Leslie Bibb’s reason for joining the third season of HBO’s Emmy-winning series “The White Lotus” was simple: the chance to work with creator Mike White. She portrays Kate, who travels to Thailand with her childhood friends (Michelle Monaghan and Carrie Coon). And though Bibb has decades of experience behind her in films like Jon Favreau’s “Iron Man” and Adam McKay’s “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby,” she sees her work on “The White Lotus” as a chance for growth. “I just wholeheartedly knew that I would come out of this a better actor, which is always what you’re looking for,” she says.
1. What was it like to work with Mike as the sole writer and director of “The White Lotus”?
It was such a dream because you always feel like you’re being guided by him. There’s never a question of the voice of the character; it’s so funneled through Mike’s prism. We were all scared shitless, but you knew Mike would not allow us to be bad actors.
2. What kind of impact did filming in Thailand for six months have on your mindset and performance?
In six months, I only turned on my TV one time, when Carrie and I watched Garry Marshall’s movie “New Year’s Eve.” [Laughs] But you’re so far away from everybody; there are no distractions. It really lent itself to art imitating life and to really leaning into the experience.
You’re living at the hotel, so it subliminally starts to feel like you are at the White Lotus. It’s so singular, that you really feel such a bond to these actors; you can’t really describe [the experience]. When I got back, I started to talk about it. I was like, Oh, nobody wants to hear anything other than it was the best. Mike was on “Survivor,” and it’s like that; if you’ve been on “Survivor,” only those people know what that’s like.
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3. What was the audition process like for “The White Lotus,” and has your approach changed over the years?
I went to the William Esper Studio, and my partner, Sam Rockwell, and I talk about how important the cold reading class was. The “White Lotus” audition happened while I was filming “Juror #2” with Chris Messina. Chris taped me, and Sammy read with me. We did it a few times, and then Chris was like, “We’ve got it.”
I have this thing where after an audition, I tear up the sides; I just have to get rid of them. I can’t watch myself, so I send [the tapes] to my agent and let them pick. I think sometimes we think we can discern when we’re good, but I don’t think we [actually] can. When people are like, “That was a good take,” I’m like, how do you know it’s a good take? Because that means you are aware of yourself. So I felt very grateful to have two people I trusted to say, “Walk away.”
4. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?
I was in a dry spell, and my agent said, “Your life can change with a phone call. One call, one job, that’s it.” It gave me hope. It also made me remember that you always have to make sure you’re working on your craft. You need something to lean on, because sometimes you don’t have a Mike White or Carrie Coon or Michelle Monaghan, and you have to be able to pull yourself up by your bootstraps.
Don’t worry about your Instagram; go to school, be prepared, do the work, and take the class. The Instagram person might get the job every now and then, but the person who stays the course will have longevity.
5. How has your perspective on your career evolved?
Forever, I told myself that it’s me against the world, and I’m in competition with everybody. And I don’t think that serves art. I’m trying to lean into softness and fragility. With other actresses, I’m really enjoying just knowing there’s enough for all of us. All of these amazing women that I’ve lost jobs to, I can be in the same room with them; I have something to learn from them.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
This story originally appeared in the Feb. 13 issue of Backstage Magazine.
