Collider: When did the three of you meet?
Did you know each other, at all?
LESLIE BIBB: I saw Carrie do a play a while ago.
I was like, Whos Honey?
CARRIE COON: Youre so sweet.
BIBB: When they said Carrie was gonna do it, I was so excited.
Image via HBO
And then, we started a text thread with Michelle [Monaghan].
Shes gonna try them on at her house before she leaves.
Id seen Michelle, just in passing, but I had never really met her.
We were just on this great text thread.
We were sending pictures of each other when we were kids.
It was really fun.
COON: It was fun to connect with the past.
I forgot we did that.
BIBB: We decided we were from the Midwest.
Image via HBO
BIBB: Yeah, its really nice.
The sun continues to bring out the worst in the 1%.
It sounds like you guys are way more meant to be friends than your characters.
COON: Maybe so.
BIBB: I dont know.
I think they may surprise you.
The White Lotus is a television series that explores the interactions of guests and staff at an upscale tropical resort. Premiering in 2021, the narrative unfolds over a week, revealing underlying complexities and tensions among the resort’s seemingly ideal travelers and employees.
COON: I think were always waiting for that.
But the thing is, shes not being upfront with her friends about how her life is really going.
Theres a lot of keeping up appearances.
BIBB: But I think thats true of all of them.
Theyre all keeping up appearances.
COON: Even when they dont, theyre hiding.
BIBB: The lie they tell themselves is that they really care.
I think they really are concerned.
COON: Shes famous.
BIBB: Life is easy for her.
COON: But comparing is the human condition.
Were taught to do it.
Women are taught to be separated by it and competitive.
Because theyre such great actors, I knew that I would come out of it better.
I feel like my take was a hot mess, but [Carries] was so good.
[She was] so mad and she was spinning [her] plate.
She was just so mad.
It was inspiring and exciting.
COON: I think Mike really understood Kate.
The worst was if you heard nothing come from the monitor.
COON: But he totally understood Kate and he would cackle.
BIBB: Isnt it funny how he understands every single character?
He also understood Chelsea.
I think were all facets of him.
COON: Any good writers understand the characters.
BIBB: Theyre all some part of him.
What happens in Thailand stays in Thailand.
He could just be a dictator demanding a specific vision, but it feels like hes very collaborative.
What was it like to collaborate with him?
BIBB: He leaves room to play.
COON: Hes not precious about the words, though the words are good and you should say them.
BIBB: When it matters, it matters.
But if you improvise something, he goes with it.
He keeps it very loose.
COON:Theres nothing arbitrary about what hes looking for.
He also responds to qualities in people, and then is able to turn that thing up.
BIBB: Or youll say something, and then suddenly, he puts it in the show.
Be careful what you say because you might be saying it on the show.
BIBB: I asked him, How did you come up with these three women?
COON: And he loved that idea.
It all flowers the idea for him.
This is such a big ensemble, and you guys are all in your little bubbles.
There are so many people you dont get to work with much or at all.
Who do you think your characters would have had more fun with, if they just left their friends?
BIBB: I wish we all had something together.
I wish the three of us had something with Parker [Posey].
We had a slight thing with her.
COON: That was a hoot to watch.
BIBB: I feel like that would have been great.
Theres a part of me that cant really remember what happened with everyone else.
Its a nice way to do it.
BIBB: And we shouldnt know whats happening because we wouldnt.
“Love her though!”
The White Lotusairs on HBO and is available to stream on Max.
Check out the Season 3 trailer:
