‘The White Lotus’: How Laura Dern Made a Sneaky Cameo in the Season 2 Premiere
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for The White Lotus Season 2, Episode 1, “Ciao.”]
The White Lotus Season 2 is a star-studded TV affair that’s even glitzier upon second glance, or rather, second listen, of its premiere episode, “Ciao.”
While most of the A-List cast members are onscreen, some are making waves behind the scenes, particularly during a scene shared between Michael Imperioli‘s Dominic and his estranged TV wife, Abby, who is offscreen. The absent spouse appears as a voice-over in a cell phone argument, making way for one epic guest performance from Oscar-winning actress Laura Dern.
important entry into the Laura Dern Screaming Cinematic Universe occurred on last night’s #TheWhiteLotus pic.twitter.com/us5yKMHhLT
— coleman spilde (@colemanjspilde) October 31, 2022
The since-confirmed cameo gets heated as Dominic calls to let Abby know that he, their son Albie (Adam DiMarco), and father Bert (F. Murray Abraham) arrived safely in Sicily. “What?” She picks up the phone with a single-word response. “I’m in the middle of something Dom, okay? I’m gonna go,” she continues to say, hinting at the fact that she really doesn’t want to talk.
When he pleads that he “just really wishes” she was there, Abby gets even more standoffish, “yeah, right, okay. Whatever, Dom.” As he proceeds to try and prove her wrong, Abby tells him to “f**k off,” and the hurling of insults only starts there. When Dominic asks why their daughter isn’t speaking with him, Abby tells him it’s because she doesn’t want to. Their discussion grows explosive on Abby’s end as more profanities get tossed his way.
The cameo is one of those occasions where you could blink and miss it, or more specifically, zone out and not hear it. For those who may not realize, the collaboration marks a reunion for Dern and The White Lotus creator Mike White, who previously teamed up for HBO’s former show Enlightened. Did you pick up on the actress’ vocals in The White Lotus Season 2 premiere? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below, and stay tuned as the latest chapter of Mike White’s series continues.
The White Lotus, Season 2, Sundays, 9/8c, HBO
