After making her debut on The White Lotus, previous comments by Aimee Lou Wood about her teeth emerged.
Creator Mike White is back with Season 3 of The White Lotus, which premiered on HBO on February 16. Set in Thailand, the season follows a new group of guests at the White Lotus resort in Ko Samui, including a stacked cast featuring Carrie Coon and Jason Isaacs.
Aimee Lou Wood (Sex Education) joins the cast as Chelsea, a free-spirited and talkative young woman from Manchester who arrives at the resort with her much older boyfriend, Rick (Walton Goggins).
Aimee Lou Wood Comments on Her Natural Teeth
Following the release of The White Lotus Season 3, Aimee Lou Wood's teeth have sparked conversation among fans.
In a recent interview with On Demand Entertainment, Wood reflected on how her natural teeth set her apart when playing American roles. The actress said, "No Americans have my teeth," adding that she'd "have to get veneers" in order to look American for future roles:
"It's the teeth. Like, no Americans have my teeth... They just don't. I'd have to get veneers. Because... I think that genuinely is like one of the things. I played an American in a play in Chicago. And this guy after in the bar was like... he was talking to me, and I I spoke to him, and I spoke like this, and he went, 'I knew it. I knew it.' 'Cause he was like, 'Your accent was great, but I knew you weren't American. You just don't look American.'"
In Season 3, Episode 1, Chelsea is abandoned by her older boyfriend, Rick, at dinner. Later, she strikes up a friendship with Chloe, who's getting a drink at the bar where it's revealed that she's in a relationship with Jon Gries' Greg.
During this friendly interaction, Chloe compliments Chelsea on her appearance, and remarks, "I love your teeth." Chloe then curiously follows up by asking, "You're from England, right?" highlighting the cultural contrast in a hilarious way for audiences.
Many years before landing The White Lotus role, Wood spoke to Stylist about her role on Netflix's Sex Education, where she returned in Season 4.
Wood explained that she initially read for Lily, which she thought may suit her because "she was originally supposed to wear braces." However, she thought that she wasn't "going to get on there with my teeth" but was later cast:
"I went in three times to read for Lily and I thought she suited me because she was originally supposed to wear braces. I just thought, ‘It’s a Netflix show, I’m not going to get on there with my teeth.’ But they ended up calling me back for Aimee, and she just is me."
When asked if she feels her teeth have been a barrier in landing roles, Wood said "No" but opened up about the mental hurdles she's had to confront:
"No, I don’t. It’s completely in my head. It’s a myth I’ve told myself. I had it in my brain that I’m not conventional-looking enough and that’s a mental barrier I’ve had to overcome."
She was also asked if her teeth had impacted her confidence, to which Wood replied, "So much." She then reflected on how her perception of her appearance has evolved over time.
While initially "shocked" when she was called back for a "TV thing," Sex Education changed her viewpoint, getting messages from fans saying, "Oh my god, you’ve got teeth like mine. Now I go to school and people think I’m cool because I look like Aimee:"
"Oh, so much. I’d always be super confident when I went to theatre auditions but if it was a TV thing I’d be so shocked when I got a recall. I sometimes thought, ‘Oh, a Channel 4 thing, I might have a chance on there.’ Then 'Sex Education' came along and I was like, ‘Well, what have I seen on Netflix? Everyone has perfect Hollywood teeth.’ And now, of course, I’m getting hundreds of messages from people going, 'Oh my god, you’ve got teeth like mine. Now I go to school and people think I’m cool because I look like Aimee.' Instead of it being 'Bugs Bunny' or whatever."
Wood further explained how her perception of her appearance changed after seeing "Georgia May Jagger become the face of Rimmel London," marking a turning point in how others viewed her, thanking Jagger "for representing the buck teeth:"
"Because that’s what happened to me. Georgia May Jagger became the face of Rimmel London when I was at school and all of a sudden it went from me being goofy to, ‘Oh, you’re a bit of a model, aren’t you?’ So I want to thank Georgia May Jagger for representing the buck teeth."
What Will Happen to Chelsea in Season 3?
After Episode 1, Chelsea's future at the White Lotus is filled with potential twists as she navigates her somewhat strained relationship with Rick.
Despite her upbeat demeanor, it's clear she may eventually uncover more about Rick's hidden motivations, especially his mysterious interest in the resort's owner and his troubled past. This could create further tension between them.
Her bond with Chloe, particularly the unexpected revelation about Greg's connection to the resort (and Jennifer Coolidge's Tanya), hints that Chelsea might find herself drawn into a web of intrigue that challenges her sunny outlook.
The White Lotus Season 3 airs new episodes on HBO and Max every Sunday night at 6 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. ET.
