Natasha Rothwell on White Lotus Season 4 Ideas, Greg’s Money in Final

Spoiler alert: This story contains spoilers for the final of season 3 of “The White Lotus”, now streaming on Max.

Belinda is safe!

Being the only guest at the White Lotus who knows the history of the murders of the resort, things seemed risky for Belinda (Natasha Rothwell) throughout the season. A favorite return character of fans of season 1 of “The White Lotus”, she knew that she had recognized Greg (Jon Gries) as soon as she spotted her in Thailand. The indicator reminded her of Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge), the rich woman who had promised Belinda that she would financially support her spa – but who had then retreated it in season 1. When she Googlé the name of Tanya, she realized that Greg had married the bride And That she died shortly after, which means that Belinda was in great difficulty.

After hearing about the hotel director, Fabian (Christian Friedel) that Greg asked him after his place, Belinda began to fear for his safety, but she triumphed at the end. Although he was originally trying to convince her that he was someone else, Greg finally admitted his identity to Belinda and offered him $ 100,000 to keep his mouth closed (although he formed it with more graciously, supporting that it was innocent to kill his wife). Belinda leaned towards the drop in “blood money” until his son, Zion (Nicholas Duvernay), convinced him to meet Greg to discuss more. A impatient business student at the University of Hawaii, Zion managed to have pushed Greg to increase the money of silence to $ 5 million. After a quick stop to say to Pornchai (Dom Hetrakul) – a white massage therapist with whom Belinda had a short adventure – that she could not commit to starting a business with him, the newly rich mother and son left Thailand with smiles on their faces.

Rothwell spoke to Variety About the great victory of Belinda and if she is returned to “The White Lotus” for season 4.

Did you know how the Belinda arc would end when you connected to join season 3?

When I signed, no, but after the conclusion of my agreement, yes. At the start, I said to myself: “Wherever you want me to have, I will be there.” There was no mentality “I will consider it, but show me the scripts”. I love working with Mike White. I love the team. I love everything that is HBO. So it was obvious. When I had the scripts, I binded them. I sat down, I read the eight and won the phone and made it face to face. He was in Thailand, scout, and I was just crying: “Oh my God! It’s so good! It’s huge!” And it was really wonderful to see him come to life and, finally, so that the world knows all my secrets.

While you read, did you have predictions? Were you worried at all that Belinda would die?

Of course. If there is something HBO does – I mean “Game of Thrones”, “White Lotus” – they are not afraid to bring tragedy to their main characters. So I was very worried when I turned every page. And the tension I felt of people who looked at him, and their concern for Belinda, I was validated. Because when I read, I felt the same thing.

How did you feel to have a family relationship on the screen this time, with Nicholas Duvernay playing your son Zion, instead of only colleagues as in season 1?

It was major, especially in episode 8, to really see him leaning to want to take care of his mother. Belinda is someone who takes care of others to make a living, and she is a single mother and a young mother, so making her appear for her was really cool to see. Their relationship has really shed new light on my own relationship with my parents. They are at this stage where they try to explore friendship with each other, and I remember when I did that with my parents at this age. It was a bit annoying! You said to yourself, “Am I going to drink in front of my mother? Yeah, I’m going to drink in front of my mother!” There are all these things you try to negotiate, so it was really cool to allow Belinda to show this softer side.

Zion drinks in front of Belinda, and he also repels his decisions. Do you think she secretly hoped that he would challenge her to refuse Greg’s money? Or Was she and really ss opposite sides before convincing her?

They were on the opposite sides. Although their relationship is obviously maternal, she also has this friendship component. But at the end of the day, I am the mother. I need to be an example and I have to direct, and I do not want to be the type of model that entertains wealth in an unregioned way. I really think she was trying to do the right thing, and she gave in to Sion saying, “Just go hear her.” It was only when she arrived that she saw that Zion was going to take the reins and run. Sitting in front of Greg, she knows how dangerous he is, but Zion has the young idea that they are invincible. He doesn’t really feel the same fear as she does. Belinda probably thinks that it goes from $ 100,000 to a million, and it would have been more than enough. So when it goes for five million, which is why you see it choking on its drink. It is like: “Oh, it is really it is unleashed.”

