BLACKPINK’s Lisa Excels at Acting in “The White Lotus”, Yet The Series Still Got Criticized
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High Praise for Lisa’s Acting
On January 17, the first episode of the HBO series “The White Lotus” Season 3 aired, featuring BLACKPINK member Lisa in the role of Mook, a hotel staff member. Although it was a supporting role with limited screen time, Lisa’s debut acting performance surprised many.
After watching the show, many viewers praised Lisa for her natural acting, good English pronunciation, and expressive facial movements, and the female idol’s ability to add humor and make her character more lively.
So far, netizens who watched “The White Lotus” have left various comments praising Lisa, with many being surprised that this is her acting debut.
Below are some comments from netizens:
- For a first-time actress, this is amazing
- I’m not even a fan, but Lisa’s acting was natural and well-executed. It felt easy to watch. Honestly, for idol singers transitioning into acting, it’s best to start with supporting roles like this. Just because someone is a famous singer doesn’t mean they should greedily take on lead roles without the skill—it often backfires
- I was worried because this was her acting debut, but she completely exceled at it.
- Lisa seems to have real potential in acting. Her dialogue delivery is great, and her facial expressions are natural.
Criticism Directed at the Series
Previously on February 11 (local time), media outlet The Hollywood Reporter published an article titled “‘The White Lotus’ Review: Scathingly Good Acting Helps Rescue Thailand-Set Season 3 of Mike White’s HBO Series From Fatigue”.
While the article mostly praises the 3rd season of HBO’s highly-anticipated “The White Lotus” after its premiere, there’s also some scathing criticisms, particularly pertaining to BLACKPINK’s Lisa’s appearance in the series.
In particular, the article accused “The White Lotus” of “taking a superficial approach to Thailand, its traditions and its tragedies”.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, despite “The White Lotus” heavily promoting its backdrop of Thailand before its premiere, even consistently mentioning the appearance of BLACKPINK’s Lisa, it only introduced a “wafer-thin love story” between Lisa’s character and another employee at the resort.
It then went on to criticize the series for failing to highlight Thai characters with storylines where the locals are “present, but not integral”, as well as barely featuring Lisa despite her recognition and thus shortchanging her acting potential.
Upon reading this article, many netizens have expressed their thoughts on the forum “Reddit”, where reactions are mixed.
“Looks like they pulled a bait & switch on us“, one user said, while another commented, “I mean this is not surprising, ‘The White Lotus’ story has always focused on the guests to the resort, the focus on staff tend to be minor except for one or two, I have read multiple reviews and Lisa’s character has a plot line with another thai character, and reviewers have largely praised her performance. I think it’s a decent part for her debut role in such a prestigious series.”
“You expected a leading role on an award winning show that has a huge ensemble for a first time actor? A nice minor role that can introduce her to the world and that’s good enough. Based on a bunch of early reviews, she does a very good job with her acting and it will probably lead to more roles and bigger opportunities. She auditioned for this specific role, knowing what it was and she earned it. I will be watching and enjoying every moment”, another user also said.