TV & Movies
Natasha Rothwell Teases Belinda’s Return In The White Lotus Season 3
One of the show’s breakout stars is back, and her character is in for a journey.
It’s never too early to sort out your Valentine’s Day weekend plans — and for fans of a certain satirical vacation drama, the itinerary will likely include cozying up with HBO. That’s right: The White Lotus returns on Feb. 16, and this time it’s traveling to Thailand.
The critically acclaimed series has become known for assembling a new mix of stars every season, but the third installment brings back a fan-favorite from the beginning: Belinda (Natasha Rothwell), the spa manager Jennifer Coolidge’s Tanya McQuoid befriended, and then betrayed, in Season 1.
While the show famously takes great pains to avoid leaks, Rothwell recently teased a bit of what to expect from Season 3.
A Role Reversal
Fans first met Belinda when she greeted Tanya & Co. upon arrival in Season 1. But this time around, she’s a guest at the hotel.
When Rothwell’s return was first announced, fans theorized she might have inherited money following Tanya’s death (RIP) and/or opened her own spa. And while it remains to be seen how she’ll factor into Season 3, Rothwell shut down that theory.
“She’s going to be a guest for the first time, even though she’s taking classes and it’s a work trip,” the actor told Entertainment Weekly in a new interview, published Dec. 30. “She’s staying at the hotel, which is something that she hasn’t done before, and so we get to see her really dip her toe in the other side of life of the upstairs/downstairs of White Lotus.”
Belinda’s Journey Ahead
In Season 1, Belinda was “devastated” when Tanya reneged on her offer to help the hotel employee open her own business. In the new installment, Belinda will try to “dig herself out of that sadness and really be inspired again,” Rothwell added.
Fans will also get to know Belinda’s grown son. “He’s finishing up school,” Rothwell said. “It’s that weird part of life when you realize your parents are human and you’re an adult, and there’s this kind of friendship that develops.”
Rothwell previously told Bustle that she hadn’t expected to return for The White Lotus Season 3 — but gladly took on the opportunity. “It wasn’t even on my vision board. I was so grateful for Season 1, and I watched Season 2 along with everyone else. I screamed when Tanya fell off the boat. So when [creator Mike White] reached out to me about bringing Belinda back, I told him what I told him in Season 1: ‘I will follow you to the ends of the earth. I’ll be there.’”
