The new HBO dramedy The White Lotus stars an ensemble cast full of veteran actors who viewers may know from other projects. The story takes place at a Hawai'ian resort amongst a group of rich visitors. What initially promises to be a pleasant holiday turns dark as hidden tensions and secrets amongst the guests emerge. The series' opening scene promises that one guest won't finish the week alive.
The White Lotus was created by Mike White, who has previously created the critically-acclaimed HBO series Enlightened, which also dealt with themes of new-age spirituality. White has previously acted in movies like School of Rock alongside Jack Black, as well as appearing on reality competition shows like The Amazing Race and Survivor, but is set to stay behind the camera for this six-episode miniseries.
Interestingly, the opening credits list the cast in alphabetical order, suggesting that they are meant to be a true ensemble with no one character being central. Here's the cast and character breakdown of The White Lotus.
Murray Bartlett as Armond
Bartlett is an Australian actor who moved to the U.S. in the 1990s. After appearing in guest roles on series like Farscape and Sex and the City, he became a series regular on HBO's Looking as Dom, in addition to playing Dr. Paul Edmonds in Netflix's Iron Fist. In The White Lotus he plays Armond, the hotel's put-upon manager.
Connie Britton as Nicole Mossbacher
Connie Britton has become a prolific TV and movie actress ever since her breakout role as the wise coach's wife Tami Taylor on Friday Night Lights, which earned her two Emmy nominations. Since then, she has appeared in multiple seasons of American Horror Story and played the leading role in ABC's Nashville. Britton portrays Nicole, the take-charge head of a wellness company and the matriarch of the Mossbacher family.
Jennifer Coolidge as Tanya McQuoid
Coolidge is a comedic veteran who broke out through her portrayal of Stifler's mom in the American Pie series. Since then, she has had recurring roles in series like Party Down, 2 Broke Girls, and Gravity Falls. In The White Lotus Coolidge plays Tanya, a mysterious and erratic woman grieving the recent loss of her mother.
Alexandra Daddario as Rachel
Alexandra Daddario first broke out as an actress as part of the Percy Jackson film series. She has since had numerous memorable appearances in TV series like True Detective and Why Women Kill. Her White Lotus character is Rachel, a newlywed journalist who is beginning to see the less attractive side of her husband Shane.
Fred Hechinger as Quinn Mossbacher
Viewers may have seen Fred Hechinger recently in Netflix's Fear Street trilogy, where he portrays different roles in 1994 and 1666. The young actor also starred in Bo Burnham's Eighth Grade and appeared in News of the World. The first episode of The White Lotus doesn't reveal much about Hechinger's character Quinn, who is the teenage son of the Mossbacher family and the frequent butt of his sister's jokes.
Jake Lacy as Shane Patton
Jake Lacy is used to playing the role of frustrating and sometimes oppressive male love interests, having played Rooney Mara's boyfriend in Carol. He has also appeared in recent series like I'm Dying Up Here and Fosse/Verdon. As newlywed real estate agent Shane, Lacy is the first of the main cast to appear in The White Lotus and may be the key to its mystery.
Brittany O'Grady as Paula
Brittany O'Grady (pictured on left) has a strong entertainment heritage, being the granddaughter of jazz great Billy Arnold. She had her first breakout role on the FOX musical drama Star, and more recently starred in AppleTV+'s series Little Voice and the 2019 remake of Black Christmas. In The White Lotus O'Grady plays Paula, Olivia's friend who has been invited on vacation and joins in her friend's mockery of everything around them.
Natasha Rothwell as Belinda
Actress and comedian Natasha Rothwell is best known for her role as Kelli on Insecure, a show she also served as a writer on. She also plays Rachel in the Sonic the Hedgehog movie and its upcoming sequel and appeared in Wonder Woman 1984. Rothwell's White Lotus character Belinda is the resort's spa manager and has a curiously psychological method of treating her patients' ills.
Sydney Sweeney as Olivia Mossbacher
Sydney Sweeney (left) has appeared in multiple previous HBO series, portraying Cassie Howard in Euphoria and Alice in Sharp Objects. She also had a recurring role as Eden in The Handmaid's Tale. In The White Lotus, Sweeney plays the Mossbacher family's sardonic teen daughter Olivia, who quickly develops a connection with Rachel.
Steve Zahn as Mark Mossbacher
Rounding out the cast is TV and film veteran Steve Zahn, known for his charismatic appearances in movies like Reality Bites and Sahara. He was also a regular cast member on the underrated HBO drama Treme. Zahn's Mark Mossbacher is the supportive husband of Nicole and is suffering from a health issue that he believes is cancer.
The White Lotus also features a number of recurring guest actors, including Jolene Purdy and Lukas Gage as hotel employees and Molly Shannon as Shane's mother Kitty. The HBO series is hoping that its talented cast will allow it to capture the same zeitgeist as previous mystery-driven limited series like Mare of Easttown or Big Little Lies.