Mike White Thinks He Would Win The Amazing Race With This White Lotus Star
Mike White may be famous for creating the scandalous social satire "The White Lotus," which closed off its third season with all the drama of a Greek tragedy, but reality TV fans will recognize him from his stints in front of the camera on both "Survivor" and "The Amazing Race."
White competed on "The Amazing Race" with his father Mel in Seasons 14 and 18 as a father-son duo that lost in both seasons. If White were to ever return to the show, there's one "White Lotus" star who he says would crush the competition: Sydney Sweeney. Having competed (and come up short) before, White's dream pairing helps identify what his past teams lacked.
It was Sweeney herself who brought up the idea in an interview with Variety while talking about her hobbies, which include kitesurfing and cliff diving. "Honestly, Mike and I would be a killer team," she said. White agrees wholeheartedly, saying that she would be an excellent teammate thanks to her natural athletic talents and her understanding of the social politics involved. "I would definitely win with her," he said. "She's the master at getting what she wants. And I mean that in an absolutely good way."
Even while working on The White Lotus, Mike White still finds time to compete in reality TV
Despite a busy career as a Hollywood writer and director, White's passion for reality TV competitions keeps drawing him back. While his two seasons on "The Amazing Race" didn't find him landing close to victory, it was his stint on "Survivor" that showed what he was capable of. Playing on the "David vs. Goliath" season, White proved himself as one of the show's very best competitors for his ability, like Sweeney, to play the social game and undercut his opponents.
White's father Mel wasn't exactly the strongest competitor "The Amazing Race" has ever seen, due in part to his age and injuries, yet the two still managed to remain competitive. So with a young starlet by his side such as Sweeney, there's no reason to doubt White's estimation of their chances.
"The White Lotus" season 4 is now on its way, reportedly set along the French Riviera, but it's unlikely Sweeney will be making a return trip anytime soon. As White quipped to Variety, "I don't know if we could afford her now." That said, White himself is booking his own trip back to "Survivor" with the 50th season anniversary special "In the Hands of the Fans," joking to The Hollywood Reporter that this is the only way he can "get a vacation these days."