White Lotus Newbies Leslie Bibb & Michelle Monaghan Gushed About Joining Season 3

After much speculation and fan casting, the first new White Lotus Season 3 cast members have officially been announced. Deadline named six actors who are joining the HBO anthology series on Jan. 5, and once word was out, the newcomers were free to publicly share their excitement. Both Leslie Bibb and Michelle Monaghan raved about joining The White Lotus — and showed there’s already a strong bond between some of the cast members.

Checking In

The list of six includes Bibb and Monaghan, plus Parker Posey, Jason Isaacs, Dom Hetrakul, and Tayme Thapthimthong. They’ll appear alongside Season 1’s Natasha Rothwell (Belinda), whose return was previously reported by Variety. Like in Seasons 1 and 2, the story will follow a group of guests at a White Lotus property. No specifics are known about the characters so far, but there will be at least nine series regulars, according to a Nov. 13 Deadline article.

What the newcomers could reveal was their enthusiasm, and Bibb and Monaghan did that with relish. Bibb posted the casting update on her Instagram and started by greeting fans in Thai (“sawasdee kha…”) to prepare for the series’ latest stunning location. After writing “I love you” to creator Mike White, The White Lotus, and HBO, she added, “i am over the moon... i can’t wipe the satisfied grin off my face…”

Monaghan’s level of elation was just as high. “CHECKING IN to the White Lotus Season 3!!!!!” she wrote in part. “Words cannot express how grateful and excited I am to be a part of this epic show!! … It’s a dream come true to get to work with Mike White @hbo.”

The Trip Of A Lifetime

Filming is set to begin in and around Koh Samui, Phuket, and Bangkok, Thailand in February. Looking forward to the shoot, Monaghan said, “Thank you @thewhitelotus for what I know will be an experience of a lifetime!” And because that still wasn’t enough, she added, “Did I mention I get to go to Thailand with @itsparkerposey and @mslesliebibb!! Swoooon.”

The love is clearly already there for some of the cast members. In an Instagram story, Bibb posted the casting update and added, “I love you @michellemonaghan @itsparkerposey.”

Many other actors joined Bibb and Monaghan in celebrating their White Lotus roles. “Omg YESSSSSS!!!! Cannot wait,” Naomi Watts wrote to Bibb, and Kim Cattrall called it “fantastic.” Meanwhile, Ariana DeBose celebrated Monaghan with, “Come on Queen!!!! Whoooooo,” and Ashley Benson wrote, “I can’t wait to watch you lovey. F*ck yesssss.”

They’re in for what White described as a “supersized” season of The White Lotus during an Entertainment Weekly interview in late 2023. “It’s going to be longer, bigger, crazier,” he said. “I don’t know what people will think, but I am super excited, so at least for my own barometer, that’s a good thing.”