Mike White Admits Hesitation to Cast BLACKPINK’s Lisa in The White Lotus: 'Didn't Know Who She Was'

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K-pop sensation Lisa from BLACKPINK, whose full name is Lalisa Manobal, takes on the role of a health mentor named Thidapon ‘Mook’ Sornsin in season 3 of The White Lotus, which is set in Thailand. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the show's creator, Mike White, admitted that he wasn't familiar with her before casting and had some reservations about giving her the part.

Mike White had no idea who Lisa was

In the interview, Lisa shared with the publication that she had been a part of BLACKPINK for quite a while and was eager for a new opportunity when she got the chance to audition for The White Lotus. Feeling a bit anxious, she even took acting classes and brought her mom along to Thailand for support.

Mike mentioned that he was familiar with Jennie Kim from The Idol, but he didn’t recognize Lisa and was hesitant to cast her. He explained, “I had no idea who Lisa or BLACKPINK was. The only thing I knew was that there was a girl from BLACKPINK in The Idol, and I thought, we’re not going that route. Then I heard there could be security concerns, and I was like, no way. But they insisted she should audition.”

Although the creator acknowledged that Lisa’s audition was ‘incredible’ and described her as ‘nice and straightforward’, he admitted, “...but I still didn’t want to cast her. I’m just not used to having that much attention; we don’t need it. However, I wanted to be respectful to Thailand. She’s like a mix of Taylor Swift and Princess Diana there. She’s more than just a pop star; I just didn’t see it at first. When we finally cast her, some people in the production were in tears. Everything she does is under a microscope, so it’s a great role,” he added.

White Lotus Season 3

HBO's popular show The White Lotus is available for streaming on Jio Hotstar in India. New episodes are released every week, with the series finale set to air on Monday at 7:35 am. The cast includes Leslie Bibb, Carrie Coon, Walton Goggins, Sarah Catherine Hook, Jason Isaacs, Michelle Monaghan, Sam Nivola, Lek Patravadi, Parker Posey, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Tayme Thapthimthong, Aimee Lou Wood, Sam Rockwell, and Scott Glenn, along with Natasha Rothwell.

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