Originally appeared on E! Online
It pays to be in the White Lotus.
The HBO series has their characters unwinding (and raising incestuous havoc) in the most stunning resorts around the world. That shared comfort carries over to the actors’ real-life salaries, where one of the show’s producers David Bernard revealed the cast—which currently includes Parker Posey, Carrie Coon, Michelle Monaghan, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Jason Isaacs, Blackpink’s Lisa and Natasha Rothwell—gets equal pay.
“Everyone is treated the same on White Lotus,” David detailed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter on April 2. “They get paid the same, and we do alphabetical billing, so you’re getting people who want to do the project for the right reasons.”
According to THR, who also cited multiple sources, the show’s regular actors make “roughly $40,000 an episode.”
PHOTOS The White Lotus Season 3 Photos
David noted this salary is “not negotiable,” and the team used their billing system—which they created to help fund the show’s first season in 2021—to make this price point. THR reports that season one’s stop in Hawaii cost “$4 million an episode,” while its current third season’s budget in Thailand raised between “$6 million and $7 million.”
And so far, this surprising fixed rate has worked for the popular series. The show’s casting director, Meredith Tucker, explained this approach has leveled the playing field.
“It makes it so much easier,” she continued. “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. Our series regulars are pretty much doing this for scale.”
Elsewhere in the interview, White Lotus creator Mike White shared that Thailand wasn’t his dream location pick for season three. In fact, he had his eye on another spot in Asia.
“Originally, I wanted to shoot in Japan,” the 54-year-old director added. “I was in Thailand when my dad and I got eliminated from The Amazing Race — two weeks in an elimination station with all these other bitter reality contestants, I was just like, “I don’t ever want to come back here.”
But despite his apprehension, Mike noted HBO pushed for the country because they “had good tax incentives,” and the team visited Thailand shortly after.
Keep reading to fall in love with the show’s previous filming locations…
PHOTOSThe White Lotus, where youve seen the cast of The White Lotus season 3 before, key art
