Michelle Monaghan Teases A “Reckoning” In The White Lotus Finale

The White Lotus loves a dysfunctional couple, but the show’s third season proves there’s no relationship quite as complex as besties on a girls trip.

When Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan), a famous TV actor, invites the MAGA-leaning, iconically bobbed Kate (Leslie Bibb) and down-on-her-luck New York lawyer Laurie (Carrie Coon) on a Thai getaway, it seems like the perfect opportunity for the childhood friends to reconnect. But things quickly sour for the trio as they maneuver passive aggression and perceived slights — like when Jaclyn hooks up with their handsome hotel butler, Valentin (Arnas Fedaravičius), after encouraging Laurie all night to do just that.

Monaghan, however, doesn’t think Jaclyn is the raging narcissist many fans have decided she is. “I don’t see her as being manipulative or malicious. Maybe one of her flaws is that she’s very impulsive,” she tells Bustle over Zoom. “And she’s someone that does seek external validation.” There’s also a little more to the story than fans have gotten to see. In Episode 5, Jaclyn seems to revel in some “pick-me girl” competition when she pointedly dances with Valentin and his friends in eyeshot of some other women at a club. But Monaghan says a deleted scene gives that moment a new meaning.

“The three women that Jaclyn is dancing for — or at, however you want to [look at it] — were making fun of them earlier in the day at the bar when they first arrived because [Jaclyn, Kate, and Laurie] all look like drowned rats from the Songkran Festival. They’re pointing fingers and laughing at them,” Monaghan explains of a cut moment from the show. “And Jaclyn was like, Oh, hell no. We’re going downstairs.”

Will Jaclyn ultimately redeem herself in viewers’ eyes? There’s only one week left to find out. Below, Monaghan breaks down Season 3’s penultimate episode, Jaclyn’s unlikely beach reads, and the “reckoning” to come in the finale.

In Episode 7, after her friends call her out, Jaclyn says, “I’ll be the bad guy. I’m used to it.” What do you think that line really means?

Jaclyn has been put on a pedestal, maybe because she’s famous and people set unrealistic expectations on her. She’s flawed like the rest of us, but when she makes mistakes, people are hyper-aware of that. I love that these women have known each other so well that they can pivot an accusation or deflect a conversation in their favor. And at this exact moment, she’s feeling a bit of self-pity. She’s realizing that she’s been pretty hurtful to Laurie and really lacked compassion. But at the same time, she’s not taking complete ownership of it.

Speaking of mistakes, Laurie accuses Jaclyn of having been “all over” Kate’s husband, Dave, 15 years ago.

I love that line. I talked to Mike [White, the White Lotus creator] about it, and he’s like, “I don’t necessarily think she was all over him.” What’s interesting about the women is the ambiguity, right? Because they all have the shared history, but we all remember experiences differently, if at all. So I think Jaclyn’s sincere. She’s like, “What are you talking about? Nothing happened.” I just love that dynamic — they’re all rattled, this big tornado of triggers, and they continue to deflect and pivot and blame.

We know Jaclyn is a successful television actress, and fans have been speculating about what kind of show she’s famous for. A long-running medical drama? A teen soap? Do you have an idea of your own?

I made a conscious choice not to. I know that sounds counterintuitive, because normally any actor will say that you latch onto any backstory you can, but I wanted to keep it a little bit ambiguous. I know this world so intimately, and I didn’t want to be basing the character off of anyone that I knew within the industry. All my fellow castmates were super keen to know. They’re like, “Oh my God, what’s the show?” And then, I think in our fifth month [of shooting], when I finally asked Mike, he was like, “I don’t f*cking know! She’s fabulous — that’s it.” The only thing I could say is that it is an ongoing series — like, she was currently working — and because there were so many people recognizing Jaclyn, it was very much in the zeitgeist.

I loved seeing the books Jaclyn’s reading. At one point, she picks up Barbra Streisand’s memoir. And then in Episode 7, there’s The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.

Oh, that’s so interesting. What scene in Episode 7?

It’s around when Jaclyn says she’s always the bad guy. You sit down, and the book’s already there, so it’s unclear if it’s hers. But still, these books are about iconic women looking back on their careers.

There were two things about the Barbra book. First, it’s an amazing book. But I was also making the connection that Jaclyn loves an autobiography. That’s why she’s keen on reading Sritala’s book as well. I chose to make it Barbra Streisand because it was quite current last year. If there’s one thing I could say about Jaclyn as an actress, it’s clear that she’s not a Barbra Streisand. She might aspire to be her or certainly is a fan of her work — and who isn’t? — but there’s something comical about Jaclyn thinking that she’s going to go on vacation with her two girlfriends to party and read a 1,500-page book. It’s just not going to happen.

Also in this episode, Laurie ends up in a scary situation after peeling off with one of Valentin’s friends to hook up. What was your reaction to that? Do you think these are the type of friends who forget their squabbles and band together when something bad happens?

It’ll be interesting because we haven’t seen them take any responsibility for their actions. We can safely say without any spoilers, because we all understand the show’s trajectory, that there will be a reckoning. It’s coming to a head. The dinner scene in Episode 7 — if only they would just shut up for a second, really look at each other and be honest and vulnerable, and say, “I’m struggling with this back home.” But instead, they’re trying to keep up appearances.

I learned that you studied journalism before becoming an actor. I think in the universe of the show there needs to be an exposé about why awful things keep happening at the White Lotus.

My 16-year-old daughter, who’s not seen The White Lotus, and I were eating the other night, and she said to me: “Why do people keep going to the White Lotus if these murders keep happening?” It’s so true. Listen, I think they’ve just got a great PR team.

Where would a reporter start?

First, you’d have to book a week there, and then basically hope for the best. Maybe that [should be] an upcoming character: a journalist who goes on the next White Lotus looking to investigate.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.