‘White Lotus’ Star Carrie Coon Says Laurie Has ‘Hit Rock Bottom’ But ‘Good For Her’ | Video
Laurie might be on vacation in “The White Lotus,” but she’s hardly relaxing. In fact, headed into Sunday’s finale, actress Carrie Coon says Laurie’s officially “hit rock bottom” — but in a good way.
In season 3 of the HBO series, Coon’s character — a high-powered New York lawyer fresh off a divorce — is drinking her way through a Thailand getaway with her longtime best friends, Kate (Leslie Bibb) and Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan). But beneath the luxury, tensions simmer—especially when Jaclyn dares Laurie to hook up with Valentine (Arnas Fedaravicius), only to then sleep with him herself.
The betrayal sparks a drunken showdown, leading to Laurie sleeping with Aleksei (Julian Kostov), one of Valentin’s sketchy friends circling the resort. In classic “White Lotus” fashion, things take a turn when he casually requests $10,000 after they hook up. Laurie’s response? A quick escape out the window while his enraged girlfriend screams from the doorway.
For Coon, Laurie’s choices aren’t just about fun and impulse, as she explained on the latest episode of TheWrap’s “UnWrapped” Podcast.
“Jaclyn tells her, ‘Your life is disappointing. Why don’t you change it?’ So she has something to prove,” Coon said. “Now she has this young man who seems attracted to her, takes a little turn there at the end — because it’s Mike White — and it becomes really humiliating”
Still, Coon sees a small win for her character.
“She does have sex. She’s going through a divorce, good for her,” she said. But with White’s work, triumph is never just triumph. “There’s always something on the other side. Comedy, despair, it’s all in there.”
But, Laurie’s rock bottom isn’t just about Aleksei, Coon added. It’s about chasing a version of herself that no longer exists.
“She’s also a drunk,” Coon admitted. “She set out to recapture the Cancun of her youth. Maybe she’s not making great decisions because she’s had a few too many.”
At the heart of Laurie’s unraveling? Comparison — to younger women, her former self, and the life she thought she’d have.
“In AA and Al-Anon, we talk about rock bottom, how high is your bottom?” Coon said. “And this trip, where she’s constantly comparing herself, living in that ‘comparing mind’—a Buddhist concept we have to uproot because it’s just pain and suffering—this is her rock bottom. A dark night of the soul. But also, you know, a mixed bag.”
“The White Lotus” Season 3 finale, “Amor Fati,” airs Sunday, April 6, on HBO and streams on Max at 9 p.m. EST/PST.
About “UnWrapped”
“UnWrapped” is a podcast produced by WrapWomen, dedicated to empowering the next generation of women in media and entertainment. Each episode “unwraps” topics from entertainment news and industry trends to career advice, Hollywood headlines and more.
Special guests include industry leaders, actors, producers and studio execs. The aim of the series is to connect those looking for knowledge and access to those with the knowledge and access, providing the WrapWomen community with tools to succeed in their personal and professional lives.
You can listen to the full episode on TheWrap.com, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, TheWrap’s YouTube page or wherever you get your podcasts.
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