Mar 31, 2025 05:28 PM IST
Carrie Coon says The White Lotus scene depicting ‘non-binary, maybe trans child’ was cut after Donal Trump’s win. Here’s what she said.
Actor Carrie Coon says some of her character’s backdrop involving “a non-binary, maybe trans” child was cut off from The White Lotus after Donald Trump’s win in the elections. Created by Mike White, the series, currently in its third season, is known for taking bold swings with its characters whose lives unravel while on holiday. (Also Read: The White Lotus’ unauthorised use of Duke University logo on ‘troubling’ imagery angers varsity: It simply goes too far)
Carrie Coon reveals tweaks made to The White Lotus after Donald Trump’s win
In a recent interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Carrie, who plays Laurie, a divorced New York lawyer on holiday with two of her childhood friends, said her character’s backstory was shortened due to the current political climate in America and around the world.
“There was a bit more context to her home life. You originally found out that her daughter was actually non-binary, maybe trans, and going by they/them,” said Carrie.
“You see Laurie struggling to explain it to her friends, struggling to use they/them pronouns, struggling with the language, which was all interesting.”
Why Mike White cut down this bit from her backstory
One of Laurie’s friends is an ageing actor (Michelle Monaghan), while the other is shown to be a Trump supporter (Leslie Bibb). Carrie said the “short scene”, which was removed, was to provide context to her conflict with one of her friends.
“Considering the way the Trump administration has weaponized the cultural war against transgender people even more since then,” Carrie said.
Carrie said the decision to cut the scene was not because Mike was not willing to explore the topic. “When the time came to cut the episode down, Mike felt that the scene was so small and the topic so big that it wasn’t the right way to engage in that conversation,” the actor said, adding that Mike “doesn’t shy away from challenging cultural conversations.”
