‘The White Lotus’ Season 3 Differs From Past Seasons in a “Big” Way, Says Michelle Monaghan

If you’ve ever worked in a group setting, Michelle Monaghan’s description of what the vibe was like between her and her The White Lotus co-stars is bound to sound familiar. Whether it be at your job or a school project, joining forces to reach a goal with other people oftentimes turns your crew into a little makeshift family. In Monaghan’s case, tossing in the fact that they were in a foreign country for several weeks, rooming together and exploring a place that many had never been added an extra layer to the dynamic. Describing it to Collider’s Perri Nemiroff for a recent installment of Ladies Night, the MaXXXine star likened this particular “bonding experience” to “camp.”

She and others, including Carrie Coon (The Gilded Age), Parker Posey (Waiting for Guffman), Jason Isaacs (the Harry Potter franchise), Leslie Bibb (Palm Royale) and more had a very once-in-a-lifetime experience together while shooting the third season of Mike White and HBO’s award-winning series. Admitting that she didn’t fully understand what she was getting herself into, Monaghan told Nemiroff, “I didn’t know that we would bond so much. I can’t possibly articulate it.”

Breaking down just a piece of what she experienced alongside her co-stars in Thailand, Monaghan continued,

“The cast and I have spoken about it a lot, but we’re living together, we’re working together, we are really all under the same roof together. We’re in resorts through buyouts there,
we’re having breakfast, lunch, and dinner together
. It is like camp, and it’s really a bonding experience. You go through
six months of people’s personal and professional lives together, and you’re inevitably bonded for life
. This is such a singular, unique experience that I don’t know if I’ll ever have anything like it again in a foreign country. It has been one of the most beautiful bubbles I’ve ever been able to be a part of, and I’m so grateful for the experience.”

Yeah, we think that when it comes to a COVID bubble or a The White Lotus Season 3 bubble, we’d prefer the latter, thank you.

The Genius of Mike White

Making history as the only ex–Survivor contestant to win an Emmy, White couldn’t have struck gold more than with The White Lotus. Over two (soon to be three) seasons, the anthology series has reeled in its own fandom who look forward to the stories that White and his team so creatively weave together. Like those of us at home who are constantly wowed by one man’s talent, Monaghan said she too was taken aback when they first started rolling on the third season.

“I didn’t expect Mike White to be as much of a unicorn as he is, but he’s a true unicorn.
He’s such a special talent
. First of all, he’s an actor first and foremost. I like him from

Chuck & Buck

days. I’ve wanted to work with him for such a long time, so this was truly a dream come true getting to be a part of the show this season specifically.
It’s such a fun, juicy character
. They
all
are. Everybody has their moments. It’s so special and that’s just what Mike does brilliantly.

But he’s an actor first and foremost, and then he’s the writer, and he’s the director, and he’s there every single day from the beginning to end.
He directs every single scene
. I don’t know how he does it. His stamina is incredible, and he just does it with a smile on his face the whole time. He really does.
He brings so much energy to the set
that I didn’t expect that. I’ve never seen that. The only other person that I’ve seen do that is
Cary Fukunaga
on

True Detective

. He wrote and directed every single [episode]. That was a beast of a season, and so is
White Lotus
. I mean, it is
big
. We do so much. The scope of Season 3 is bigger than Season 1 and Season 2, the cast is bigger as a result. It’s really special.”

Stay tuned to Collider to learn more about Season 3 of The White Lotus. Watch the full interview with Nemiroff below:

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