The White Lotus fans never know what stars will pop up in surprise cameos on the hit Max series, including actress Leslie Bibb‘s real-life partner, Sam Rockwell. Life & Style takes a look at the Oscar winner’s season 3 appearance and the completely bonkers scene that had viewers buzzing.
Is Sam Rockwell in ‘The White Lotus’?
Sam’s character, Frank, was introduced in episode 5 of season 3. Walton Goggins‘ Rick had flown to Bangkok, Thailand, from the country’s White Lotus beach resort to presumably kill its owner, whom he believes murdered his father.
Rick met up with Frank in the lobby of his hotel and the two old friends went to have a drink in the bar. Frank ordered a chamomile tea and revealed he was 10 months sober after taking the “partying thing as far as it can go” and finding religion.
Sam Rockwell Delivered One of the Craziest Monologues Ever on ‘The White Lotus’
Frank slipped Rick a black bag containing what was later revealed to be a gun. He also mentioned how he had to flee the United States and said he chose Thailand because of his fascination with Asian women.
Frank then went on to describe how his boozing and sex addiction got way out of hand.
“I was out of control. I became insatiable. And, you know, after about a thousand nights like that, you start to lose it. I started to wonder: Where am I going with this? Why do I feel the need to f–k all these women? What is desire? The form of this cute Asian girl, why does it have such a grip on me? ‘Cause she’s the opposite of me? Is she gonna complete me in some way? I realized I could f–k a million women, I’d still never be satisfied,” Frank told Rick.
Walton may have secured an Emmy nomination with his literally jaw-dropping reaction to what Frank told him next, and his wide-eyed expression quickly became a meme.
“Maybe what I really want is to be one of these Asian girls,” Frank explained, as Rick quietly responded, “Really?”
Frank when on to explain how one night he ended up with a “lady boy” who was the giver rather than the receiver, and that he was hooked on men having sex with him. Frank said he began dressing up as an Asian woman and bottoming for men who looked like him to better experience being an Asian woman while he paid a woman to watch so he could see it through her eyes.
“Then I got addicted to that,” he explained, “I’d think: I am her. And I’m watching me.”
Frank eventually burned out on that lifestyle and turned to Buddhism, replacing booze and endless sexual escapades with learning about “spirit versus form, detaching from self, getting off the never-ending carousel of lust and suffering.”
The two men said their goodbyes at the end of the night, saying how “great” it was to see each other again. Rick told Frank, “I may need another favor from you,” and that it might involve “a little role play,” but that it was “no big deal.” Frank told Rick, “I owe you one,” and agreed to keep the following night free for him. Sam was seen on a boat with Walton in a preview for the following week’s episode, showing that the actor may have a minor story arc as Frank.
Sam Rockwell’s Longtime Partner Leslie Bibb Appears on ‘The White Lotus’ Season 3
Leslie is one of the primary cast members on The White Lotus season 3. She plays Kate, one of three childhood friends taking a vacation together along with Michelle Monaghan‘s Jaclyn and Carrie Coon‘s Laurie.
Sam and Leslie met in 2007 at West Hollywood’s Chateau Marmont hotel.
“I was standing there about to have dinner with some girlfriends and somebody looked over my shoulder and waved,” Leslie told Rosie O’Donnell in 2007. “I turned around, and it was him. He was walking behind me. He was staying there because he was doing Frost/Nixon.”
“He smiled at me, and I thought, ‘Oh no, what’s that?’” she continued. “Sometimes you just get struck.” The duo went out on their first date a week later and have been together ever since.
Leslie celebrated 16 years as a couple with Sam in an October 13, 2023, Instagram post showing a throwback photo of the pair.
“Sweet sixteen Sammy … was this from the first year, maybe the second, who knows we were babies and all the time is flying by and blurring into one helluva a ride with you … I feel very lucky to get to love this human and even luckier to be loved by him … give someone you love a squeeze today and look them in the eye and tell them how you feel about them … it does the body good,” The Lost Husband star wrote in the caption.
Leslie Bibb Kept Sam Rockwell’s ‘The White Lotus’ Appearance a Secret
The Talladega Nights star never let on that her boyfriend was appearing in The White Lotus. After spending three months in Thailand shooting season 3, Leslie shared a July 2024 Instagram post showing the duo hugging at the airport after Sam greeted her with a bouquet of flowers.
“Reunited … and it feels so good,” the actress wrote in the caption. “Sometime rules have to be broken and our three week rule had to be three months because of our work schedules and gawddamn nothin’ feels as good as being back with #sammyrocks.”
