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Natasha Rothwell’s Belinda plays a special role in season 3 of ‘The White Lotus.’ Viewers can’t get enough of theories about what’s next for the spa manager.
Fans were delighted to see season 1 star Belinda Lindsey return to The White Lotus for the HBO comedy drama’s third installment. The beloved spa manager’s visit to Thailand might lead to a confrontation with Tanya McQuoid’s killer, but only time will tell.
In the meantime, Belinda’s Natasha Rothwell is spilling all she can about what’s next for guests at The White Lotus, but she can’t share much! Rothwell did divulge her reaction to receiving the full script for season 3 — and she couldn’t stop screaming.
Rothwell appeared on Late Night With Seth Meyers to discuss her experiences filming in Thailand. When Meyers asked whether she knew she’d return to The White Lotus for season 3, Rothwell responded, “Absolutely none whatsoever,” saying she was “fully surprised and so grateful.” Viewers thought they’d left Belinda in Maui forever after season 1. So showrunner Mike White thrilled the Insecure actor when he gave her a call.
“I ran through my wall like the Kool-Aid Man, luggage in hand,” Rothwell laughed. “I was like, ‘Where are we going? Let’s ride.’” The Wonka actor also got special access to the full script — something followers of The White Lotus have spent over a year speculating about. “The surprise is such an important part of the show,” Meyers noted, asking if it was a “page-turner” for Rothwell.
“I ‘binge-watched’ the show by reading all of [the scripts] at the same time,” Rothwell revealed. “I have a dog. At the time, I had a dog, and it — I was just screaming. The whole time he was jumping, he was like, ‘What’s wrong, Mom?’ And I was just like, ‘It’s going down. It’s going down in these scripts.’” Belinda’s role in season 3 will likely grow as the plot thickens. McQuoid’s ex-husband, Greg, has turned up at The White Lotus in Thailand, leading Belinda to recognize his face from Hawaii.
Rothwell explained that she not only had early access to White’s scripts, but she helped him write certain parts. “It was lovely to hear he’s also very open to collaborating with his actors,” Meyers explained. “Yeah, he’s very aware he’s not a Black woman,” Rothwell joked. “… When I was cast originally, you know, it’s a Black role, you know, in a mostly homogeneous environment. And I wanted to protect her.”
The How to Die Alone star explained that she asked Mike White about being a writer and whether they could collaborate. “He jumped on it. He was so down,” she shared. “And we went page by page, season one… And we did the same thing season three.”
New episodes of The White Lotus air Sundays at 9:00 pm EST on HBO and Max.