But at this moment too, she sees Greg becoming a little nervous. When we shot this scene, we made a lot of blanket on it, so I really focused on Jon. It is so good – its facial movements and reactions. At that time that Zion says 5 million, you can see her concern: “Oh, she knows that she can ask more.” This is the moment when Belinda is on board. Like: “Oh, I have power. And I want to know what it is to have power on a white man. I had to serve so much. It is a time when I can enter this power.”

You explained how you suggested adding the moment earlier in the season when Belinda smiles and recognizes the other other blacks whom she sees in the station according to your own vacation experiences with weak black populations. Belinda also carries a hood on her hair when she checks her bank account in the middle of the night and sees that Greg sent the five million. Tell me what it felt to experience this victory as your character and infuse a certain darkness in the moment as an actor.

It’s little shit. So often, I speak with other writers I mentor: when you create a writing for a black character, the changes you make are subtle. They don’t need to be large swings. I was very clear. I said to myself: “If she is standing at night, she will have her hood. She will not have a bra. She will be there, without makeup.” It is enough to found it in its reality, because it is a real and accessible person.

And I wanted to show his absolute joy to see that enter. Speaking with Mike, he encouraged me to really let this information land. Not just what it means for today, but for the future. One of the things I was talking about in Nicholas was that I am in no way rich, but I am not poor – what I was for a long time. I could not imagine, before my success on “insecurity”, to be in a place where I did not wake up, did not live my day and I slept thinking of the money and how I was going to pay bills. I always think of these things, but in different ways. So I remember the moment I was able to reimburse my student loans. I had deferred my university loans so many times because I could not pay them. I was really trying to channel the relief of this burden, of financial despair. I wanted to give him everything I felt. It is a beautiful thing to show someone like Belinda, who deserves so much, to have this moment of financial catharsis.

What do you think of where Belinda left things with Pornchai? It is not as cruel as what Tanya did to him at the end of season 1, but there is a little mirror there.

I didn’t want to play this moment with guilt. If people come back this season, she never accepts to embark on business with Pornchai; She just considers it. Which, I think, is a subtle but massive difference compared to season 1, where you have Tanya as, “yes, let’s do it. Give me the papers. Show me your business plan.” She does not lead him. Pornchai was definitely more in Belinda and the idea that Belinda. They both really loved each other and had feelings for each other, sexually and in terms of relationships, but professionally, I don’t think Belinda is everything, because it is impracticable. His son does not live there, and there are many to understand. So he did not have the same bite, but because Belinda knows what she went through, she carries the weight of guilt. This is something that I relate to my personal life. When you make a decision that suits you best, it can be difficult when someone else does not benefit or is injured, but it is absolutely normal and necessary to make decisions that are in your own interest. And we see Belinda making a decision in her best interest. For the first time, she does not put the needs of others before her family.

I don’t think it will go out and start this business immediately. For her, it is a question of taking advantage and getting used to the peace and tranquility of financial solvency. As I said, I have already been in debt. I had credit cards with which I played just to reach both ends. Take metrocards in New York off the metro, being like: “I hope it works, because I have to arrive on my show.” So being in a place where she does not have to worry about helping Zion to finish her higher education and obtain her books, or the $ 500 deposit for new uniforms at White Lotus (this is a big problem). This is all this common daily thing. This is why she said to me, “Can I be rich for a minute?” I just want to sit in this feeling of not saying anything and not needing anything of anyone. ”

Sam Nivola told us that he predicts that Zion will be back for season 4, which seems to also involve Belinda and Greg. As pleasant as seeing Belinda win, it does not seem likely to remain simple for her. Do you think you will be back next season?

Oh, it’s not simple. It’s me who is totally honest: I haven’t talked to Mike to come back. I don’t know anything. I’m like Jon Snow. But when I read, I underlined and surrounded the line in the script that looked like: “I want to be difficult to find. We have to get out of here now. ” I have the impression that there is a version where Belinda takes the money And tells the police because she walks this fine line. And Greg should leave Thailand and go hunting because he says, “I gave him money to keep his mouth closed, and she did not do it.” As a thing of revenge. It was the only line where I said to myself: “Oh, maybe I will come back.” Maybe she hides in a white lotus somewhere.

It would be my fanfic pitch. I think it would be fun to see your life more complicated by this bad – of this decision. I don’t think it’s a bad decision. I think it was a decision that made its compromise on its morality, but the juice was worth it.

This interview was published and condensed. See The rest of the varietyThe coverage of the final of “The White Lotus”, including a summary, casting interviews and a criticism here.