Have you ever had a word or phrase on the tip of your tongue and just about broken your brain trying to recall it? Yes? What about something similar – let’s call it “tip of the ear” – when you hear someone’s voice and it sounds familiar but you just can’t place who it is? That’s what we experienced both in The White Lotus season 2 with Abby, and with Kenny in the second episode The White Lotus season 3.
In the second season, Dominic Di Grasso (played by the fantastic Michael Imperioli) calls his wife Abby, a character we only ever hear over the phone since she chose not to accompany her husband to Sicily. Her voice belongs to Laura Dern: Oscar-winning actor, David Lynch regular, and Jurassic Park star.
In the third season, Timothy Ratliff (played by the wonderful Jason Isaacs) is in hot water as he seems to have become embroiled in a money laundering scheme with his former business partner Kenny. The latter’s voice belongs to Oscar-winning actor, Goonie, and Indiana Jones sidekick Ke Huy Quan.
We may not have heard Abby very often, and we don’t yet know how much we’ll hear of Kenny, but even just these momentary scenes featuring only their voices are expertly played and testament to the fine cast this show always assembles. As the theatre master Konstantin Stanislavski said: “There are no small parts, only small actors.” This is certainly true of The White Lotus, because every actor – whether they’re a season lead, returning character, on screen for one episode, or a voice on the phone – brings their all to their performance.
Watch The White Lotus season 3 Express from the US on Mondays at 21:00 on M-Net channel 101 or catch up on DStv Stream here. Season 1 (set in Hawai'i) and 2 (set in Sicily) are also available on DStv Stream. Join the conversation on Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok.
Feature image: HBO: Jason Isaacs as Timothy Ratliff in The White Lotus Season 3 Episode 1