HBO Faces Backlash Over One The White Lotus Season 3 Casting Decision - Here's Why
Mike White's award-winning anthology series "The White Lotus" introduces a new core cast every season — and the announcement of the Season 3 cast has already caused some trouble for the beloved series and its home network, HBO.
The actor causing controversy is Miloš Biković, a Serbian-born performer who has been openly supporting Vladimir Putin and his regime in Russia throughout Putin's invasion of Ukraine. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) asking HBO a direct question about the upcoming 3rd season set in Thailand, where Biković is expected to play a Russian wellness guru at the fictional, high-end White Lotus hotel.
"Miloš Biković, Serbian actor who has been supporting Russia since the start of the full-scale invasion, is now set to star in HBO's The White Lotus Season 3," the ministry wrote in its post. "@HBO, is it all right for you to work with a person who supports genocide & violates international law?"
Miloš Biković has expressed some controversial political views about Russia
So what has Miloš Biković done, exactly? According to a video created by United24 Media that accompanied the Ukrainian ministry's tweet, Biković has expressed plenty of public support for Vladimir Putin's destruction in Ukraine. Per Deadline, he even posted a poll on X saying that Putin was more trustworthy than Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and United States President Joe Biden. Biković has also apparently filmed movies in Crimea, a contested area that Russia annexed back in 2014.
It's undeniable, though, that not only is Biković siding with Russia on most issues, but he is also a Russian citizen as of 2021, which he celebrated on Instagram, and his affiliation with Putin has been recorded. There's a video of Putin awarding the actor a medal in 2018 — specifically, a medal named the Pushkin, which is given for "service to Russia's art and culture."
Who else is in the cast of The White Lotus Season 3?
Whether or not Miloš Biković will remain in the Season 3 cast of "The White Lotus" remains to be seen as of this writing; creator Mike White and HBO haven't commented on Ukraine's social media statement. So who else is in the cast that may or may not be working with Biković going forward?
In previous seasons, "The White Lotus" has featured heavyweights like Jennifer Coolidge, Connie Britton, Sydney Sweeney, and Aubrey Plaza alongside lesser-known performers like Murray Bartlett, Meghann Fahy, and Simona Tabasco, who gained new fame and notoriety thanks to their roles. Season 3 of "The White Lotus" will feature incredible actors like Carrie Coon, Parker Posey, Jason Isaacs, and Walton Goggins, as well as Season 1 standout Natasha Rothwell — who's set to return as White Lotus employee Belinda. Compared to these names, Biković is certainly lesser known, but he's proving newsworthy thanks to his controversial views regarding Russia and Ukraine.
"The White Lotus" will reportedly start production on its 3rd season next month.