The TV series The White Lotus is famous for featuring top Hollywood actors in its darkly humorous, murder-filled luxury resort settings. In the recent episode, Oscar-winner Sam Rockwell makes an appearance in Season 3 Episode 5 “Full-Moon Party” as Rick’s dubious friend Frank in Bangkok. The two long-time buddies reunite at a hotel in the city of Thailan where Frank opens up about the spiritual journey he has been on since their last meeting.
Sam Rockwell portrays his character, Frank, as he engages in a conversation with Walton Goggins, sipping camomile tea while discussing topics like sex addiction, ladyboys, and the ongoing pursuit of self-discovery. With his compelling monologue in this episode, Rockwell is a strong contender for the Guest Actor in a Drama Series Emmy, leaving audiences in awe of his performance alongside Leslie Bibb!
**Spoilers for The White Lotus Season 3 Episode 5 “Full-Moon Party,” now streaming on MAX**
In Season 3 Episode 5 “Full-Moon Party” of The White Lotus, the storyline is split between the partying guests near the resort and Rick’s entrance into Bangkok. Earlier, Rick informed his girlfriend Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood) that he needed to travel to Bangkok as the wealthy owner of the hotel, Jim Hollinger (Scott Glenn), was recuperating there following a stroke. Rick discloses to Chelsea that Hollinger was responsible for his father’s murder, prompting Chelsea to draw parallels between Rick’s mission and Inigo Montoya’s quest in The Princess Bride.
Rick is now in Bangkok and the first thing he does is reconnect with old pal Frank. In a series of stunning scenes, Frank reveals that he’s been sober for 10 months because he became addicted to sex. Specifically, addicted to dressing like an Asian woman while being railed by white middle-aged men. The conversation delves into the larger themes of The White Lotus Season 3 while also offering Rick (and the audience) much to ponder.
Here’s everything you need to know about Sam Rockwell on The White Lotus Season 3 Episode 5 “Full-Moon Party”…
Sam Rockwell plays Rick’s friend Frank in The White Lotus Season 3. It’s heavily implied that Frank has given Rick a duffle bag full of guns.
Over drinks, Frank explains to Rick that he moved to Thailand because he had to leave the States (probably because he’s a criminal) and always had a thing for Asian girls. He starts to detail how he was “out of control” with his partying. He was sleeping with local women of every variety every night. After “about a thousand” of these encounters, Frank says he started to lose it.
“Why do I feel this need to fuck all these women?” he asks aloud. “What is desire? The form of this cute Asian girl, why does it have such a grip on me?”
“‘Cause she’s the opposite of me? Is she gonna complete me in some way?”
Frank reveals that he came to the conclusion that sleeping with these Asian girls would never satisfy him. He wanted to be one of them.
A confused Rick listens on as he learns his friend started to hire men who looked like him to fuck him dressed up like an Asian woman. “And then I got addicted to that,” Frank says, admitting he would hire an Asian girl to watch him while this went on.
Frank said that he eventually realized he had to pump the brakes on all the sex, drugs, and drinking. He turned to Buddhism as an escape from “the never-ending carousal of lust and suffering.”
Later on in the episode, Rick asks Frank for one more favor. The implication is that Rick might want his friend with access to drugs and money to help him face Jim Hollinger.
There’s no official confirmation that Sam Rockwell and Leslie Bibb are married, but they’ve been together since 2007. The actors have appeared alongside each other in Iron Man 2 and Don Verdean. Rockwell is all over Bibb’s Instagram, with a 2017 post even referring to them as the “Rockwells.”
So basically they’ve been in love and together for almost 18 years. Suffice to say, Rockwell didn’t let Bibb go to Thailand alone.
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