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Will Laura Dern Be in The White Lotus Season 2?

Will Laura Dern Make a Cameo in "The White Lotus"? All Signs Point to Yes

VENICE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 07: Laura Dern attends The Son" red carpet at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on September 07, 2022 in Venice, Italy.

Image Source: Getty / Elisabetta A. Villa

Laura Dern may have another whodunnit series under her belt. The seasoned actor is rumoured to potentially appear in "The White Lotus" season two following her brief voice cameo in the premiere — as if the cast wasn't already great enough.

For viewers who may have missed her cameo in the 30 Oct. episode, allow us to refresh your memory. About 20 minutes into the show's second instalment, Dominic Di Grasso (Michael Imperioli) hops on a phone call with his estranged wife, Abby, who opted out of their family holiday to Sicily following his latest act of infidelity. Though Abby remains off screen for the conversation, Dern's voice is instantly recognisable during her character's profanity-laced tirade as she tells Dominic, "I'm honest, I don't keep f*cking secrets from my family. You should try it sometime." Each F-bomb is more piercing than the last as she refuses his apologies and warns him to never call again.

Although the voice performance remains uncredited on Dern's IMDb page, there are several signs she could end up physically appearing in one of the next five episodes. For starters, Imperioli seemed to tease an in-person appearance while praising Dern's acting abilities on Instagram: "the absolutely magnificent LAURA DERN plays my wife in the new season of THE WHITE LOTUS," the "Goodfellas" actor wrote. "Although (so far) she has only been heard on the phone and not seen, her performance is a standout among many great ones in the 'White Lotus' troupe. LaDern can do more with voice alone than most can do with everything else. She's genius." Is it just us, or does his inclusion of "(so far)" seem to hint we haven't seen the last of Abby quite yet?

Plus, it bears mentioning that Dern has worked with "The White Lotus" writer Mike White before. In addition to cocreating the HBO series "Enlightened" with him, she also starred in his 2007 film, "Year of the Dog," so yep, they've got history.

If Abby does show up to the Sicilian White Lotus resort, we have some ideas of how it might play out. She could have a change of heart and decide she deserves a European getaway on her husband's money to make him pay for cheating on her yet again. Abby certainly sounds vengeful on the phone, and racking up a hefty bill for poolside Aperol spritzes would be the sweetest retribution. Another possible theory: Abby arrives and kills Dominic after catching wind of his fling with local sex worker Lucia (Simona Tabasco). It'd certainly explain one of the mysterious deaths teased in the premiere. Or — and we're just spitballing here — Lucia could kill Abby after she shows up to mirror the legend of the Testa di Moro statue heads that are heavily referenced in the first episode.

An unannounced Dern cameo wouldn't be entirely out of left field following Molly Shannon's surprise appearance as Shane Patton's (Jake Lacy) mum in season one. Dern has yet to publicly address her role in the show, and HBO declined to confirm or deny the speculation about any possible future appearance when POPSUGAR reached out for comment. If she does waltz into the resort as Abby, clad in extravagant beachwear à la Renata Klein in "Big Little Lies," you better believe this will be Dominic's reaction:

Michael Imperioli as Dominic Di Grasso in "The White Lotus." Image Source: HBO via Giphy

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