Judging by the first couple of episodes, he seems to be stirring some trouble with not only other guests but also his younger sister, Piper. Where this character is cheeky, Schwarzenegger himself is serious about honing his acting chops. The The Staircase actor is overjoyed to score not only a role on The White Lotus, but also to work alongside the likes of Jason Isaacs and show creator Mike White.
This season is also particularly unique in terms of shooting. “We got to go elsewhere. This one has so many different set pieces and locations, and it takes us to different hotels,” he started. “I’ll never have a job quite like this again. I think that ‘this too shall pass’ is always a famous quote, and there’s moments when you’re filming the show where you’re thinking that you can’t wait to be back home in LA and with family, but at the end of the day, there’s no other experience quite like this,” he reminisced.
He noted how, just like the other two editions of The White Lotus, actors had the opportunity to get deep into the culture of the locales since they actually lived and worked for an extended amount of time versus visiting for a vacation. “One of the things that we go to do was to go out and experience some of Thailand as best we could on our off time.”
You can watch The White Lotus Season 3 here.
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