Steve Coogan has commented on Helena Bonham Carter’s departure from The White Lotus, revealing that her character “wasn’t working” as intended. Bonham Carter left the HBO series just one week into filming in April, with a spokesperson stating that the role “did not align” once on set.
Speaking at the Bafta TV Awards on Sunday, Coogan explained that the story took a “different direction”. “It was like, sometimes you find that something isn't working the way you want it to, in terms of, like, the character and the dynamic of the whole story,” he told Deadline. “So that was just a mutual decision. The whole part was rewritten from scratch.”
Bonham Carter was replaced by Laura Dern, who made a brief cameo in the second season. Coogan, who stars alongside Dern in the upcoming fourth season, praised creator Mike White for being “quite collaborative” and allowing improvisation.
HBO confirmed in February that Bonham Carter would no longer appear, with a spokesperson saying the role was being “rethought, rewritten and recast”. The channel expressed sadness over the split but hoped to work with the actress again. The White Lotus has faced behind-the-scenes drama in previous seasons, including on-set conflicts and romances among cast members.
