‘The White Lotus’ Boss Reveals ‘Dahmer’ Actor Evan Peters Was Meant to Star in Season 2
HBO‘s The White Lotus is known for its big-name ensemble casts, and it seems the second season could have been even more star-studded, as Evan Peters (Monster: The Jeffery Dahmer Story) was originally set for a main role.
In a talk hosted by Deadline at the Berlinale Series Market in Germany on Wednesday (Feb 22) morning, the show’s executive producer David Bernad revealed that Peters was meant to play the role of Ethan Spiller, which ultimately went to Giri/Haji actor Will Sharpe.
“That part was the last part we cast in the season, and originally it was supposed to be Evan Peters, but for whatever reason – scheduling or timing – it didn’t work out,” Bernad explained.
“We were really trying to figure how to cast that part so it didn’t feel like familiar casting,” he continued. “We were in Rome auditioning Italian actors, and I was jetlagged Googling at 4am, and I came across Will Sharpe in Giri/Haji, which is a brilliant show in the U.K. I’d never seen him before, and he was just incredibly talented. I looked at his other work and realized he was kind of a chameleon.”
Sharpe’s character Ethan is a workaholic dragged along on an awkward vacation with his wife Harper (Aubrey Plaza), and his old college buddy Cameron Sullivan (Theo James) and his wife Daphne (Meghann Fahy).
Now, Bernad is looking ahead to Season 3, which he teased would be set somewhere in Asia. “We’ve tried to work in Asia a lot, and hopefully season three will be our chance to make something happen there,” he said.
Mike White, who created the series, previously hinted at an Eastern setting in a Season 2 behind-the-scenes featurette. Then, last week, White’s good friend Johnny Knoxville seemed to accidentally reveal that Season 3 would be set in Tokyo.
The first season of The White Lotus was set at a hotel in Maui, Hawaii, while Season 2 was filmed on the island of Sicily in Italy.
“We were looking for a country in Europe with a production rebate, and Knives Out had just gone to Greece, so it was down to France to Italy,” Bernad joked.
The White Lotus, Season 3, TBA, HBO
