Who is Sam Rockwell? Law & Order alum surprises fan with new role in The White Lotus season 3
Law & Order's Sam Rockwell made an appearance on The White Lotus season 3 episode 5. He plays the role of Frank, an old friend of Rick Hatchett (Walton Goggings). Frank has been living in Thailand and reportedly led an extravagant lifestyle before turning to Buddhism and giving up all his vices. He also told Rick that he had been sober for 10 months.
Sam Rockwell, who is popularly known for his role on Law & Order had a monologue on The White Lotus where he discussed his past and struggle with his identity. His appearance on the show offered viewers a thought-provoking contrast to Rick and his quest for revenge.
Actor Sam Rockwell has been in the entertainment industry since 1999 and is known for his portrayal of complex or morally messy characters. He has appeared in several films and TV shows, including Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and F is For Family, among others.
Everything you need to know about Sam Rockwell from Law & Order
Sam Rockwell was born in Daly City, California, in 1968, and is known for his portrayal of complex characters like his latest one in The White Lotus. The actor is also known as someone who can do justice to offbeat roles.
The actor broke out playing an eccentric loner named Wild Bill in the 1999 prison drama The Green Mile. Another standout role was his portrayal of the paranoid con man opposite Nicolas Cage in Ridley Scott’s 2003 hit Matchstick Men.
Sam Rockwell also appeared in two episodes of Law & Order in 1992 and 1993. He first appeared on Law & Order season 2 episode 20 titled Intolerance as Randy Borland. He then appeared as Officer Weddeker on Law & Order season 3 episode 21 titled Manhood.
Rockwell won an Oscar for playing racist cop Jason Dixon in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, in 2017. That performance won him widespread praise and several major awards, including a Golden Globe and a BAFTA.
Rockwell portrayed President George W. Bush in Adam McKay’s political satire Vice (2018), earning another Academy Award nomination.
He has also played the role of Bob Fosse in FX's Fosse/Verdon alongside Michelle Williams, earning an Emmy nod. In 2022, he returned to Broadway in David Mamet’s classic play American Buffalo, receiving a Tony nomination for Best Actor.
Rockwell has consistently worked across genres, starring in films like Taika Waititi's war satire Jojo Rabbit and Clint Eastwood’s Richard Jewell. He even voiced a character in the animated hit Trolls World Tour.
The actor has been in a relationship with actress Leslie Bibb since 2007. Interestingly, Bibb is part of The White Lotus season 3 cast, likely contributing to his surprise appearance on the show.
What role is Sam Rockwell playing in The White Lotus?
Sam Rockwell appears in episode five as Frank, an old friend of Walton Goggins’ character, Rick Hatchett. Up until this point, Rick has been wandering around Thailand on what seems like a revenge mission, hunting down the owners of The White Lotus resort.
When Rick meets Frank in Bangkok, it’s clear these two have a long, messy history. Frank is a former partner in whatever shady business Rick’s been involved in back in the States. The connection is deeper than what’s immediately spelled out, but it’s obvious they’ve run in the same circles.
Frank has been living in Thailand for years. During their conversation, he reveals he left America because he had to. He never explains why but the reasons are believed to have been nefarious, based on how easily he hands Rick a gun in an unmarked leather bag.
He tells Rick that he had been laying low, and Thailand offered him the perfect escape. However, Frank’s character isn’t defined by just criminal ties. In a monologue, he tells Rick about his years of non-stop partying, chasing women, and spiraling into addiction.
Eventually, after what he describes as a thousand nights of indulgence, he claimed that he was burned out and turned to Buddhism. He quit drinking, stopped the drugs, and tried to detach himself from the endless cycle of lust and self-destruction.
What makes the scene stand out is how blunt Frank is about why he moved to Thailand in the first place. He openly admits he was obsessed with the women, then flips that confession by explaining how he began dressing in women’s lingerie and letting men have s*x with him, all in an attempt to understand desire from the other side. It's a wild, unfiltered moment that throws Rick completely off guard.
Fans of The White Lotus can stream the latest episode as well as the previous episodes on HBO and Max.
Law & Order season 24, episode 16, titled Folk Hero, is scheduled to air on Thursday, March 20, 2025, at 8 pm Eastern Time on NBC. Previous Law & Order episodes are available on NBC.
