Sam Rockwell's The White Lotus performance forces an unexpected Emmy showdown

Sam Rockwell's cameo role in the latest episode of The White Lotus season 3 has created quite a buzz online. His performance in a particular scene in episode 5 has led many to tout his potential candidacy for an Emmy nomination. The fifth episode titled Full-Moon Party, aired on March 16, 2025, on HBO.

Season 3 of the popular anthology series premiered on February 16, 2025. Mike White serves as the show's creator, writer, and director, while John M. Valerio, Heather Persons, and Todd Brown serve as its producers.

The latest season of the show features an ensemble cast comprising Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell, Parker Posey, Leslie Bibb, and Patrick Schwarzenegger. Lalisa Manobal, Carrie Coon, Walton Goggins, Michelle Monaghan, Lek Patravadi, Jon Gries, Aimee Lou Wood, Sam Nivola, Tayme Thapthimthong, and Sarah Catherine Hook are also part of the cast.

HBO describes the official synopsis of season 3 as follows:

"This social satire is set at an exclusive Thai resort and follows the exploits of various guests and employees over the span of a week."

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A look into Sam Rockwell's role and his potential Emmy nomination

Sam Rockwell and Walton Goggins as seen in The White Lotus season 3 (Image via Instagram/@waltongogginsbonafide)

In The White Lotus season 3, Sam Rockwell's character Frank is Rick's friend who lives in Thailand. Rick reaches out to Frank to help him confront Jim Hollinger, the man responsible for his father's death.

During their meeting in episode 5, Frank hands his friend a gun for his mission. When they catch up over drinks, he goes into a five-minute monologue explaining how he gave up his addiction to s*x and booze to lead a spiritual life in accordance with the tenets of Buddhism.

Rick looks stunned as Frank describes sleeping with numerous Asian girls before realizing that he wants to be an Asian girl himself. He made that happen by dressing up as a ladyboy and having s*x with white American men that looked just like him. Eventually, he hit a low point and decided to turn his life around.

The scene has many touting the 56-year-old actor as a frontrunner for the 'Best Guest Actor' category at this year's Primetime Emmy Awards.

Moreover, a 2024 rule set by the TV Academy states that guest performers should appear in less than 50% of all eligible episodes. Frank is also set to appear in the remaining three episodes, bringing his total appearance to half of all the episodes in season 3.

Since Sam Rockwell features in exactly 50% of all eligible episodes from the series, he does not qualify for the particular category. If he earns an acting nomination at the 2025 Emmy Awards, it will be for the 'Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series' category.

On March 17, 2025, Sam Rockwell's real-life partner, Leslie Bibb (who plays Kate Bohr in the series), told The Hollywood Reporter that he filmed all his scenes over eight days. Sam and Leslie have been dating since 2007, but they are not married and do not share any kids.

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When will the Emmy Awards be held in 2025?

If past seasons are any indication, then the third season of The White Lotus is likely to bag several acting nominations in the Supporting Actor/Actress categories at the upcoming Emmy Awards. The first installment of the HBO series received three nominations for Supporting Actor and five for Supporting Actress, while the second season earned four Supporting Actor nominations and five Supporting Actress nominations.

Moreover, the voting round for Emmy nominations will take place between June 12 and June 23, 2025. The official Emmy nominations will roll out on July 15, 2025. Following this, the final voting will be held from August 18 to August 27, 2025. The 77th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards will air on CBS on September 14, 2025, at 8 pm ET / 5 pm PT.

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All episodes of The White Lotus can be streamed on Max.