Ethan Spiller, a.k.a. Harper’s husband, was supposed to be played by Evan Peters, The White Lotus EP David Bernad revealed to Deadline. “That part was the last part we cast in the season, and originally it was supposed to be Evan Peters, but for whatever reason – scheduling or timing – it didn’t work out,” the producer said.
The role eventually went to breakout star Will Sharpe. Ethan was one of the crucial roles of the Sicily-set second season. The dynamic between Ethan, Harper (Aubrey Plaza), Daphne (Meghann Fahy), and Cameron (Theo James) was the subject of much social media debate.
“We were really trying to figure how to cast that part so it didn’t feel like familiar casting,” David added. “We were in Rome auditioning Italian actors, and I was jetlagged Googling at 4 a.m. and I came across Will Sharpe in Giri/Haji, which is a brilliant show in the UK. I’d never seen him before and he was just incredibly talented. I looked at his other work and realized he was kind of a chameleon.”
Evan was likely busy filming the Netflix series Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. The role earned Evan a Golden Globe for Best Actor — Miniseries or Television Film at the 2023 Golden Globes.
The White Lotus will return for season 3, so it’s possible Evan could end up on the show in the future. He’s an HBO alum, having starred alongside Kate Winslet in the limited series Mare of Easttown. His performance earned him his first Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.
The actor has been open about the mental and physical toll the role of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer had on him. “I’m going to take a little break from darker roles and explore the light,” he told Variety. “It would be interesting to me to play something that is a little closer to home, a little more mundane and to explore the details of those kinds of experiences.”