‘The White Lotus Sicily’ Includes a ‘Survivor’ Easter Egg You Might Have Missed

Former Survivor contestant and Hollywood creative Mike White has used a former castmate in The White Lotus before. But did you catch the Survivor cameos in The White Lotus Sicily? Find out which Survivor contestants White incorporated into the HBO series and the episode in which they appeared. 

Mike White’s time on ‘Survivor’ inspired the HBO series

In 2018, White participated in Survivor: David vs. Goliath, the 37th season of the long-running reality series. Producers placed White on the Goliath team, which featured contestants who were considered overachievers, instead of the David team, which became the team of underdogs. 

“Survivor is the only show I really devotedly watch, even though I get frustrated with it,” White told The New Yorker. “Part of my job and my way of life is studying people and analyzing motivation and character. I still feel like, even on the most contrived reality show, the people are human, and they’re more interesting than some of the most well-scripted drama.”

As a writer of dramas, White said he “aspires to do what reality television already does — create characters that are surprising and dimensional and do weird s*** and capture your attention.” That has certainly been the case with The White Lotus and The White Lotus Sicily. 

‘Survivor’ cast members Angelina Keeley and Kara Kay appear in episode 1 of ‘The White Lotus Sicily’ 

Angelina Keeley and Kara Kay appeared in Survivor: David vs. Goliath, too. The Survivor celebs were featured in the first episode of The White Lotus Sicily just before Daphne (Meghann Fahy) discovers a body in the water. Keeley and Kay are the women she raves to about the resort. 

White told Keeley and Kay about his casting decision over brunch. “As I sat down, he goes, ‘I’m putting you two in White Lotus,'” Keeley told Vulture. “Why would he let us goofballs anywhere near his set? Mike was front row to some of the worst acting moments of my life on Survivor: jacketgate and the fake idol.” 

Despite the duo’s lack of acting experience, they committed to their small but mighty role in The White Lotus Sicily premiere. They don’t have any speaking lines once Daphne discovers the dead body, but their commitment to the scene was a bit much for the HBO drama. 

“I was wiping a fake tear away like I was at a funeral,” Keeley said. “Mike came up like, ‘Angelina, this is why you’re perfect for reality TV. You’re so over the top. Less grief, more shock.'”

‘The White Lotus’ Season 1 featured a ‘Survivor’ star, too 

Alec Merlino didn’t vote for White in the final tribal council of Survivor Season 37, but that didn’t stop White from inviting him to appear in the first season of The White Lotus. He plays what White described to Entertainment Weekly as a “hunky bartender at a resort hotel.”

“When people see him mixing cocktails and winking at the guests, they’ll never believe he hasn’t taken a single acting class,” White told the outlet. He thought his former co-star was right for the part because of his previous bartending experience. 

Did you catch these Survivor cameos in The White Lotus? Both seasons are streaming on HBO Max.