Every Survivor Cameo On HBO's The White Lotus, Explained

"The White Lotus" features most of what people want in a vacation: beautiful destinations, great food, and luxury accommodations. There's always new cast members as the series takes us around the world, from newlyweds in Season 1 to a rich southern family in Season 3, each dealing with their own problems and hoping to gain something different from their vacation. You never know where the season will lead, but it's always full of surprises.

"The White Lotus" doesn't just have a new stacked cast every season. Mike White, the creator and writer of "The White Lotus," incorporates cameos from another show he was part of: the competition reality series "Survivor." He competed on Season 37, making it to the final three, and is back for Season 50. White's brought several of his "Survivor" friends onto his HBO project, from multi-episode roles to quick glimpses at parties. With every season, the number of cameos grows, giving "Survivor" fans a chance to see more of their favorite players in "The White Lotus." These are the ones who've made an appearance in White's show so far.

Alec Merlino had more than just a cameo in the first season of "The White Lotus." He is a member of the hotel staff named Hutch, appearing in five episodes as the bartender and waiter. Notably, Hutch turns in Paula's missing bag to the hotel manager, Armond (Murray Bartlett). 

The character is Merlino's first major acting role and appearance on television outside of the "Survivor" franchise. "I was just like, 'Yeah, that sounds cool,'" he said in an interview with Access Hollywood, talking about how White reached out to him to offer him the part. The former "Survivor" contestant documented his time in Hawaii filming the series on his YouTube channel, showing his workout routine in the hotel and saying he was in Hawaii for work. The title and thumbnail of the video now reflect it was filmed during the production of "The White Lotus."

Merlino and Mike White were both on the Goliath tribe in "Survivor" before being separated with the tribe swap. The former became the fourth member of the jury when he was unanimously voted out on Day 28. The two maintained a friendship after their time on the island, resulting in Merlino's role on "The White Lotus." 

Mike White included more of his fellow castaways in Season 2 of his hit series, featuring Angelina Keeley and Kara Kay in the opening sequence of the season. The two are hotel guests lounging on the beach, chatting with Meghann Fahy's Daphne Sullivan about her trip and how they've just arrived for their vacation. Though their roles are unnamed, with both of them being credited as "Guest on Beach Deckchair" on IMDb, the episode credits give Keeley and Kay co-star billing. 

"I was like, 'Mike. You've seen me on 'Survivor' and you've seen the extent of my acting skills,'" Keeley told Access Hollywood in the previously-mentioned interview. White reassured her that she would be great, but to get ready to be on the beach. "I also feel like Mike kind of like knows the roles to put us into," Keeley continued. "He made us two gals on the beach chatting, not like I haven't been in that situation before."

Keeley and White made it to the final three together and were allies throughout their time on "Survivor." Keeley kept the promise they made to choose the other to accompany them on rewards, bringing White to the family barbecue. Kay and White were on the Goliath tribe together, and she was one of the three jury members that voted for him to win the game, securing his place as the season's runner-up.

Like Angelina Keeley and Kara Kay, Natalie Cole and Carl Boudreaux appear together in a season premiere. "The White Lotus" Season 3 takes place in Thailand, with Cole and Boudreaux portraying a couple at dinner as guests of the resort. The two walk in and sit at a table across from Belinda (Natasha Rothwell), the spa manager audiences first meet in Season 1. 

Cole and Boudreaux are credited in co-starring roles, with IMDb showing their characters as Natalie and Carl, respectively. They aren't speaking roles, simply seen from afar from Belinda's perspective, but the pair did originally have lines. "We actually had lines that we studied, and we filmed them," Boudreaux said in an interview with Gold Derby. "Unfortunately, they didn't make the air. Why? We do not know. But it was really exciting to be on there."

Cole and Mike White were members of both Goliath and Jabeni together. White was part of the group that voted Cole off because of her leadership style, and his discussions about her make up some of his best moments on "Survivor." Boudreaux and White weren't on the same tribe until the merge, though the latter was the deciding vote that made Boudreaux the fifth member of the jury. Notably, Boudreaux did not vote for White during the finale. 

Season 3 has three cameos, keeping with a possibly unintentional pattern, since Season 1 has one "Survivor" and Season 2 has two. Christian Hubicki appears as a guest at the Full-Moon party during the fifth episode. It's a blink-and-you-miss-it scene, and it's the hardest of the bunch to identify thanks to how quick the scene is and the lighting. His partner, Emily, joins him on the couch, making it a fun cameo for the couple.

"Survivor" fans spotted Hubicki right away, talking about the cameo on social media. Hubicki, to his credit, joked about it, sharing a Blueksy post and commenting "No, that's Sam Rockwell." Rockwell also guest stars in the episode as Frank, a friend of Walton Goggins' Rick. Hubicki and White were on opposing tribes, with White even calling Hubicki "Big Bang Theory" during the first episode, a reference to his science background and his David tribe membership. White was not part of the majority to vote Christian off, though he voted for him twice before.