‘Spiritual, Existential, Painful’: Arnas Fedaravičius On The White Lotus Season 3

Have you been watching The White Lotus season 3? Mike White’s beloved series always keeps us guessing – but we’re told to keep our eye on one particular ripped health mentor: Russian expat Valentin. Assigned to look after our subtly catty trio of gal pals Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan), Kate (Leslie Bibb) and Laurie (Carrie Coon) who swoon over his flirty compliments, there’s lots in store for this wellness guru. We sat down with Lithuanian star Arnas Fedaravičius to hear all about it.

Arnas stars as one of the health mentors at The White Lotus Thailand, along with Morgana O’Reilly, Christian Friedel, Dom Hetrakul & Lalisa Manobal. (HBO)

Arnas Fedaravičius On The White Lotus

Hi Arnas, how’s life going at the moment?

Generally, life is very exciting. Life’s fun! I just got off the carpet doing the premiere for The White Lotus, and it’s wonderful to be part of something that is so ubiquitously cared for. I am still pinching myself constantly about the reality of what’s going on. But it’s fun to be alive during this time.

Fans can spot you in the third season of The White Lotus season 3 – how would you describe it in your own words?

Spiritual. Existential. Painful, sometimes. It just explores a lot of life, death, spirituality, and how people change their love. How sometimes we fall out of love – and, perhaps in the darkest moments, we find it again. How we’re all related to our money – how we see it as our identity. How Americans and other wealthy people see themselves in the context of other cultures.

You play one of the hotel’s health mentors, Valentin – what can you tell us about him?

Yes, my character is a so-called ‘health mentor’, along with the characters played by Lalisa Manobal, Morgana O’Reilly and Christian Friedel. He is a yoga instructor slash masseuse slash good times provider. He kind of uses his looks to navigate the people that he works with. He’s a little bit of a new ager: he’s into meditation, yoga… He’s also an expat from Russia, so there’s something he’s perhaps escaping. And, yeah, he just likes to bring a good time – sometimes at the cost of the other people not necessarily having a fully good time. But he’s a lover and a good time provider.

We’re told episode 5 is particularly big for you. Anything you can tease about that?

If I can tease without giving anything away, it’s going to be one of those moments where you’re like, ‘Oh! So that’s what’s happening.’ So I can’t give away what specifically is the reveal, but it’s something that you probably won’t expect until it happens. But it’s all about good times.

It’s still good times?

Not for everyone. For someone, it’s less good times. But the overarching theme is good times.

What was it like being part of such a mammoth series? Were you a fan of The White Lotus beforehand?

Sometimes you watch the thing before you audition for it, and sometimes you don’t. As soon as I got the audition for The White Lotus, I was like, ‘Oh, I’ve been hearing about this for so long. Let me just watch it.’ And as soon as I watched one episode, I had to postpone the tape because I had to watch all of it immediately. Then it was just great to be part of something so cared for. Just the week before, I remember thinking how I would like to be part of something that not only I care for, but people really want to watch. So when I finally got the news, until I got to Thailand, it was really hard to believe. 

Again, it was just a wonderful experience to all of a sudden know that I’m going to be part of something that’s so well written and explores so many themes with such subtle humour. Sometimes the humour is on the nose, but it’s so well devised. It’s every actor’s dream job, I think, in the past couple years. Everyone I know, within the industry and outside, is watching it. It’s unbelievable to be part of something this big.

Arnas behind the scenes of The White Lotus Series 3 Episode 1. (HBO)

What was it like to work with Mike White?

The first thing that stood out is that immediately after I got the job, within two days, I got all of the scripts. Never in my life that has happened before. You get little bits and pieces, maybe two, maybe three. With Mike, you get all of them immediately. 

The thing that strikes me about this show is that as soon as you read it, you can see how good it is. So the skeleton of the job is perfect as is. But then you get to set, and Mike sees something about you or about the other actors, and then that just fluidly changes into his new ideas. There are constantly little improv moments or little new details. ‘Instead of saying this whole line here, say this completely new thing, because that’s what it feels like.’ 

