Woody Harrelson Was Meant To Play Rick & Frank On The White Lotus
Wait, I can kinda see him in these parts.
The White Lotus has become known for skyrocketing the fame level of its ensemble casts. Even if the actors chosen to star in a season aren’t very well-known, they immediately gain viral cachet once they check in to the luxe (but deadly) resort. So, it’s pretty rare for the show to bring in a certified A-lister instead of making one itself. But apparently, that was nearly the case with Woody Harrelson — twice. Actually, it sounds like he’s been almost-cast even more times.
An oral history of The White Lotus published by The Hollywood Reporter on April 2 revealed that Harrelson was the initial top choice to play Rick Hatchett, the role that ultimately went to Walton Goggins. Per the outlet, Harrelson’s casting fell apart when he learned he could not negotiate his salary for the part. “Everyone is treated the same on The White Lotus. They get paid the same,” executive producer David Bernad said. “And it’s not negotiable.”
“You tell people this is what it is. And some won’t do it — and honestly, you can’t hold it against people who need to make a living,” casting director Meredith Tucker added. “Our series regulars are pretty much doing this for scale.”
After Goggins landed the role of Rick, Harrelson was still in discussion among the White Lotus creatives for another key part: Rick’s longtime pal Frank. The Hollywood Reporter stated that Harrelson was who creator Mike White was considering to play the evolved Thailand resident, but the timeline just didn’t work out. “Our schedule kept changing,” White said.
Instead, Sam Rockwell (a friend of Goggins’ IRL, as well as the husband of Season 3 star Leslie Bibb) stepped in for the pivotal character.
Clearly, Harrelson is someone the White Lotus team is very interested in — and it sounds like he’s been circling the series since before Season 3. Bernad revealed that the actor was also around when Season 2 was filming, and even got to read the big finale twist way ahead of time.
“Woody Harrelson happened to be visiting the set, and he read [Tanya’s death scene] and was like, ‘You ruined it for me!,’” Bernad said.
All that to say, don’t be surprised if Harrelson pops up in Season 4 of The White Lotus.
