Before 'The White Lotus,' Mike White and Laura Dern Created This Overlooked 2011 Show

This week, Laura Dern broke the internet after getting cast in the upcoming fourth season of Mike White's The White Lotus. But this is far from the first time the two Emmy winners have worked together.

Back in 2011, White and Dern collaborated on the HBO show Enlightened, which starred Dern as Amy Jellicoe, an executive who has a dramatic breakdown and sees both her personal and work lives completely fall apart. After going to a treatment center in Hawaii, Amy embarks on a journey of self-discovery and re-awakening, but getting her life together doesn't prove as easy as it seems.

Despite its passionate fanbase that developed over the course of two seasons, the acclaimed dark comedy ended up getting cancelled after low viewership figures. While it doesn't get talked about as much these days, with White generating plenty of headlines surrounding both The White Lotus and his recent appearance on Survivor, Enlightened remains one of the best HBO shows of the 21st century, and a true testament to White's sharp writing and social commentary.

For her powerful turn as a woman fighting to get her life together in a confounding corporate world, Dern won the TV comedy actress Golden Globe in 2012. Dern was Emmy-nominated for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series, while Molly Shannon received a nod for her guest star appearance in Season 2. The cast also included White, Luke Wilson, Diane Ladd, Sarah Burns, and Timm Sharp.

Enlightened isn't the beginning of the story, though: White and Dern's collaboration dates back to 2007, when Dern appeared in White's directorial debut Year of the Dog - another overlooked title. That film starred Shannon as an office worker struggling to get over the loss of her beagle, and the cast was rounded out by Dern, John C. Reilly, Regina King, Tom McCarthy, and Peter Sarsgaard.

If Year of the Dog and, especially, Enlightened prove anything, it's that White and Dern were destined to work together. The White Lotus Season 4 is currently filming in France.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 2, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published May 2, 2026 at 6:00 AM.