I kept talking about how this is the most creatively liberating experience as an actor: any idea that you have is welcome. At first, you’re a little bit like, ‘I don’t know if I should…’ But then you get to set, and you’re like, ‘Hey, Mike, do you think it would be stupid if I said this? Do you think it would be stupid if I pointed at this tattoo or did this?’ And he thinks about it in a channeling way – I think he’s channeling from the future – and then he’s like, ‘go for it’.

Usually, when you’re on set doing the takes you want total quiet – which it is. But the thing that you’re looking for, the thing you want to hear, is Mike’s laughter during the take. If you hear him laugh, that’s the stamp of approval.

Since you had all of the scripts, can you remember your reaction when you read the ending?

The themes we’re going to be exploring this season were not explained to us beforehand, so it immediately got me thinking about the spiritual aspects and how people’s faith changes. Just like all the other previous endings, you don’t expect it to happen. So when you see it on paper, you’re like, ‘Oh my god, this is what’s happening’. But it just made me really deeply think, because. It’s fascinating how Mike touches upon life, death, how we perceive it, and how all of that changes.

How long were you in Thailand for? Did you extend your stay, and any highlights?

I was there for exactly six months. I was very fortunate that I had quite a few weeks off, too, and the production was generous enough to keep us all there the entire time. So I didn’t extend my trip more, but I had a lot of time to explore Thailand. We stayed at beautiful hotels. There was always great weather. I love Thailand because the food’s great. We trained in amazing facilities. The people are great. You just drive around on a motorcycle and enjoy the sun, and sometimes maybe jump into a different country nearby. But even considering those little vacations, you’re always like, ‘Do I want to go? Or should I just stay at the Four Seasons?’ And more often than not, that would be the choice. Because, you know, you can explore those countries, but this is a very specific, special experience that not a lot of people get to experience: to live in a fully bought out Four Seasons for two months!

Where did you travel when you did dare to leave the Four Seasons?

The only trip when we left the country was to Cambodia for a few days, but within Thailand we would drive to a different part of the island, maybe go to a bit of an archipelago, go on a lot of boat trips. 

Personally, I got to train a lot. It’s been my dream to go to Thailand for quite some time. Thailand is the land of Muay Thai, so I did a lot of that. Me and some of the other actors would daily go to these additional gyms, train there, go to a sauna. But ultimately, I was just exploring Thailand itself as much as possible – as much as you can venture away from the comforts of the hotels that you’re provided.

Would you ever book yourself into a wellness resort like the White Lotus Thailand?

I think I would. I like the idea of having a schedule if the schedule is wellness. You know, at 3pm you get a massage, and there will be little butterflies flying everywhere… I like life with a schedule and having some sort of routine, so if the routine is somebody else taking care of you, I’d be very interested. Who doesn’t like to be pampered?

Any standout moments from filming overall?

Perhaps I’m generalising it a little bit, but all the people that I’ve met. I will never forget the relationships that I’ve created. I’ve worked with so many actors here that I really look up to, and they’ve been so generous and gracious in answering my questions, providing wisdom about things, whether it’s career or life or what to expect in the future. So the generosity of the others, I think I will never forget. And I don’t think Mike White is a forgettable person. He’s just the most marvellous person I’ve ever met and worked with. To be able to trust someone so fully, that’s something I will never forget.

‘Thailand is the land of Muay Tai; it’s been my dream to go for quite some time.’ (© Karl Hugill)

You’ve also got Mutiny coming up with Jason Statham – is there anything you can tell us about that?

Well, there’s a lot of action. I promise that there’s going to be a lot of action. Jason does things that you’re like, ‘Wait a minute, that’s possible?!’ And there are days on set where I think, ‘Oh, that’s his stunt double’, and them I’m like, ‘No, wait, that’s him hanging off that thing over there!’ So a lot of action, some betrayal, some funny and quirky bits, and a long journey on a cargo ship. 

You’ve also starred in The Last Kingdom and The Wheel of Time, but what has been your favourite project to date?

