For Lisa of Blackpink, ‘The White Lotus’ Season 3 kicks off a pivotal year

After lounging on Hawaii’s beaches and yachting in Sicily, a new star-studded cast has headed to Thailand for a luxurious, deadly vacation in “The White Lotus.” Season 3 of HBO’s dark comedy anthology is set to premiere Sunday.

Among the new vacationers are Aimee Lou Wood (“Sex Education”), Parker Posey (“Dazed and Confused,” “Scream 3”), Patrick Schwarzenegger (“Scream Queens”) and Walton Goggins (“Fallout,” “Justified”). While fan-favorite Tanya, played by Jennifer Coolidge, won’t be returning, this season will feature one other familiar face — Natasha Rothwell, who appeared as spa manager Belinda in the first season.

While the cast features a group of seasoned actors, Lalisa Manobal, better known as Blackpink’s Lisa, will be making her acting debut in the Emmy-winning series. As a member of K-pop’s most popular girl group, the 27-year-old multi-hyphenate artist is having a pivotal year.

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Feb. 14, 2025

Who is Lisa?

Manobal was born and raised in Buriram, Thailand. She spent her childhood dancing with the group We Zaa Cool, until landing an audition at YG Entertainment — an agency behind many of K-pop’s biggest names. At age 13, she joined the agency’s training program, moved to South Korea and began her journey to becoming a K-pop idol. After training for five years, she took the stage name Lisa and made her debut in Blackpink.

Who does Lisa play in ’The White Lotus?’

The pop star will be playing a resort employee and health mentor named Mook. Not much else has been revealed about the character other than that a security guard named Gaitok, played by Tayme Thapthimthong, is romantically interested in her. In the trailer for the show, she also appears onstage as a dancer and can be heard saying, “Everyone comes to Thailand. They’re either hiding from someone or they’re looking for someone.”

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What is Blackpink?

In 2016, the K-pop girl group — composed of Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa — released the singles “Whistle” and “Boombayah.” These tunes were an instant success in South Korea, with “Whistle” topping the charts.

Each member brings a different element to Blackpink: Jisoo is the lead singer and face of the group, Jennie is the main rapper and lead vocalist, Rosé is the main vocalist and lead dancer and Lisa is the lead rapper and main dancer. In K-pop, the difference between a main role and a lead role has to do with the level of skill, with a main role being the higher ranking.

As the group’s members continued to release music and perform, they began to garner global acclaim. Building an army of fans called blinks, their music videos, such as 2018‘s “Ddu-Du Ddu Du” and the bilingual hip-hop anthem “Kill This Love” are the second and third most watched music videos by a Korean artist — with more than 2 billion views each. Over their career, they have collaborated with some of music’s biggest names including Dua Lipa, Lady Gaga, Cardi B and Selena Gomez. In 2023, they made history by becoming the first Asian act to headline Coachella.

Blackpink performing at Coachella in 2023. From left, Lisa, Jisoo, Jennie and Rosé.

(Frazer Harrison / Getty Images for Coachella)

Is Blackpink still together?

At the end of 2023, the members of Blackpink renewed their YG Entertainment contract for group activities — meaning they each had more control over their solo endeavors. Prior to this, each member was already releasing solo music, and Jennie had appeared on HBO’s “The Idol” as Dyanne.

Throughout 2024, Rosé cracked the Billboard charts with her viral collaboration with Bruno Mars, “APT,” and released her first full-length studio album, “Rosie.” Jennie worked with Matt Champion, a former member of the boy band Brockhampton, on the toned-down electronic single “Slow Motion,” was featured on Korean rapper Zico’s track “Spot!” and most recently released “Love Hangover” with Dominic Fike. Jisoo is also set to release her first solo project, “Amortage,” on Saturday.

Even as they build their individual careers, the members of Blackpink will be “in your area” soon, earlier this month teasing a 2025 world tour.

What else is Lisa working on this year?

In 2024, Lisa signed a solo deal with RCA Records. She hit the ground running, releasing three singles last year: “Rockstar,” “New Woman” featuring Rosalía and “Moonlit Floor (Kiss Me).” Most recently, she dropped a new collaboration with pop stars Doja Cat and Raye called “Born Again.” Her debut album, “Alter Ego,” is set to be released Feb. 28 — amid Season 3 of “The White Lotus.”