The fifth episode of The White Lotus season three delivered a massive surprise with the unexpected appearance of special guest star Sam Rockwell, who made a strange confession.
In a reunion with his old friend Rick Hatchett (portrayed by Walton Goggins), Rockwell's character, credited as Frank, discloses that he's been sober for 10 months following a period of wild sexual escapades.
Frank also hands over a gun, presumably for Rick to exact revenge on his father's killer, and agrees to reconvene the following night.
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Fans unanimously agree that Rockwell's unexpected performance has been a standout moment of the season thus far.
With this in mind, let's delve deeper into the life of the Academy Award-winning actor, reports .
Romance with co-star
Rockwell's cameo in the series could be attributed to his long-term relationship with one of this season's main cast members.
Since 2007, he's been romantically involved with Leslie Bibb, who plays Kate Bohr in The White Lotus' third season. The couple first crossed paths when Rockwell was in Los Angeles shooting the historical drama Frost/Nixon.
They've since starred together in Iron Man 2 and Don Verdean, though it remains to be seen whether their characters in The White Lotus will interact in the remaining three episodes.
Despite their enduring relationship, Rockwell has hinted that they have no immediate plans to expand their family.
"I definitely don't want to become a parent. It's not my bag," he confessed to the Observer. Despite the years passing since his 2007 comment, Rockwell and his partner Bibb have remained child-free.
Car accident
In a candid chat with Esquire in 2010, Rockwell shared that his left hand bears the marks of a past car accident from the mid-90s, which left him with misshapen fingers.
The aftermath was severe enough to require reconstructive surgery, resulting in his pointer and middle fingers being permanently bent.
"I flipped a car," he disclosed during the interview.
"I think the same thing sort of happened to Shia LaBeouf, except his hand was hurt worse than mine, but my fingers were crushed and then reconstructed."
Dancing in movies
Rockwell's on-screen dancing has caught the eye of movie buffs, with his characters busting moves in films ranging from Moon and Galaxy Quest to Charlie's Angels and the recent hit Argylle.
Despite his convincing portrayal of Bob Fosse in Fosse/Verdon, Rockwell isn't formally trained in dance; he finds his rhythm through influences like Footloose and Michael Jackson's iconic performances.
When asked by ComicBook.com about his frequent dancing on film, he explained: "Well, often, initially it's about shaking off the nerves. I remember doing Box of Moonlight, and I was really just so nervous. I would just dance to shake out.
"It was a screen test for Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. Literally, George [Clooney] let me dance in the screen test to get the nerves out. And then he ended up using it in the screen test."
Other roles
Rockwell's journey from playing baddies and sidekicks to championing blockbusters and seizing an Oscar is quite the story. Starting in the late '80s, his face began popping up on TV in The Equalizer and Dream Street, and not long after, he made waves in Clownhouse and as a thug in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Come 1999, Rockwell saw his name in lights with The Green Mile and Galaxy Quest; then, playing villainous Eric Knox in Charlie's Angels the following year.
His leap to interstellar fame came as Zaphod Beeblebrox in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and continued with a leading role in the critically-acclaimed Moon in 2009.
Rockwell's role as baddie Justin Hammer in Marvel's Iron Man 2 shot him into the mainstream, followed by hits like Cowboys and Aliens, Seven Psychopaths, and romcom antics in Mr. Right alongside Anna Kendrick.
2018 marked the year he clinched Oscar gold with his performance in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, sending his star soaring even higher. From there, it was roles in Jojo Rabbit, Richard Jewell, and See How They Run, featuring in stylish thriller Argyle and comedy IF.
The White Lotus season 3 continues Sundays on HBO and the following Monday on Sky Go and NOW.
