On April 6, 2025, prominent news outlets reported on BLACKPINK’s Lisa, particularly following an insightful interview published by The Hollywood Reporter featuring music supervisor Gabe Hilfer, who works on the HBO series The White Lotus. Hilfer revealed the reasoning behind the decision not to incorporate Lisa’s tracks in Season 3 of the acclaimed show.
In this season, Lisa portrayed Mook, an intriguing character that required a sharp departure from her public persona. Hilfer shared that playing her music during her on-screen appearances could disrupt the viewing experience. He elaborated on this sentiment:
“I’ve worked on a lot of things that have musicians as actors, and I kind of feel like you’re crossing a boundary because they’re no longer their fictional character. It’s just a little meta if you’re hearing their music while you’re seeing them on screen, but they’re not playing themselves.”
According to Hilfer, the blending of Lisa’s musical identity into her role would have resulted in a jarring experience for the audience. He expressed that while there may have been moments of levity, such as if Lisa had portrayed herself on a vacation at the White Lotus resort, the reality of her character demanded a more nuanced approach:
“If she was playing Lisa on vacation at the White Lotus, maybe it would’ve been kind of a fun little wink, but as she is Mook in this and has a different role, I think it would’ve been a little too self-aware or meta. Obviously, she’s such a megastar, and Blackpink is its own phenomenon.”
Emphasizing the distinction between her acting and musical endeavors, Hilfer reinforced that such a crossover could detract from the story being told.
Lisa’s Role in The White Lotus and Her Ascending Solo Career
Lisa made her debut with BLACKPINK in 2016, and her recent casting as Mook in the third season of The White Lotus marked a significant step in her acting career. Her audition, which took place in Thailand, captured the attention of creator Mike White, leading to a follow-up tape that secured her the role. Initially unaware of her global stardom, White expressed some reservations:
“I did not know who Lisa or Blackpink was. All I knew was that there was a Blackpink girl [her bandmate, Jennie] in The Idol and I was like, ‘We’re not doing that.’ Then I found out that there might be security issues and I was just like, ‘No.'”
However, after witnessing Lisa’s audition and learning about her considerable impact in Thailand, White reevaluated his stance. He recalled the surprise of her castmates as filming commenced, noting her immense popularity, saying:
“Her audition was amazing. And Lisa’s so nice and uncomplicated, but I still didn’t want to cast her. I’m just used to not having so much attention; we don’t need it. But I wanted to be respectful to Thailand. She’s like Taylor Swift meets Princess Diana there.”
In an exciting turn for her career, Lisa departed from YG Entertainment in 2024 to establish her label, Lloud, while securing a distribution deal with RCA Records. Her highly anticipated debut studio album, Alter Ego, launched in February 2025, following successful singles like Rockstar and Born Again.
Further solidifying her status, Lisa became the first K-pop solo artist to take the stage at both the MTV Video Music Awards and the Oscars—a groundbreaking achievement in her realm:
Beyond her musical pursuits, Lisa ventured into the world of comics and successfully completed a fan meeting tour throughout Asia, showcasing her versatility and widespread appeal.
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