How Season 3 of ‘The White Lotus’ could set a new record for Emmy acting nominations
If you thought the first two seasons of The White Lotus received lots of acting nominations at the Emmys, just wait.
Season 3, which comes to an end this Sunday on HBO, could end up beating the previous number of acting bids for both Season 1 (eight) and Season 2 (nine). Jennifer Coolidge won back-to-back Emmys for playing quirky resort guest Tanya McQuoid, while Murray Bartlett claimed gold for the first season as the Maui hotel manager.
The third installment, which focuses on wellness and spirituality in Thailand, boasts a whopping 17 series regulars as of the penultimate episode, which aired March 30. The actors can essentially be divided into four cliques: the Ratliff family (Jason Isaacs as Timothy, Parker Posey as Victoria, Patrick Schwarzenegger as Saxon, Sam Nivola as Lochlan, and Sarah Catherine Hook as Piper); the female best friends (Leslie Bibb as Kate, Carrie Coon as Laurie, and Michelle Monaghan as Jaclyn); hotel employees/acquaintances (Natasha Rothwell as Belinda, Lalisa Manobal as Mook, Lek Patravadi as Sritala, Tayme Thapthimthong as Gaitok, and Jon Gries as Gary/Greg); and those involved in a revenge storyline (Walton Goggins as Rick, Aimee Lou Wood as Chelsea, Sam Rockwell as Frank, and Scott Glenn as Jim).
That doesn't even count the recurring actors billed as guest stars, such as Nicholas Duvernay as Zion, Arnas Fedaravicius as Valentin, Christian Friedel as Fabian, Dom Hetrakul as Pornchai, and Charlotte Le Bon as Chloe. (Note that actors are only eligible for the guest categories at the Emmy Awards if they appear in fewer than 50 percent of the episodes.)
This year's group of acting contenders has been blowing up the TV buzz-meter on a weekly basis. First, there was the internet's obsession over Posey's North Carolina accent — "Tsunami! Buddhism! Piper, no!"
Tsunami. Buddhism. NO. Piper, no! #WhiteLotus pic.twitter.com/cqBkj4naSF
— T. Kyle (@tkylemac) March 20, 2025
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Then, the brother characters played by Schwarzenegger and Nivola went viral for their sexual escapades while on an overnight trip. Rockwell also made headlines for his debut scene with Goggins, in which he opened about his desire to become an Asian woman.
Since The White Lotus considers itself to be a true acting ensemble, none of its main stars campaign in the lead categories at the Emmys. Instead, they all compete in the supporting races, where it's a true logjam. Usually there are eight nominees for the drama supporting categories, though last year, fewer shows aired within the eligibility period due to the strikes, so that number temporarily dropped to seven.
According to Gold Derby's latest Emmy odds, there are seven Season 3 actors who are virtual locks for nominations: Coon, Posey, Rothwell, and Wood in Best Drama Supporting Actress; and Goggins, Isaacs, and Schwarzenegger in Best Drama Supporting Actor. Beyond that, Bibb, Monaghan, Rockwell, and Nivola currently rank in the top 14 of their respective categories, meaning nominations are well within striking distance. If all 11 of those nominations come to fruition, that would mean a new acting record for the franchise. (The guest acting slots have yet to be added to our predictions center, but at the very least Glenn and Le Bon would likely be among the early favorites.) For those keeping score at home, another HBO series, Succession, holds the all-time Emmy record for acting nominations with 14 — a feat it accomplished twice. The White Lotus has that overall milestone in its sights.
Season 1's eight Emmy acting nominations in 2022:
- Murray Bartlett as Armond — WINNER
- Jennifer Coolidge as Tanya McQuoid — WINNER
- Connie Britton as Nicole Mossbacher
- Alexandra Daddario as Rachel Patton
- Natasha Rothwell as Belinda
- Sydney Sweeney as Olivia Mossbacher
- Jake Lacy as Shane Patton
- Steve Zahn as Mark Mossbacher
Season 2's nine Emmy acting nominations in 2023:
- Jennifer Coolidge as Tanya McQuoid-Hunt — WINNER
- Meghann Fahy as Daphne Sullivan
- Sabrina Impacciatore as Valentina
- Aubrey Plaza as Harper Spiller
- Simona Tabasco as Lucia Greco
- F. Murray Abraham as Bert Di Grasso
- Michael Imperioli as Dominic Di Grasso
- Theo James as Cameron Sullivan
- Will Sharpe as Ethan Spiller
The first season, set in Hawaii, competed as a limited series at the Emmys and won 10 total trophies (program, supporting actor Bartlett, supporting actress Coolidge, directing, writing, casting, main title theme music, music composition, picture editing, and sound mixing). Because Season 2 included returning characters played by Coolidge and Gries, the show shifted to the drama races for its Italy cycle and won five more Emmys (supporting actress Coolidge, casting, hairstyling, music composition, and music supervision). Likewise, Season 3 contains returning characters played by Rothwell and Gries, so it's considered a drama at the upcoming 2025 Emmys.
The White Lotus is created, produced, written, and directed by Mike White. The Emmy nominations will be announced on July 15 — see the full calendar.
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