Carrie Coon on viral White Lotus sprint

Carrie Coon played Laurie on The White Lotus’ third series
The actress caught the internet’s attention for her sprint at a gunshot
She has weighed in on all the buzz she got her finale performance

Carrie Coon in The White Lotus season 3 episode 7. Credit: Warner Bros

Carrie Coon caught many White Lotus fans’ attention with her performance as Laurie. Many noted it was layered, nuanced and downright hilarious. She a third of the trio of longtime girlfriends on their luxury Thai holiday, which was also made up of Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan) and Kate (Leslie Bibb).

Warning spoilers for the White Lotus to follow

However, The Gilded Age star also snagged much notice for her running in response to the gunshot, triggered by revenge-seeking Rick (Walton Goggins). But, like a professional, Coon had an explanation for creative decision to make Laurie hit the bricks in such a fast fashion.

‘White Lotus’ star Carrie Coon talks about her viral sprint scene in the season finale:

“Look, I’m an American and I’m a New Yorker, and if you think I don’t know where the exits are in any building I’m in, then you’re not paying attention to the news.” pic.twitter.com/jVi429GZAx
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) April 8, 2025

“There wasn’t direction. I knew the gunshot was going to happen, and we were going to run into the bushes, essentially. Look, I’m an American and I’m a New Yorker, and if you think I don’t know where the exits are in any building I’m in, then you’re not paying attention to the news. I thought, what would a person do? A person would f****** run, would book it, and I’m fast. I’m not as fast as I used to be,” she told Variety.

Carrie Coon in The White Lotus season 3. Credit: Warner Bros

What else did she say?

Coon revealed that she urged the more meeker seeming Thai background workers to really lean into the American impulse to bolt out the door.

she continued, “Some polite Thai workers were kind of scampering through in the background. I was like, “No, no, you need to have some Americans sprinting and hitting the deck, and jumping in the lagoon. The Americans are not playing. They know what this means!”