Kai may have been in the background at the start of The White Lotus, but as the HBO series nears its conclusion, the resort employee has been making some big moves. Not only has Kai caught Paula’s eye (and maybe even Olivia’s), but actor Kekoa Scott Kekumano has also been a big standout for fans. Anyone who started the show wondering who plays Kai on The White Lotus will quickly learn that Kekumano was perfect for the part in so many ways. The native Hawaiian actor is a model, surfer, dancer, and has even played an iconic superhero in a major DC Comics movie.
Kekumano wasborn in Mililani, Hawaii, on June 16, 1998, and scored his first major acting role in 2015 on CBS’ Hawaii Five-O reboot. He recurred as the troubled teenager Nahele for four season of the series. Probably his most impressive credit, though, is playing Aquaman himself in 2018’s Aquaman. Well, for a bit at least. Obviously, Jason Momoa portrayed the Atlantean hero for most of the movie, but Kekumano did pop up to play Aquaman as a teenager in flashbacks.
As White Lotus fans have probably already guessed, Kekumano also works as a model. He is signed to the agency Bliss Models and Talent.
Aside from acting and modeling, Kekumano has all sorts of hobbies. His Instagram is filled with surfing photos, along with his passion for jiu jitsu, scuba diving, and lifting weights. He’s also a certified ocean safety lifeguard. Basically, he’s a real-life Aquaman. He was also very prepared for that White Lotus hula performance, as Kekumano has been hula dancing for years.
As for his love life, Kekumano is currently dating hair stylist Kylee Ulloa, who founded the haircare company JXN&CO. The two appear to have started dating just a few months before The White Lotus premiered in the summer of 2021.
Kekumano is definitely on the up and up right now in light of The White Lotus’ success, so expect to see more of him in TV and movies soon enough. Until then, you can check him out as Kai on The White Lotus Sunday nights on HBO.
