No sooner had we announced that Michael Imperioli (THE SOPRANOS) was taking a role in Mike White’s THE WHITE LOTUS that other cast seemed to have quickly signed on. Sorry Mr. I, I’m not thinking it was because the additional cast wanted to work with you as much as they wanted in on Mike White’s well-
received limited series that, all of a sudden, is not so limited.
Joining the previously noted actor in THE WHITE LOTUS is a nice set of talents. Within a week of the Imperioli announcement, Aubrey Plaza (pictured) was added. Plaza (Parks & Recreation; Legion) will play Harper Spiller, a woman on vacation with her husband and his friends. Also joining on, shortly after that was Oscar winner F. Murray Abraham (Amadeus, Mythic Quest and an episode each of BORED TO DEATH and CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM), Adam DiMarco (The Order, The Magicians), Tom Hollander (The Night Manager, JOHN ADAMS) and Haley Lu Richardson (Unpregnant, Recovery Road). Abraham plays Bert Di Grasso, an elderly man traveling with his son, Dominic Di Grasso (Imperioli), and grandson, Albie Di Grasso (DiMarco), a recent college graduate. Hollander is Quentin, an English expat, vacationing with his friends and his nephew. Richardson plays Portia, a young woman traveling with her boss who is believed to be Tanya McQuoid, played by Jennifer Coolidge, reprising her role from the original installment.
And that is an example of how well a popular show can all quickly fall together. The industry, right now, is throwing a vague term around a lot lately – ‘limited series’. I’ve barked about this before. Is it defined as a show that offers a shortened season of only six to eight episodes or is it a series that only offers a one-and-done limited season? MRS. FLETCHER, for example, is a limited series that ran its short course then ended. BIG LITTLE LIES was marketed as a ‘limited series’ then proved successful enough to drum up another season. Many want MARE OF EASTTOWN to do the same thing. Now, THE WHITE LOTUS is another ‘limited series given another season, shortened, but nevertheless getting to move forward. As a result, it seems, the term ‘miniseries’ has died. Regardless of the terminology used we still get our content. THE WHITE LOTUS, it seems, is on the fast track all the same.
The next casting news should be perhaps what locale wins as the next White Lotus Resort we get to visit. Can’t wait.
