'White Lotus' Has Several Major 'Survivor' Contestant Cameos — Did You Catch Them All?

Fans of the survival contest franchise Survivor probably already know the name of Mike White, a famous runner-up who stamped his legacy on the series.

Although he has long been a successful staple in Hollywood, Mike really struck gold with the satire comedy series The White Lotus. Using satire, biting wit, and intriguing stories, White Lotus brings viewers on a juicy adventure. Not to mention holding up a mirror to some of society's less-flattering characteristics.

But Mike isn't one to forget his friends, and he has dropped a few major Survivor cameos in the White Lotus series. Have you caught them all? Here are the Survivor cameos that have been noted throughout the seasons.

White Lotus is a mega-hit, with Mike earning Emmy nominations for both writing and directing, which acknowledges The White Lotus as the creative gem it is.

This is not his first big win in Hollywood, or even his third according to NPR. Yet somehow, this time around he invited himself into the status of "household name."

To share in his success, Mike has invited several Survivor contestants to make cameos in White Lotus, and it seems like he plans to keep the tradition going for the foreseeable future.

By early 2025, these Survivor contestants had made cameos in the series:

Survivor contestant Alec Merlino is not only the first to appear in The White Lotus he's also the one who appeared the most. Alec played a bartender named Hutch in Season 1, appearing across five separate episodes.

Angelina Keeley and Kara Kay only make a brief appearance in the show, but they have a quick convo on the beach in Season 2, episode 1.

Natalie Cole and Carl Boudreaux appear alongside one another on Season 3 Episode 1. Unfortunately for fans, they only get a glimpse of the pair seated at dinner.

From Survivor cameos to new celebrities with every season and a bigger storyline the more you watch, White Lotus seems like the kind of show that cold get old, quickly.

And yet, the series has done exactly the opposite, its fan base growing with every new season and juicy plot line.

In Season 3, which aired in 2025, viewership rose sharply from the season premiere to the second episode, with 40 percent more viewers tuning in according to Variety.

It's a remarkable accomplishment for the show, which has the potential to be somewhat repetitive given the show's repetitive general plot of "drama in paradise."

And the rising popularity of the show may simply be, in part, because showrunners are leaning into controversy.

Take, for instance, the "theme song controversy" which White Lotus can't seem to shake. When the third season aired with a decidedly different and very unique sounding theme song, fans were instantly divided on their love or hate for it.

Which means that people went straight to social media to discuss their joy or disdain for the theme. And as the old saying goes, "there's no such thing as bad publicity." Any talk and attention on the show is boosting its status.

White Lotus has consistently managed to spark these conversations, either through stylistic choices or topics represented in the show. With biting satire and a fearless approach to storytelling, the series will likely go down in history as an absolute classic.

It doesn't hurt that a true Survivor is at the heart of the show, of course.