The Last Kingdom was kind of like going through college, in a way. I was on it for five years, and one season was during COVID, so we were all living in one building at the same time. It felt like a dorm room, really. I remember we’d leave the doors open, and somebody would be doing a therapy class, somebody was playing the piano, somebody would be doing drawing classes… It stands out in my memory as something that I went through for so long, and it felt like a graduation when we finished it. So because of that, I will always keep it in my heart. I also learned a lot about human interactions and set behaviours, because our lead really was the most generous and kind person. Coming into this industry, you are always taught people are difficult, so seeing someone like that in the lead, you kind of take it in and think, ‘Oh, so it is possible to be really generous and kind, and perhaps that’s the way to do it.’

Any other roles in the pipeline that you’re excited about? (If you’re allowed to tell us!)

I’m currently in Scotland shooting a new show. Funnily enough, at some point, I do end up working at a hotel as well – but in a very different capacity, in a much more dire circumstance. It’s a lot sadder than The White Lotus, the experience of this character. I can only say bits and bobs about it. It is a story about love, but also the disappointment of having dreams and those dreams not working out, and just dealing with what happens in front of you and hopefully finding love again when all fails.

Who has been your favourite actor to work with in the past?

It has to be on The White Lotus. First of all, Michelle Monahan, Jason Isaacs and Walton Goggins: they were people that I looked up to so much in real life. And also Scott Glenn, but for different reasons, because I look up to the longevity of his career, but also him working with one of my favorite actors of all time, Toshiro Mifune, in The Challenge (1982). That’s a deep cut, but it was just fascinating to be on set and ask him about working with this legendary actor. So that’s going to be my four: Michelle Monahan, Jason Isaacs, Walton Goggins and Scott Glenn.

Which co-star did you learn the most from?

I think because I spent so much time doing scenes with Michelle Monahan, Carrie Coon and Leslie Bibb, I learned the most about listening from them. A lot of that was just tuning in to what the other actors were doing and just listening. But then again, I also have to say Walton Goggins because, as I was spending time on set with him, I was also watching him in Fallout. So I just loved asking him questions – ‘How do you do this? How do you do that?’ – and him explaining his ways of thinking was very generous.

Who is an actor, writer or director you’d love to work with?

I’d love to work with Quentin Tarantino. I’m a big fan of his. One of my favourite movies of all time is Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. And I love his books, the two that he’s written. So that’s one that I hope I’d love to get there before he finishes his last, tenth movie.

What’s a genre you’d like to do more of?

Now, having done The White Lotus, I would love to explore more comedy. That’s something that I really look forward to. When I finish this current job, that’s something I want to study a little bit more: comedy and improvisation. I think that’s one of the hardest things to do. It’s also been my lifelong dream to be in a Western. I would love to be on a horse with a six shooter and a little cowboy hat.

Anything fun in the pipeline, personally or professionally?

Currently, it’s to see how people take The White Lotus. That’s something I’ve never experienced before, and it’ll be interesting to see how people react to it. Coming out of Mutiny, I’m just living life, daily trying to become better at what I do, travelling the world, and just hoping that tomorrow’s going be a fun day.

Arnas Fedaravičius Recommends…

I’m currently watching… Yellowstone

What I’m reading… The Molecule of More by Daniel Z. Lieberman and Mike Long; it’s about how we’re all addicted to dopamine and everything in our life is driven by it

The last thing I watched (and loved) was… Anora

What I’m most looking forward to seeing… The last two episodes of The White Lotus

Favourite film of all time… Butch Cassidy ad the Sundance Kid

Favourite song of all time… Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 3 in A minor – Spotify says that’s my most listened to track throughout the last year, and it brings me a lot of peace

Band/singer I always have on repeat… Kendrick Lamar

My ultimate cultural recommendation… When travelling, take off your headphones, look up from your phone and immerse yourself in the people around you. Go to places out of your comfort zone, be open to whatever’s in front of you, and take it one step at a time. Within reason – don’t go anywhere dangerous!

Cultural guilty pleasure… Donuts.

WATCH

Arnas Fedaravičius stars as Valentin the health mentor in The White Lotus season 3. New episodes air Sunday evenings in the US, and Monday evenings in the UK. Catch up on Now.

Find out exactly when and where to watch it here.