The White Lotus: Michelle Monaghan, Natasha Rothwell and Aimee Lou Wood on what to expect from SE3 (EXCLUSIVE)

Can you remember where you were, what you were doing and how you reacted when you got the call that you were joining the new season of The White Lotus?

Natasha: I was at dinner with Mike White. Just a casual meal. And he mentioned that he was thinking about bringing Belinda back. I said: ‘Tell me when and where!’ Hollywood is Hollywood, so you can never really trust anything until you get the contract. But the offer came through and I knew it was real, so I was over the moon!

Aimee: I was out with my friends, as I’d done my callback the day before. My agent was like: ‘It went really well but just put it out your mind. They’ve got other people to see.’ But it’s so hard to put it out your mind. I went out for drinks. I genuinely did forget about it. Went to the toilet. You know when iPhones say ‘maybe’ – it said: ‘maybe Mike White’… It went: ‘Can’t wait to work with you!’ I had all these missed calls from my agent. I ran out and said to my friends: ‘Guys – I’ve got it!’ My best friend just spun me around in this bar. Then we were singing the theme tune the whole night.

Michelle: I was in the car with my husband, on our way back from Vegas from The Family Plan premiere. I’d also just turned in my audition. I was preoccupied with other stuff. I got the call: ‘You got it!’ Pete and I were jumping up and down in the backseat. I cried. It was a dream of mine to work with Mike White. I’ve loved him since Chuck & Buck. I was such a fan of that series. Man, he didn’t disappoint! The ride of a lifetime.

Natasha, do you remember Jennifer Coolidge’s reaction when she heard you were rejoining?

She texted me! She was so sweet. She was like: ‘Go crush it!’ It was such a wonderful, sweet text. She’s an amazing person, so it was really nice to get. 

Is she excited to see what happens to your character?

I think so! I’m excited for audiences, too, to see what happens, because I’m tired of keeping secrets. I’ve had to lie my ass off! It’ll be great to be able to exhale and everyone know the outcome.

What do you think the show is saying about life, death and spirituality?

Aimee: It’s so big, that question, and that’s what I love about Mike, so much, is he’s like: ‘Yeah. I’m gonna take that huge, impossible question, and I’m going to try and offer up an answer.’ It’s an idiosyncratic, individual answer. Mike reveals so much of himself through what he writes. We feel like we know him so well. It’s really vulnerable. His whole self is in these scripts. The answer is, we’re expressing Mike, really. 

Michelle: And then ourselves! It’s quite meta. And it’s really a reflection, when you’re watching it as an audience, because Mike is such a keen observer of human behaviour. An empath. Vulnerable to everything and everyone. The way he’s able to execute all of those feelings and the things he’s witnessing, the show ends up reflecting the audience and all the characters. They’re confronting. It’s cringe-worthy, it’s funny. It ends up being a question we all ask ourselves. 

Natasha: It’s an invitation for us to really try to understand the distance between who we are, who we were and who we want to be. Light necessitates dark, and dark necessitates light. I think being able to explore characters’ duality in an honest way is a big part of that. To understand your dark side is to appreciate the light. Mike does that really well this season in playing with darkness and shining a light on the positive aspects of humanity. It’s a beautiful way to tell stories, I think, to have those big life-changing, life-affirming questions explored in a beautiful, messy, soapy thriller.

I feel like people love The White Lotus for a reason they can’t quite put their finger on. There’s a mysteriousness about it. Having been in it, what do you think it is?

Natasha: We’re all voyeurs at the end of the day. We love to watch people. Particularly those people that are in a class [that’s] often elusive. You get to see the raw underbelly of what it’s like to have money but not have peace. You see these characters who seemingly have everything really struggle to find their centre and find joy. Have to reconcile with deceit and morality. People are drawn to the soap opera of life when the stakes are so high, and they have nothing to lose personally.

Can you name one character trait in each of your characters that you relate to, and one that you don’t?

Aimee: I relate heavily to Chelsee’s obsession with astrology. And then, as much as she’s a romantic and got a really good heart, she’s also assertive. I want a bit more of that trait. Playing it, because she’s an Aries, I think I want that fire more. I don’t have her fire.

Michelle: I love Jacqueline’s energy. That’s something I can relate to. It’s something that I naturally have, that’s the Aries in me. And the one thing I don’t have in common, is her little bit of duplicitous behaviour, which we see as the season progresses, which as an actress, is so fun to play. There’s a real duality that exists with Jacqueline that’s been a delight to lean into.

Natasha: An aspect I relate to is generosity of spirit. That’s how I was raised and brought up. I love being able to give of myself and my time. To nurture and help people. It makes sense to me as a person. Then I think an aspect I don’t relate to – used to relate to! – is biting my tongue. I did that a lot when I was younger. Growing up, I found my voice… and a great therapist! So, I don’t do that anymore. That’s the part of Belinda that feels a little bit distant.

Is there a White Lotus season three group chat?

Aimee: Oh yeah!

Michelle: You better believe it!

Aimee: Support group!

Michelle: It’s amazing! I get butterflies every time someone jumps on to share or engage or support. We share such an extraordinary bond as creatives, as artists, as humans. We became friends. We spent six months there! I treasure seeing names pop up on my screen!

Natasha: The text chain is definitely active! It’s such a cool spot to be able to celebrate each other’s wins. I saw Walton [Goggins’s] shirtless GQ photos, so I put those in the chat, and we all got to holler! It’s a cool place because no one else went through what we went through. It’s a singular experience. You have to be reminded sometimes that it even happened and check in with the group chain and be like, ‘remember when it was so hot, we put ice packs down our pants?!’

The White Lotus season three premieres on Sky on 17 February 2025.