Unseen Pickleball Monologue: A deleted pickleball monologue could have served up one of The White Lotus Season 3’s most unexpected highlights, according to star Carrie Coon. The actress revealed on TheWrap’s “UnWrapped” podcast that a full scene about the sport was cut from the final version of the hit HBO series — and fans never got to see it.
Pickleball Scene Left on the Cutting Room Floor
Carrie Coon, who plays Laurie, shared that Leslie Bibb — who portrays Kate, one of Laurie’s longtime friends vacationing in Thailand — had an entire monologue about pickleball that was left out of the show.
“That said, Coon did tease a few things that did not make it to the final episodes, including, perhaps most tragically, ‘an entire monologue about pickleball’ from Leslie Bibb. Yes, pickleball.”
The missing moment is just one of several scenes that didn’t make it past editing, but for pickleball fans, it may be the most painful.
Pickleball’s Presence in Prestige TV
Pickleball’s growing popularity in real life has made it into scripted shows, and The White Lotus nearly embraced the trend with a comedic twist. While the full content of the monologue remains unknown, the fact that the sport was set to be discussed at length in the HBO series highlights how deeply it has entered pop culture.
Coon revealed that there was more to the character scenes, particularly between the women in the vacation group, but time constraints during production forced some tough decisions.
“A lot of our material has been cut. One of the scenes from [Episode 7] was literally cut in half. So much of the material is gone, and that’s just what happens when you’re making TV.” – (coon)
Scenes with Rich Character Work Also Cut
Coon explained that the deleted material wasn’t due to quality but rather limitations on time and structure.
“Most of the scenes with the women were some of the longest in the scripts. Mike [White, the series creator] loves these women, and we would just sit around the table and talk and talk. That dinner scene from last night? Probably twice as long as what you see in the show.” – (coon)
Coon also shared that Leslie Bibb had a full dream sequence as her character Kate that was cut. In addition, the now-famous “bean scene” among the trio of women turned into a freewheeling improv session.
“Mike just let the bean stuff — he was like, ‘And now Laurie, say you love medium beans!’ He just wanted more beans in prestige TV.” – (coon)
Why the Pickleball Scene Matters
The loss of the pickleball monologue not only removes a fun moment from the show but also erases a unique nod to a fast-growing sport that connects generations. With pickleball rising in popularity, its inclusion in The White Lotus could have offered a relatable, funny glimpse into how the sport is becoming a part of modern social life — even at luxury resorts.
With the Season 3 finale, Amor Fati, set to air on April 6 on HBO and Max, fans may hope the deleted scenes, especially the pickleball one, make it into bonus content.
News in Brief: Unseen Pickleball Monologue
Carrie Coon revealed that The White Lotus cut an entire pickleball monologue by Leslie Bibb. The actress shared that many character scenes were edited out for time, including a dream sequence and improv moments. Fans may now push HBO to release these deleted scenes.
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