The White Lotus: Every Survivor cameo explained - Mike White’s reality TV pals from Alec Merlino to Natalie Cole

Mike White developed the award-winning HBO series The White Lotus after his experience in Survivor (2000). His experience during the reality show had a tangible effect on his creative thinking for the series. The reality show revolves around the social life and the underlying backdoor threats within the vacation resorts.

The story of Mike White, who catapulted his way out of a reality show to an HBO TV Drama series, is notable. White participated in the 37th season of Survivor, titled Survivor David vs. Goliath, in 2018. His initial tribe was the Goliath tribe, and he was very close to winning the game. He made a second-place finish after Nick Wilson.

White invited some of his co-contestants from the reality show to star as guests in various seasons of The White Lotus in minor roles. The Survivor cameos in The White Lotus have turned into an entertaining Easter egg hunt for the fans who have watched both series.

Alec Merlino is floating in the background in The White Lotus

The White Lotus started with a Survivor cameo by Alec Merlino during the first season of the show. Merlino began as a bartender and server at the upscale resort in Maui, Hawaii, as a character called Hutch. In comparison to other cameos that appeared once in all, Hutch appeared in five of the six episodes in the season. He was hovering around the background among other members of the resort staff, serving drinks and making sure the guests had fun.

Merlino was White's initial teammate in the Survivor David vs. Goliath, who was also a Goliath. Although this role was minor, the appearance of Merlino provided an added touch of amusement to those who follow both the television series.

Angelina Keeley and Kara Kay as tourists enjoying the beach in The White Lotus

In Season 2, the Survivor cameos in The White Lotus accelerated to a new level as two women were featured in the first episode of the series. Angelina Keeley and Kara Kay were both shown as tourists spending time at the beach in a high-end resort in Sicily, Italy. They were also seen conversing with the character of Megan Fahy, Daphne, about their holiday when the dead body was found in the water. One of the Reddit users said,

"Angelina Keeley, who played one of the girls Daphne talked to on the beach in the opening scene of season 2 (she was the dark-haired girl), will also be on Survivor 50."

These cameos were unique since Kay and Keeley ended with lines that they had to memorise and then perform. Keeley and Kay, in an interview with Vulture, revealed that they were "frazzled" and "running late" when Mike White invited them to appear on the series over brunch. Both women were nervous about acting on a professional television set, but they worked hard to prepare.

Natalie Cole and Carl Boudreaux in Thailand resort dining in The White Lotus

In Season 3, as The White Lotus relocated to a resort in Thailand, the Survivor cameos were brought back. Natalie Cole and Carl Boudreaux were some of the guests eating at the resort as the lead protagonist, Belinda, played by Natasha Rothwell, served in the food and beverage section.

Their appearance in The White Lotus seemed small and simple on the surface, but Cole and Boudreaux actually had much more material filmed. Both actors, in an interview with Gold Derby, revealed that they originally recorded and filmed around a dozen lines, with full emotion and character depth.

This is a shame since most of their scenes found their place on the cutting room floor and did not see the final screen. Cole was a snobbish guest who was too dismissive and rude to Belinda, and Boudreaux's character was critical of the facilities provided by the resort.

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