Woody Harrelson has revealed the reason he ultimately didn’t appear in the recently aired third season of The White Lotus, clearing up earlier speculation about what pulled him away from the hit HBO series.
Contrary to some conjecture suggesting a dispute over pay, the actor said it came down to a clash with personal plans. “I was set to do White Lotus and very excited,” Harrelson shared in a statement to The Daily Beast. “Unfortunately, their production schedule shifted, and conflicted with a pre-planned family vacation, forcing me to make an extremely hard decision.”
His team also addressed claims that money was the issue, following a Hollywood Reporter piece that stated Harrelson had attempted to negotiate a higher fee and even held a one-on-one meeting with Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav. “It’s not about money,” his representatives told The Daily Beast.
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The three-time Oscar nominee was first considered for the role of Rick Hatchett, the character portrayed by Walton Goggins. According to The Daily Beast, he eventually signed on to play Frank—Rick’s elusive companion in the series—before the schedule shift forced him to exit. The part was recast, with Sam Rockwell stepping in.
“He was set to do the show and they moved the date,” Harrelson’s reps said. “And because they moved the date, he was no longer available so they recast. That part was the Sam part.”
Harrelson expressed nothing but support for his replacement, saying, “Things must be meant to be though, because I couldn’t have done as fantastic a job as Sam, who is killing it.”
The third season of The White Lotus, which relocated the series to Thailand, featured Rockwell, Goggins, Parker Posey, Jason Isaacs, and Aimee Lou Wood among its ensemble. While Harrelson didn’t appear, it turns out his involvement came far closer to happening than many might have assumed.
It’s hard not to wonder what Harrelson might have brought to the now-viral monologue delivered by Rockwell—a moment that’s sparked plenty of chatter online. We’ve put that memorable scene for you to watch below, though if you haven’t seen season 3 yet, you may want to hold off.
