The White Lotus returned for Season 3, and a surprising face is among the guests checking in to the luxurious resort.
The HBO drama series' anthology nature means that each season introduces a new group of characters and a new location. In The White Lotus Season 3, the action shifts to Thailand, and a new cast of A-list talent plays the roster of privileged vacationers.
The White Lotus rarely recycles characters, with Jennifer Coolidge being one of the only actors to carry over from Season 1 to Season 2.
The White Lotus Season 3 Has a Surprising Character Return
The Season 3 premiere of The White Lotus introduced many new cast members, but it also featured the unexpected return of a familiar actor from Season 2.
Warning - The rest of this article contains spoilers for The White Lotus Season 3.
While at the bar, Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood) strikes up a conversation with her neighbor Chloe (Charlotte Le Bon), and they bond over their annoying older boyfriends.
As it turns out, Chloe's boyfriend is sitting at a table nearby and is revealed to be Greg Hunt (Jon Gries), aka Tanya McQuoid's ex-husband.
The episode reveals only that Greg has formed a new relationship with Chloe and has been living in Thailand for a year in a house close to the resort.
Greg's return was unexpected as it was presumed that the only recurring The White Lotus character in Season 3 would be Natasha Rothwell as Belinda, who was last seen in Season 1.
With Greg now confirmed to be a part of the third season, Gries is the only actor to appear in all seasons of The White Lotus.
What Is Greg's Story in The White Lotus?
Greg was first introduced in the show's first season as a guest staying in the room next to Tanya's. He eventually asks her out, and she becomes infatuated with him.
In Season 2, things pick up at the Sicilian resort, where Greg and Tanya are revealed to be in a tumultuous marriage. When Greg suddenly has to depart the resort for work, Tanya suspects he may be hiding something, possibly an affair.
While at the resort, Tanya forms a friendship with a gay man, Quentin, and his friends, who invite her to their place in Palermo. While there, Tanya finds a photo of Quentin and a man who resembles Greg.
This leads her to suspect that Greg and Quentin are working together to kill her so that Greg can inherit her fortune. Convinced by this theory, Tanya kills Quentin and his associates while on their yacht, but before she can make her escape, she slips and drowns.
Greg's inclusion in Season 3 of The White Lotus suggests audiences may finally learn more about his past and whether he truly conspired to kill Tanya.
His return also sets up a juicy reunion between Greg and Belinda, who haven't seen each other since The White Lotus Season 1 (which also featured a surprising death). Since Belinda is familiar with Tanya and will no doubt recognize Greg, this could cause problems for the widow if his illicit intentions are exposed.
Is Jennifer Coolidge in White Lotus Season 3?
After portraying Tanya for two seasons in The White Lotus, Jennifer Coolidge's time on the show ended in Season 2 after her character died.
While many had hoped The White Lotus might find some way for Coolidge to return, the actress told The Independent that "when they kill you, you have to accept it" and that she was "very sad [she's] not in [Season 3]:"
"When they kill you, you have to accept it. Because it means they’re not calling for your costume sizes or anything. It’s over! I have to get another thing. I have to make another thing happen, I guess...
But am I sad? I just want to say in all honesty, I’m very sad I’m not in it."
Some fans hoped Coolidge could come back as a new character, possibly playing the twin sister of Tanya. However, Coolidge shot down that theory, saying at the SAG Awards in 2023 (via Uproxx), "I don’t think Mike’s going to allow that."
While Coolidge is not a part of The White Lotus Season 3, her story legacy lives on thanks to the inclusion of Greg and Belinda. Hatred for Greg among The White Lotus fans is intense after his treatment of Tanya, so his return in Season 3 is a chance for Coolidge's character to be given justice finally.
The White Lotus Season 3 airs new episodes on Sundays at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET on Max.
