The White Lotus Season 3 star Leslie Bibb reveals how hard it was to shoot the Carrie Coon speech

Season 3 of The White Lotus featured a storyline centered around three lifelong friends — Kate (played by Leslie Bibb), Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan), and Laurie (Carrie Coon) — on a girls’ trip to Thailand. One of the most talked-about moments from the season finale was a dinner table speech delivered by Carrie Coon’s character.

The White Lotus finale scene served as a turning point in the emotional arc of the three characters, and it reflected the bonds not just between the characters but also between the actors who portrayed them.

According to Leslie Bibb, the experience of filming that scene was intense and emotional. She shared details about it during an interview on Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast, alongside Coon and Monaghan. Bibb described how deeply the moment affected all three of them and revealed that the emotions expressed in the scene were not just acting — they were real.

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Filming the emotional The White Lotus finale scene

During the Awards Circuit Podcast, Leslie Bibb opened up about what it felt like to shoot Carrie Coon’s emotional monologue in the The White Lotus Season 3 finale. In the scene, Coon’s character Laurie reflects on her life choices and how friendship and time have shaped her journey.

Bibb explained just how powerful the moment was for the cast while filming.

“I couldn’t stop crying every time [Carrie Coon] said it,” Bibb said.

“I kept improvising these ‘I love yous,’ and then Michelle would say ‘I love you,’ and I think Mike was getting annoyed! But it was so genuine, and I’m so glad they kept it in there… these three people are seen by each other.”

According to Bibb, the emotion in the scene wasn’t scripted. The real-life bond formed between the three actors during filming made it even more authentic. Carrie Coon also noted how the content of the speech mirrored their shared journey while living and working in Thailand for six months.

“We got to have that experience together near the end of shooting,” said Coon, “and so I think we were all processing the ending of this thing while that was unfolding at the table.”

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Living together, working together

The three actresses spent nearly half a year together on location in Thailand. According to Coon, the cast lived in the same hotel where the show was being filmed. This setup made the experience of filming The White Lotus feel more immersive and intense.

“We’d spent half a year together making this thing far from our homes and our families and our routines,” Coon said.

“And it’s so fraught when we watch it in a way that it will never be for anybody else. We’ll never be able to explain it. There’s no way to express the fulsomeness of that experience. I’ve said, it’s like being an astronaut. The only person who knows what it’s like is another astronaut.”

Leslie Bibb echoed that sentiment. She explained that being disconnected from their usual lives made the experience more personal.

“You’re so far from anything that is your reality or your touchstones, which can be so hard,” Bibb said.

“It makes the work better in a strange way.”

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Behind-the-scenes moments and reflections

Though the cast shared many emotional moments, not all scenes made it into the final cut of The White Lotus. Carrie Coon revealed that a puppet show scene was filmed but later removed.

“It was really sweet,” she said, “So there are things you won’t see that are a part of our history."

Bibb and Monaghan also reflected on the uniqueness of the experience. Bibb expressed her appreciation for working with other women her age.

“I never get to work with these two,” she said. “Mike really knows how to write great women, and we’re so lucky to have that.”

Monaghan mentioned how closely the actors were connected during the shoot.

“It really spoke to our hearts at that point, personally and professionally,” Monaghan said, recalling the final dinner scene.

“It was a really special ending for us.”

When asked about future seasons of The White Lotus, Bibb noted that creator Mike White likely wouldn’t choose a cold location.

“I sent him a picture of this location I was in, it was at the Shining hotel up in Oregon, and the snow was up past the window,” she said.

“He was like, ‘I’m fearful. I don’t trust where you are right now. I hate the cold…’ They’ll never do a cold one. No way.”

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The final scene of The White Lotus Season 3 was more than just a moment on screen. For Leslie Bibb, Carrie Coon, and Michelle Monaghan, it was the culmination of a long and immersive experience that bonded them personally and professionally.