Last season of HBO Max’s “The White Lotus” featured Jewish actor Jason Isaacs (who wore a yellow ribbon on the red carpet as a sign of solidarity with Israeli hostages) as troubled businessman Timothy Ratliff, whose mixer and robe fumbles were one of the highlights of the extremely titilating season of TV.
It looks like the next season of the show about vacationers at the swanky White Lotus resorts will have another exciting Jewish star — Sandra Bernhard. The comedian and actress will star in the upcoming fourth season, which will take place on the French Riviera and filmed at the Château de La Messardière in Saint-Tropez on the Côte d’Azur, a five-star resort with its own private beach on the Mediterranean. Bernhard’s casting was announced this week on Deadline.
Bernhard is known for her comedy specials and albums, and for her many, many, many TV and movie roles, including Nancy in “Roseanne,” Nurse Judy Kubrak in “Pose,” the foreboding Nurse Cecily in “Severance” and most recently, Jewish Lower East Sider and Fran Drescher’s yenta neighbor Judy in “Marty Supreme.”
“Heading to France this summer. What a delight!” Bernhard announced on Instagram, getting congratulations from Billy Eichner (“SO DESERVED!!”), New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast (who called the casting “FANTASTIC”) and Chelsea Peretti (“OH SHIT!!!!!!!!!! MY MOTHRR YESSSS”). Comedian and actor Jordan Firstman called the casting “genius” and Andy Cohen said he was “kvelling.” So are we, Andy, so are we.
We’d love to say that Bernhard was cast for being a Jewish queen. She shared on Twitter back in 2021, “yes baby i am Jewish. Bat Mitzvah. Worked on a Kibbutz and i make a fabulous noodle kugel.” But it’s more likely she was cast for her frighteningly wonderful comedic chops. She’ll make a fine successor to Jennifer Coolidge’s Tanya of seasons one and two (of “these gays, they’re trying to murder me” fame) and Parker Posey’s Victoria of season three (her “Piper, no!!!” lives eternal). Hopefully this will be the beginning of a new Sandra Bernhard Golden Age — we can’t wait to quote her ad nauseam.
Bernhard’s role is yet unnamed, though it’s possible that some of this season’s stars will play a version of themselves. The French Riviera is notably the site of the Cannes Film Festival, and having famous stars stay at the resort would be a fun way for the show to get a little self-referential, commenting on the lives of the famous actors that often grace its cast.
Speaking of famous actors, Bernhard is not the only thrilling Jewish star of season four. The indomitable Helena Bonham Carter, who told Kveller she grew up knowing she was “unmistakably Jewish,” is also starring in the upcoming season.
Steve Coogan, Chris Messina, AJ Michalka, Alexander Ludwig and newcomers Caleb Jonte Edwards and Marissa Long have also been anounced as part of season four’s cast.
It’s quite likely that neither Bernhard nor Carter will play Jewish roles, but if showrunner Mike White is reading, we’d just like to say that we wouldn’t mind a memorable Yiddish word or two sprinkled into their dialogue. Maybe even the word “kvell” (or “kvetch”).
And since season three featured a Thai version of an iconic Israeli Eurovision song, “A-Ba-Ni-Bi,” we think it might be appropriate to incorporate Bernhard’s Hanukkah song “The Miracle of Lights” in this new season — it feels like the perfect dramatic “White Lotus” song.
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