‘Lisa was like a village girl’: White Lotus director shares how concerns over BLACKPINK star’s behaviour quickly faded

Also read: White Lotus 3 creator didn’t want to cast Blackpink’s Lisa in the show initially, says ‘She was like Taylor Swift meets Princess Diana’

“She was amazing,” Mike said. “She was so easy, and she’s very talented. She’s a natural actress… just very natural.” For the unversed, Lisa is a Thai-born singer who debuted with the Korean pop band BLACKPINK. Recently, she launched her own brand, LLoud, after parting ways with YG Entertainment. She played the role of Mook in the HBO series, and despite having no acting background, she revealed she took special lessons to do justice to the role.

The host added, “She’s not like a superstar. She was just like a village girl back in her hometown, just chatting like an innocent girl, right?” And Mike couldn’t agree more. Actress Lek Patravadi, who only had one scene with Lisa, recalled that even though they didn’t film much together, they spent time bonding over meals. And it clearly left an impression. “She is very polite and has such good manners,” Lek shared. “She really touched my heart. I’m so proud she’s such a big star but still holds on to her culture and respects elders and people around her. I’m really glad I got to meet her.

Also read: BLACKPINK’s Lisa at Oscars 2025: Icon channels James Bond, on the red carpet and as a performer

Earlier, the show’s executive producer, David Bernad, speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, revealed that they almost considered another actor for the role of Mook after Mike White nearly decided not to cast Lisa due to security concerns. The makers apparently didn’t want too much attention while filming. However, the casting team insisted on giving the singer a chance to audition, which she completely nailed. Her politeness and professionalism won over White and Bernad. Still not fully convinced about casting such a high-profile face, White said he ultimately gave the role to Lisa out of respect for Thai culture, adding, “She’s like Taylor Swift meets Princess Diana there.”

Is White Lotus 4 happening?

Yes. Way before season 3 wrapped up, in November 2024, HBO CEO Casey Bloys revealed that White had already pitched him about season 4. At the time, the HBO boss said that if White wanted to do a season 4, they were up for it. The announcement for season 2 was made just two months later. However, the shooting location for the next season is being kept under wraps for now. The previous three locations were Maui, Sicily, and Koh Samui. “We’re going on some location scouting in the next couple of weeks, so we’ll know soon. I can’t really say where we’re going to land, but chances are somewhere in Europe,” HBO executive Francesca Orsi teased earlier while speaking to Deadline.