Laura Dern is packing her bags for The White Lotus. The 59-year-old actor has joined season 4 of the HBO series after Helena Bonham Carter’s sudden departure last week, but she isn’t inheriting Carter’s role; creator Mike White instead wrote a new character specifically for Dern, People reports. It marks a reunion for White and Dern, who previously teamed on the HBO series Enlightened and the film Year of the Dog. Dern also briefly appeared in season 2 of The White Lotus as a furious estranged wife heard only over the phone, notes Deadline. That role was uncredited.
Carter exited last week after HBO said the character designed for her “did not align once on set,” adding that the role would be “rethought,” rewritten, and recast. The network called itself and the producers “ardent fans” of Carter “and very much hope to work with the legendary actress on another project soon.” Season 4, now filming, unfolds over a week during the Cannes Film Festival, with locations along the French Riviera and in Paris. Dern joins a cast that includes Kumail Nanjiani, Alexander Ludwig, AJ Michalka, Max Greenfield, Steve Coogan, Chris Messina, and Chloe Bennet.
