The White Lotus Season 3: When Christian Friedel said Fabian has a "little storm" inside of him

Christian Friedel’s last project was The Zone of Interest before The White Lotus Season 3, and he expressed in an interview with Variety in early 2025 that this transformation between the two very different roles was striking for the actor. He admitted that Fabian, his character in The White Lotus, isn't just a comic relief, but there is something dark brewing inside him. He says how there is a "little storm" inside him, a pool of secrets that he is afraid of getting exposed.

Fabian is portrayed as a resort manager who is lanky and approachable, while also portraying a sort of anxious energy and awkwardness that hints at something he is hiding. Read on to know what the actor revealed about his character while speaking with Variety.

Here is what Christian Friedel says about his character Fabian in The White Lotus

From the start, Fabian is trying to please Sritala, the White Lotus owner. He’s aware that the new guests arriving are important, and his underpreparedness was causing him anxiety. Therefore, he is introduced as fidgety, desperate, and the one who anticipates problems before they arrive.

Before The White Lotus, Friedel was seen in The Zone of Interest, a totally different film and character for him. On asking how this transition was for him, he emphasized how he enjoyed the restless energy inside Fabian in The White Lotus, especially when combined with his comedic potential of the same. For the actor playing Fabian was fun after his intense and serious character in The Zone of Interest.

"He’s far away from home, searching for spirituality. He thinks he’s in the middle of everything, and everything’s OK, but inside of him, there’s a little storm. He’s nervous. There are a lot of secrets about him. I really like that energy and the comedic potential in the little scenes Mike wrote for this character. It was a joy, and so different after the intense work for 'The Zone of Interest.' My character in 'The Zone of Interest' is hiding something, but we know who he was."

He further added that though in the previous film the character was transparent and his motifs were clear, with Fabian, there is a probability of more fantasy as a lot about him is still under wraps and is left to interpret on the viewers.

"With Fabian, we have a lot of fantasy about the character. We have a little story about him. And In Episode 7, Mike gave me a great gift. I cannot tell what it is, but let me say this: it’s a typical German melancholic note."

What else could The White Lotus' upcoming episodes reveal about Fabian?

Fabian has a dual nature, constantly shifting between flattering the guests to being strict with the staff. The ideal polite persona to the capitalistic, exploitative inner self is what Fabian is about uptill now in The White Lotus. The actor highlighted the same and recalled how Mike White, the creator of the show, told him that Fabian is a "German Melancholy", which here refers to someone who is serious and has emotional depth.

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"And we see this in the first episode, he’s just changing his tone [when talking to guests versus] staff. Maybe he’s a two-faced man. He’s really, really full of ambition.

His obvious fascination with Jaclyn and her friends could develop further, revealing crushes, insecurities, or even jealousy. Therefore, fans can expect some personal desires to intervene in professional ambitions, with Fabian hiding several secrets related to his past trauma and identity.

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