Mike White brings a littleSurvivor“magic to”The White Lotus.”
Some members of “Survivor” Season 50 are expected to make appearances on the HBO series, the writer confirmed during a virtual chat with host Jeff Probst during the season finale.
White first competed on “Survivor” in season 37 before returning for the record-breaking 50 years.th season, where he was ultimately eliminated. The director has also previously cast former contestants, including fan favorite Cirie Fields, in cameo roles in “The White Lotus.”
Mike White confirms Charlie Davis and Kamilla Karthigesu cameos
During a video chat during the “Survivor 50” finale on Wednesday, Mike White, the creator of the award-winning series “The White Lotus,” revealed that some of the reality show’s contestants will make appearances in the drama series’ next episode.
White made the reveal of hosting Jeff Probst, noting that Charlie Davis and Kamilla Karthigesu were the lucky choices to join the cast of “The White Lotus” season 4, per Variety.
The decision continues what appears to be White’s tradition of featuring former “Survivor” players on the show. He previously gave cameo roles to contestants including Cirie Fields, Angelina Keeley and Christian Hubicki.
Alec Merlino had the greatest ‘Survivor’ cameo on ‘White Lotus’
The tradition of “Survivor” contestants appearing on “The White Lotus” began with Alec Merlino, who made an appearance in the drama’s first season.
The “Survivor: David vs. Goliath” alum portrayed Hutch, a waiter and bartender at the White Lotus Maui resort. To date, he had the largest appearance by a “Survivor” player, appearing in five episodes in season 1.
Speaking about his appearance on the show, Merlino said he didn’t think too much about what he was getting into when White approached him for the role.
“I was just like, ‘Yeah, that looks cool.’ I didn’t really know what I was getting into,” the reality star told Access Hollywood in March 2025.
Mike White stars as Angelina Keeley and Kara Kay in season 2
In season 2, Angelina Keeley and Kara Kay made appearances in “The White Lotus”, with Keeley playing a hotel guest and Kay appearing as a sunbather.
Keeley previously told Access Hollywood that she tried to avoid appearing on the show due to her poor acting skills, but White convinced her it would be “fun.”
Meanwhile, Kay once said that she was surprised that White gave her a role with lines, as she had initially assumed that she would simply appear in the background “waving” or sipping margaritas.
“We got a draft of the script and we realized, oh, we have lines, we’re going to say something. We’re going to act,” she said.
Natalie Cole and Carl Boudreaux played a married couple
Season 3 featured Natalie Cole and Carl Boudreaux as a married couple staying at the resort as guests.
According to Cole, White approached her about appearing on the show after her Emmy wins. She initially thought he was joking until he revealed that Boudreaux would play her husband.
The revelation both surprised her and piqued her interest, because it made her realize that there would be “a bit of humor” in the roles they would play.
“Initially, when [White] and I initially talked, it was just going to be a cameo, and then when we talked again, he sent me a few lines,” she recalled in a conversation with Entertainment Weekly. “And it was quite a few lines, and then when we got there, he increased the lines again. I found this quite interesting.
Mike White was praised for featuring ‘Survivor’ alumni on his show
White’s love of incorporating “Survivor” stars into his series was praised by Probst in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter last year.
“I really like the cameos and the way he uses people. And I think that, too, speaks to Mike as a person,” the veteran animator said.
Probst added: “He’s able to be part of the Hollywood elite, in terms of show creators, but he’s also able to do the show with people who aren’t from Hollywood and then invite them into his world and say, ‘Why don’t you come and experience what it’s like to be on the set of ‘White Lotus’ for a day?’ and ‘I’ll put you in the seat.’