LOS ANGELES, April 29 — US actress Laura Dern has joined the cast of The White Lotus, HBO announced yesterday, days after Helena Bonham Carter left the show.

The British star’s departure, which came shortly after the new season started filming on the French Riviera, sparked a frenzy of internet speculation over a glitzy series that has become as well known for its behind-the-scenes dramas as for its award-winning on-camera action.

Bosses at HBO said writer Mike White was having a rethink, with the role being rewritten and recast.

“It had become apparent that the character which Mike White created for Helena Bonham Carter did not align once on set,” a statement said.

There were no immediate details on what kind of character Dern, 59, will play in the show, which typically involves murders, class tensions and sumptuous holiday spots.

The Emmy-winning series is currently filming primarily in Cannes and St. Tropez, as well as Monaco. It will also include some scenes in Paris.

The fourth season takes place against the backdrop of the Cannes Film Festival.

Dern joins an all-star cast that includes British comedian Steve Coogan, as well as France’s Vincent Cassel (Black Swan, Ocean’s Twelve) and Heather Graham (Boogie Nights and Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me).

Singer AJ Michalka, and comedian Kumail Nanjiani also feature.

Dern and White have previously worked together on HBO’s Enlightened and the comedy-drama Year of the Dog.

Previous seasons of The White Lotus were filmed in Hawaii, Italy and Thailand, and featured stars such as Jennifer Coolidge, Sydney Sweeney, Aubrey Plaza, and Walton Goggins. — AFP

Lisa Kudrow, 62, will always be Phoebe, but now, for many, she’s also Valerie Cherish, the main character on The Comeback (HBO Max), a series created by and starring herself that brings to life a mature actress attempting a return to the entertainment industry by putting on a brave face despite all kinds of humiliation. Its first season in 2005 was not a huge hit, but its slightly-pathetic-yet-endearing has-been female lead, who attempts to resuscitate her career with a reality show, won over discerning tastes.

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