‘The White Lotus’ Season 3 Has Jake Lacy Longing To Return To The Series: “I Love It. I Would Love To Go Back.”

Dear writer/director/producer/actor/Survivor star Mike White, I’m here on behalf of Jake Lacy, the man who played “entitled baby” Shane Patton in The White Lotus Season 1.

Since your Emmy-winning series premiered in July 2021, a critically-acclaimed Season 2 aired, with a third season — set in Thailand — in the works. Numerous accolades, Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes ratings, and star-studded casts prove that you’re killing it all on your own, without any advice from me. But should you ever find yourself in need of another character callback like Jennifer Coolidge’s Tanya McQuoid (RIP), I urge you to consider bringing Mr. Lacy back for many reasons — one of which is simply that he’s dying to return.

“I love it. I would love to go back,” Lacy told Decider in conversation at the Television Critics Association’s Winter 2024 Tour. Lacy was in attendance to promote his upcoming limited series Apples Never Fall on Peacock, but following a panel with showrunner Melanie Marnich and stars Annette Bening and Alison Brie, he took a moment to update Decider on his White Lotus FOMO.

“It would be like if you went to the greatest sleepover camp ever and then they were like, ‘We’re gonna keep the camp open, but you don’t get to go anymore.’ And you’re like, ‘WHAT?’ Someone else is sleeping in my bunk?!’ And they’re like, ‘Yeah, and they’re having the time of their lives,'” Lacy explained.

When Decider spoke to the 39-year-old actor over Zoom in November 2022, Lacy admittedly hadn’t watched The White Lotus Season 2 yet, but he had a good excuse. “It was due to come out and I told my wife, ‘I’m gonna watch it on a flight,’ and she’s like, ‘DON’T! We’ll watch it together!’ And I was like, ‘Alright, alright, alright,'” he explained. “Then I got home and she was like, ‘We should probably let a couple build up cause once we see one we’re gonna want to see more,’ and I was like, ‘How long am I gonna wait to watch this?!'”

More than a year later, Lacy still hasn’t caught up on the HBO drama, and as punishment, the big Season 2 death was spoiled for him. “I know our dear dear friend Jen Coolidge goes down,” Lacy chuckled. “I do know that she’s probably not coming back for Season 3.”

When Decider suggested that Coolidge could return if White decides Tanya has a twin, Lacy suggested, “We could do a prequel, you know?” (The creator has said a prequel is a possibility, so there’s hope that a de-aged Shane could return to the series!)

“I have no ill will toward the second season, or the third, which I’m thrilled for,” Lacy clarified. “But there is something in me that’s jealous. I want to go back. I want to be there. I loved making it.”

Lacy’s White Lotus character Shane, a pretentious, polo-wearing prick who let a minor hotel suite mixup torpedo his honeymoon, gave the actor yet another opportunity to challenge himself on-screen and stray from his Nice Guy roots. For that, and for Mike White, Lacy is eternally grateful.

“I’ll do anything for Mike,” Lacy told Decider in our 2022 Zoom call. “Mike could just say, ‘Could you pick up my groceries? Instacart will be here.’ And I’d be like, ‘I’m on it man. Love you. Got it. For sure.'”

“I will forever be indebted to a number of people in this business, but certainly Mike White and the casting team who put us all together. Because I had done other projects along the way where I was not like, kind of a basic, nice boyfriend. But those projects never really hit, or people didn’t watch for whatever reason,” he continued. “I totally get why I’m held — if I’m lucky enough to say that — as like a good dude. But with White Lotus, Mike created this character that really thinks he’s a good dude and actually is an entitled baby. It is outrageous. It was such a gift.”

As for The White Lotus Season 3, Variety reported that Natasha Rothwell — who played Belinda in Season 1 — will return alongside other confirmed stars including Parker Posey, Leslie Bibb, Dom Hetrakul, Jason Isaacs, Michelle Monaghan, Tayme Thapthimthong, Lalisa Manobal, and Carrie Coon.

Though The White Lotus Season 2 star Meghann Fahy said her character Daphne won’t appear in Season 3, she did hint at a possible return in the future, which could include Lacy.

In an interview with Deadline earlier this year, Fahy shared White’s idea for an episode that focuses on Daphne, her husband Cameron Sullivan (Theo James), and the Pattons, played by Lacy and Alexandra Daddario. “He did once say that he’d like to do an episode with Theo, me and the couple from the first season — Alex and Jake,” she revealed. “The four of us on a boat. Just one episode of that.”

While Lacy may be out of luck for a Season 3 return, we’re still hopeful that Shane will live to be insufferable at another White Lotus resort one day.

Mike White, sir, if you’re still with us, please consider make Jake Lacy’s dream come true.