As I’m sure you know, there are many stars in Season 3 of The White Lotus — from a K-pop icon to Lucius Malfoy himself. However, if you’re an actor looking for a big paycheck, it sounds like The White Lotus is not the place for you.
Ahead of the Season 3 finale on Sunday, the show’s cast and crew sat down with the Hollywood Reporter to share some behind-the-scenes secrets — including the unconventional pay policy.
“Everyone is treated the same on The White Lotus. 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, not to quote The Bachelor,” explained producer David Bernad. “It’s a system we developed in the first season because there was no money to make the show.”
Multiple sources told the Hollywood Reporter that the pay for actors in Season 3 is around $40,000 per episode. Casting director Meredith Tucker said that ensuring everyone receives the same amount makes things “much easier” — even if it deters some actors from being on the show. “You tell people this is what it is,” she said. “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.”
On X, fans have praised the approach to salaries, as well as the added revelation that all actors must audition, no matter how famous and experienced they may be. Plenty of users said factors like these are likely key to making “a good ensemble show” and avoiding unnecessary conflict between the actors. Others suggested it should be “the standard” on TV shows.
Some users speculated that the non-negotiable pay policy might be why we “don’t see A-listers” on the show. With that in mind, the Hollywood Reporter article included a story from two sources who claimed that Woody Harrelson — who initially signed on to play Rick, Walton Goggins’ character — went “all the way to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav to see if his salary could be negotiated.” His request was denied, which apparently didn’t stop him from signing on for the show; however, he eventually dropped out due to scheduling issues.
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