The White Lotus adds Hollywood A-lister to cast in complex reveal

Rockwell is the real-life husband of The White Lotus season 3 co-star Leslie Bibb, who plays girls' trip tourist Kate in the latest episodes, but the actor made no mention of his role in her own promotional interviews.

Viewers may recognise the acclaimed talent from his earlier appearances in Martin McDonagh films Seven Psychopaths and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, the latter of which won him his Oscar.

In addition to other awards fare, such as Vice, Jojo Rabbit and The Assassination of Jesse James, Rockwell has also starred in Galaxy Quest and Iron Man 2, where he played Tony Stark's tech rival Justin Hammer.

In The White Lotus season 3, he steps into a challenging new role as the intense friend to Goggins's Rick, who has relocated to Bangkok, Thailand, where he has been through a somewhat transformative experience.

Over a non-alcoholic drink, Rockwell's character divulges a surprising story of moving to Thailand seeking relations with Asian women, which led to him developing a sex addiction – and diagnosing that his desire goes deeper than he'd ever thought.

He explains that, rather than simply fetishising Asian women, he came to the realisation that he wished to actually be an Asian woman and to sleep with men who looked similar to himself (i.e. white, middle-aged).

After a period of time attempting to live out this fantasy, using his wealth in some cases to pay people to participate, he decided that it had to stop; now, he is a teetotal, celibate Buddhist, with a somewhat serene demeanour.

"Hey, we all have our achilles heel, man," he says to a comically stumped Rick. "Where does it come from? Why are some of us attracted to the opposite form, and some of us the same?

"Sex is a poetic act. It's a metaphor. A metaphor for what? Are we our forms? Am I a middle-aged white guy on the inside too? Or inside, could I be an Asian girl? I guess I was trying to f**k my way to the answer, and then I realised I gotta stop."

For all of Rick's rudeness so far this season, it has to be said that he's remarkably calm and respectful while listening to his friend's intimate admissions.

At the end of the episode, they part ways and Rick asks him to be free for a follow-up engagement, as he sets into motion his plan to confront the man he believes is responsible for his own father's death.

The White Lotus season 3 continues on Mondays on Sky Atlantic and NOW.

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