The White Lotus season three announces New Zealand star Morgana O’Reilly to join cast

The White Lotus has announced its cast for season three and it includes a rising Kiwi star.

The White Lotus has recruited a new cast member and it’s none other than New Zealand comedian and actor Morgana O’Reilly.

Taking to Instagram, the hit HBO show’s director, Mike White, announced five new cast members joining the upcoming third season of the show over the weekend including O’Reilly, Milos Bikovic, Christian Friedel, Lek Patravadi and Shalini Peiris.

Rising star O’Reilly is a Kiwi to watch in the coming years with her career accolades including being a cast member of popular Australian soap Neighbours, as well as starring in Housebound, Wentworth season seven, and Emmy-winning show Mean Mums.

The mum of two has also been performing her provocative theatre show, Stories About My Body, around New Zealand that unpacks her relationship with her body and addresses themes such as body dysmorphia.

The highly anticipated next season of The White Lotus is set to be filmed in Thailand with the five new cast members joining the previously announced cast of Leslie Bibb, Carrie Coon, Dom Hetrakul, Jason Isaacs, Michelle Monaghan, Parker Posey, Natasha Rothwell and Tayme Thapthimthong.

Details of the season’s plot are being kept firmly under wraps, but it’s expected the show will continue to follow a series of guests at a fictional White Lotus hotel with the new season leaning into the theme of spirituality.

'The White Lotus' Season 3 Adds Miloš Biković, Christian Friedel, Morgana O’Reillyhttps://t.co/wByj2Jjqy9

— TheWrap (@TheWrap) January 12, 2024

In a clip released by HBO, director White said: “The first season kind of highlighted money, and then the second season is sex. I think the third season would be maybe a satirical and funny look at death and Eastern religion and spirituality.”

White continued to tease that the upcoming season will be “longer, bigger, [and] crazier” than the first two instalments of the series.

It’s a big week for the show as the cast and crew wait to see if they have won any of the 23 Emmy nominations they received for the second season. Both Jennifer Coolidge and Aubrey Plaza are up for best supporting actress, while 12 of the show’s nominations are in major categories including Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.