Julian Kostov thrives in the unpredictable. Known for delivering intensity with wit and unfiltered honesty, the Bulgarian-born actor brings a sharp edge to every role he inhabits. Now, in HBO’s third season of The White Lotus, a fever dream of privilege, power games, and paradise gone wrong, Kostov joins the cast as Aleksei, a Russian expat whose charm and danger unravel in equal measure.
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In a candid conversation with DSCENE editor Katarina Doric, Kostov dives into the whirlwind of joining The White Lotus mid-recasting, crafting Aleksei’s layered backstory on the fly, and how the heat, chaos, and madness of filming in Thailand bled into his performance. With humor and sharp insight, he unpacks what might be the show’s most chaotic finale to date, and what it means to play a character who’s never quite telling the full truth.
Along the way, Kostov reveals a series of on-set adventures, from late-night improv sessions to unexpected animal encounters (yes, monkeys were involved), and teases the kind of storyline twists that fans will obsess over until long after the credits roll.
Read Julian’s interview now on DSCENE Magazine
Julian Kostov appears on the digital cover of DSCENE Magazine’s April 2025 issue, photographed by Jemima Marriott and styled by Alexandria Field in a full look by BOSS. This season, The White Lotus trades volcanic Italy for humid Southeast Asia, and as fan theories multiply online, Kostov isn’t giving much away, but he does confirm that the final episode is “absolutely unhinged.”
Whatever happens in paradise, one thing’s certain, Julian Kostov knows exactly how to keep us guessing.
Photographer Jemima Marriott
Stylist Alexandria Field
Grooming Brooke Simons
Talent Julian Kostov at Public Eye Communications
Photographer’s assistant Lee Furnival
Stylist’s Assistant Max Guibeleguiet
Interview by Katarina Doric
