[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for The White Lotus Season 3 Episode 5, “Full-Moon Party.”]
While The White Lotus hosted more than one wild moment in its latest Season 3 episode, it was the appearance of an Oscar-winning guest star that brought a smile to Walton Goggins‘ face as he was joined onscreen by Sam Rockwell in Bangkok.
It turns out that Goggins’ Rick needed a favor from Rockwell’s character Frank. Appearing to be old friends, they reconnect at Rick’s hotel as they share a drink in the bar, but not before Frank passes along a bag which we later learn contains a gun. While the pair chat, the conversation takes a dark turn as Rick’s pal recounts the events that set him on a path toward sobriety and Buddhism.
Sharing tales of his sexual exploits, Rick’s facial reactions are something to behold. But when it came to putting on the scene, Goggins tells TV Insider, “He’s one of my best friends in the world,” regarding Rockwell. So performing was made easier by their own personal connection behind the scenes.
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“I will say that that monologue was word for word,” Goggins notes as he credits the series’ showrunner, “That’s what Mike [White] wrote, and he wrote it all just like that. It is one of the greatest monologues I’ve ever read in my life.” Goggins even goes so far as to predict that performers will be reciting that monologue “in acting classes all over America for the next 10 years.”
As for the serious nature of the conversation and the dark tone, Goggins adds, “Sam is not only my best friend, he’s one of my heroes. He trusts me and I trust him and… we have this symbiotic kind of listening relationship, so he’s going through it and I’m going through it and listening for the first time every time and it changes my reactions.”
“Everything changes in that moment,” Goggins points out for his character Rick. “But it was beautiful.” In addition to acting opposite Rockwell, this is the first occasion we see Rick interact with a true friend outside of his girlfriend Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood). “All of a sudden Rick is swimming in water with one of his best friends and he’s able to have these conversations. They’re just heightened and different and weird because these two people are journeymen in the world and the way in which they live, but it’s his buddy.”
So, as shocked as Rick appears to be during Frank’s monologue, Goggins saw it coming. “Those scenes with Sam between Frank and Rick are some of the best times that I had making The White Lotus,” he concludes.
As viewers will recall from the episode, after preparing to part ways, Rick propositioned Frank for another job that involved “role-playing.” What that might entail remains to be seen, but for now, it seems that Rockwell will be back before the season is through. Stay tuned for more as The White Lotus Season 3 continues to play out and let us know what you think this duo is up to in the comments section, below.
The White Lotus, Season 3, Sundays, 9/8c, HBO and Max