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Why Did Woody Harrelson Turn Down Role in The White Lotus Season 3? Actor Explains His 'Extremely Hard Decision'
Woody Harrelson turned down The White Lotus Season 3 due to family commitments. Read on to see what the actor had to say.
Woody Harrelson was at first under discussion to sign up for The White Lotus Season 3, filmed in Koh Samui, Thailand. But eventually he turned down the offer—despite the reported salary issue not being the reason.
The award-winning actor was said to be in the running for the part of either Rick, subsequently played by Walton Goggins, or Frank, who went to Sam Rockwell. Frank, a troubled ex-monk on a path of self-destruction, is a key figure in the season's violent and emotional finale.
Early accounts had suggested that Harrelson had backed out of the production due to a policy of the project calling for equal pay for all cast members, one that producer David Bernad had stipulated.
But Harrelson subsequently explained that money had nothing to do with his decision. He told The Daily Beast, "I was set to do The White Lotus and very excited."
Rather, he had scheduled a long-standing family holiday, and a change in the show's shooting schedule presented a direct conflict. With apologies, he opted to respect his private commitments.
Harrelson praised the work of Rockwell also, admitting that the character had the correct actor in his place.
"Unfortunately, their production schedule shifted and conflicted with a pre-planned family vacation, forcing me to make an extremely hard decision. Things must be meant to be, though, because I couldn’t have done as fantastic a job as Sam, who is killing it," Harrelson added.
Season 3 of the HBO anthology series is based in Koh Samui, Thailand, and the emotional luggage that a set of affluent guests take to the idyllic resort. Goggins's character, Rick, travels there with a secret agenda to track down the man he knows killed his dad, and he recruits Rockwell's Frank as a partner in confrontation—yielding one of the show's most dramatic closings.
The White Lotus Season 3 boasts a stellar ensemble cast including Jason Isaacs, Aimee Lou Wood, Michelle Monaghan, Carrie Coon, Patrick Schwarzenegger, and Blackpink's Lisa. The season ends with a thrilling 90-minute finale rife with deaths and violence—its longest in series history.
The White Lotus season 3 is available on HBO Max.
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