Lisa Of Blackpink Reveals How She Prepped for 'White Lotus' Role
The K-pop star is set to make her acting debut in Season 3 of HBO's hit show, and plans to take acting seriously.
While you may recognize her as one of the four talented superstars who belong to K-pop girl group Blackpink, Lalisa Manoban—or Lisa, the mononymous persona she adopted ahead of her debut in 2016—is breaking out into her own in 2024. With a successful solo career under her own label and a Blackpink comeback in the works, Lisa is doing anything but slowing down. Although she's no stranger to long days on set for music videos and fashion shoots, Lisa has embraced a new role in entertainment as an actress. Her first project? A role in HBO's buzzy TV show The White Lotus, which captured the attention of millions of viewers across the world with its first two seasons.
Decisiveness and unabashed confidence are at the core of the philosophy that led her to take on a role in The White Lotus' star-studded cast—which has included icons like Jennifer Coolidge, Theo James, Sydney Sweeney, Aubrey Plaza, Alexandra Daddario, and more. The series takes a satirical inside look at the exhilarating, wild world that exists behind the closed doors of resorts like the fictional White Lotus.
The star revealed that ahead of her on-screen debut, she took acting classes to make sure her performance would be up to par with the string of Hollywood favorites that populate the cast. While many celebrity cameos in hit productions are the result of decisions made by writers and directors to include a popular face in the franchise, Lisa explained that she opted to audition for a role—a fact that surprised fans, many of whom had assumed she was asked to be on the show by producers.
“I think I cried. I was with my friends, my mom’s friends, and my mom as well, but I didn’t tell them that I auditioned for it. I’m super excited and nervous, because it’s my first acting project," Lisa revealed in a 2024 interview with Elle. "So I was happy for a second, and then I was like, ‘Oh, wait, wait, how am I going to deliver this?’” For Lisa, this moment of self-doubt proved the ideal opportunity to strengthen her skills, prompting her enrollment in acting classes to up her game. The star has also mentioned previously that she took acting classes as a child back when she lived in Thailand, but her pivot to music and dance quickly took priority during her K-pop idol trainee period. Although fans have never seen Lisa act, many are sure that given her early training, current efforts in acting class, and dedication to her craft, she'll deliver a gripping performance.
For Season 3 of The White Lotus, the set has moved to Thailand, where a brand new White Lotus resort is slated to be unveiled. While the country is famous for its stunning beaches, gorgeous resorts, and picturesque landscapes, the new location is especially exciting for the "Rockstar," who was born and raised in Thailand. “[Acting] is pretty new to me, but I think it’s similar to shooting music videos...I’m excited for my fans to see it.” Lisa said in the same interview with Elle. “I feel like people are going to fall in love with Thailand even more.”
While it's certainly a new endeavor for the star, Lisa has approached the project with confidence and humility simultaneously—something she's had to nail in recent years, especially with the onset of her career as a solo artist. Advocating for oneself in the music industry, specifically in the K-pop sphere, is a famously difficult task, but decisiveness is an incredibly important quality in musicians in order to achieve success and the completion of a project that feels authentic to the artists themselves. “To be honest, I’m not the type who’s really good at expressing my feelings,” Lisa said in the same interview with Elle. “Lately, I feel more confident of what I think, and say it out loud.”
Eager to see Lisa's acting debut? Tune into the new season of The White Lotus during its expected release in 2025.